Barolo DOCG Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo 2019

DOCG Cerequio is one of the most esteemed Barolo "crus" of the area. It is a single vineyard located on the prestigious hillside between the villages of La Morra and Barolo. The soil is Tortonian and Helvetian calcareous marl, with an alkaline pH and a sand content of over 30%. It is poor in organic matter, but rich in microelements such as iron and magnesium, imparting complexity to the resulting wine. The vineyard covers just three hectares and this wine is produced in limited quantities. The vineyard sits at 320 metres above sea level and has a south to south westerly orientation. The Guyot trained vines are planted at a density of 4,500 vines per hectare. Excess bunches are thinned out at the end of the summer, leaving an average of just five to six bunches per vine. The vines are grown sustainably according to the V.I.V.A. Sustainable Wine certification and are manually harvested.

The grapes were harvested at optimal maturity. Fermentation took place on the skins in 55 hectolitre oak vats and lasted for two weeks. A gentle 'shower system' of immersing the cap was used during vinification which took place at temperatures of between 27 to 30°C. The wine was matured for a minimum of three years. It was aged for two years in average sized oak casks before further refinement in the bottle of one year, prior to release.