Burlotto

Comm. G.B. Burlotto – The Resurgence of a Barolo Pioneer

In the picturesque village of Verduno, in the heart of the Barolo core region of the Langhe, lies the Commendatore Giovan Battista Burlotto winery – a name synonymous with one of the most fascinating revivals in Italian wine history. The estate was founded in 1850 by Giovan Battista Burlotto, who at that time took an unusual path: instead of selling his wines as cask wine to large cooperatives, he bottled them himself and marketed them directly – a pioneering feat that was revolutionary at the time . His exceptional Barolos were showered with awards and even found their way to the court of the Royal House of Savoy . For his services, he was awarded the honorary title of Commendatore. The Wegen family were accorded a very special honour when, in 1899, they accompanied the Duke of Abruzzo on his North Pole expedition – an event still commemorated today by a phrase on the label of the Barolos .

Following the death of Giovan Battista Burlotto in 1927 , however, the winery entered a long period of inactivity. The phylloxera plague, two world wars and, finally, the devastating methanol scandal of the 1980s brought this time-honoured estate to the brink of oblivion . The long-awaited turnaround only came with the new millennium, when Fabio Alessandria, the founder’s great-great-grandson , took over the management of the family winery following his thorough training in oenology. Together with his sister Cristina, he now runs the business in its fifth generation.

The estate now cultivates just under 16 hectares of vineyards in the municipalities of Verduno, Barolo, Monforte d’Alba and Roddi . The top crus, such as Monvigliero and Cannubi, are often blessed with limestone-rich soils, which lend the wines a distinctive minerality and elegance . Fabio Alessandria was never swayed by the barrique craze of the 1980s and 1990s . He consistently adheres to the traditional vinification methods of his ancestors – long maceration and ageing in large, neutral wooden casks, with no barriques . Vineyard management is organic, albeit not certified. Burlotto’s wines are now so sought-after that they are often fully booked before bottling . With his unmistakable style and the fascinating combination of pioneering spirit and tradition, Comm. G.B. Burlotto has long since regained a firm place amongst the very greatest names in Barolo.