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While Valentino’s Barolos are decidedly modern in character, their level of extraction and significant barrique influence do not preclude the wines from exhibiting elegance and expressing the genuine character of the Nebbiolo grape. Derived from the historic vineyard Cappella Santo Stefano di Perno, this wine represents the cru dei cru of Valentino’s single-vineyard Barolos. As with the other crus, the Santo Stefano is aged in oak for a three-year period and receives an additional year of maturation in bottle prior to release. Rich fruit and flamboyant oak on the nose lead into a dense palate structured by formidable, yet velvety tannins. Rich fruit and flamboyant oak on the nose lead into a dense palate structured by formidable, yet velvety tannins.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Piemonte
- Sub-region/Appellation: Barolo
A methode champenoise from Piemonte. Chardonnay in the land of reds. Barrique-aged Nebbiolo and Barbera. They may not sound significant or revolutionary, but in the seventies, these unprecedented efforts of the late Valentino Migliorini helped change the wine landscape in Barolo. Valentino Migliorini was one of Piemonte’s most profound agents of transformation: His larger-than-life personality won acceptance in the land most resistant to change, and his portfolio of wines from the Rocche dei Manzoni estate inspired many of Piemonte’s great winemakers to rethink Barolo and to think beyond Nebbiolo. Valentino Migliorini’s recent passing (in December of 2007) is a tremendous loss not only to the Italian wine community but to the wine realm at large. His son, Rodolfo, however, has worked by his side for several years, and will continue to honor his father in both practice and principle. Moreover, there remain many wines that have been crafted under his care, including the 1999 Pianpolvere Soprano (released in 2006) and the Barolo Riserva 1999 Madonna Assunta La Villa—a cru wine that will be released in 2009.
Situated in the Manzoni Soprani area of Monforte d’Alba, Rocche dei Manzoni was originally established in the 1700s, commencing its modern era in 1974, when Valentino and his wife, Jolanda, purchased the old winery and its prized vineyards. Valentino had fallen in love with Piemonte when visiting the region to acquire a selection of reds to serve at his Michelin-starred restaurant in Emilia-Romagna. The fashionable Francophile returned to Barolo with the winemaking skills he had acquired from his father. His passion for Nebbiolo soon surpassed his dedication to the regional dishes of Emilia-Romagna, leading him to abandon the renowned restaurant that had brought him fame and to pursue his passion for the vine through fearless experimentation.
Initial production included Dolcetto, Barbera, and Barolo, yet Valentino did not adhere to either the area's traditional varietal constituency nor practices. He was the first to plant Chardonnay (for his barrel-fermented L'Angelica) and produced the Langhe's premiere blend—Bricco Manzoni (80% Nebbiolo and 20% Barbera)—in 1976, for which he employed small French oak barrels. Its younger sibling in the portfolio is Quatr Nas, an innovative blend of Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nero, and Merlot.
It is easy to cast Valentino as a modernist, but to taste his early Barolos from the late seventies and early eighties is to experience Barolo’s classic side. Valentino firmly attributed his success to viticulture rather than vinification: His respect for the land always took precedence, and there is no disputing the remarkable ageworthiness of his wines—an element that makes these some of the greatest values in Piemonte. Valentino’s representation of the historic Santo Stefano di Perno Vineyard constitutes the cru dei cru of his single-vineyard Barolos. Valentino’s Barolos generally require several years of age in order to reach a place wherein the various elements realize a cohesive whole and reflect the nature of their respective sites. Vigna d'la Roul and Big 'd Big are his other single-vineyard Barolos.
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