Date of visit: September 21, 2021
A bit about the winery:
In 1948 Olivio and his younger brother Gildo Cavallotto released the family’s first Barolo for commercial sale. At the time, Olivio was only 18 years old, and his father had just passed away unexpectedly. The winery was the family’s only source of income, and their survival depended upon its success. Olivio was a pioneer in the world of Barolo wine. In 1948, he was already vinifying his own grapes, bottling, and selling direct to what would become a long list of loyal customers. In addition to being one of the first grower-producers in Barolo, Olivio adopted natural viticulture in the mid to late 1970s. He stopped using chemicals in their vineyards and allowed grass to grow between their vines, amongst several other practices which promoted biodiversity in the vineyards. This was not a marketing tactic, but rather an effort to increase the quality of their grapes. Although these practices are now somewhat more common, this was radical and unheard of at the time. Sadly, Olivio passed away earlier this year, but his achievements in the wine community will always be remembered, and his legacy will continue to live on through the legendary wines of Cavallotto.
In the late 1980s, Olivio’s children Laura, Giuseppe, and Alfio began working at the estate. Around this time, many Barolo producers were experimenting with international winemaking techniques, often times utilizing new oak and/or barriques amongst other techniques previously not seen in the production of Barolo. The goal was to drastically soften Barolo’s iconic tannins, hoping to produce softer wines to appeal to the palettes of some influential critics, who often penalized producers who were crafting Barolo in a more classic style. However, all too often the result was Barolo that was over extracted, and whose iconic aromas and flavors had been heavily camouflaged by oak. This new trend didn’t influence the Cavallotto’s wine making style in the least. Their wines are, and always have been, pure expressions of their terroir. Giuseppe and Alfio are both trained enologists, noninterventionists, and are committed to the same natural viticulture practices that Olivio started decades ago. The Cavallotto’s believe Barolo’s powerful tannins and acidity are key components to its identity, and are essential for long term cellaring. Despite its powerful tannins and high acidity, Cavallotto’s Barolos are impeccably balanced. Giuseppe Cavallotto stated during an interview with Kerin O’Keefe in 2000 “We want to make Barolo that tastes and ages like Barolo, a great but unique wine that can’t be made anywhere else”.
Our history with Cavallotto:
When you speak to most wine enthusiasts about what got them interested in wine, most have a story to share about their “ah-ha” moment, often times it’s a wine that really swept them off their feet. For me, Dillon, it was my first visit to Cavallotto some years ago. It wasn’t a single wine, but rather the entire experience that did it for me. When we arrived we were greeted by the unbelievably kind, generous, hospitable, and soft-spoken Giuseppe Cavallotto. He took us around the gorgeous estate, and explained every step of the wine production process in extreme detail. The passion Giuseppe conveyed for his wines was evident in every word that he spoke, and I was captivated throughout the entire experience. Giuseppe’s knowledge and passion for the wines of Langhe is extraordinary, and every time we speak to him, we learn a plethora of new fascinating information. He then brought us into the tasting room, and began to pour the incredible lineup of Cavallotto wines. To this day that is the single most memorable tasting I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying, and if I had the ability to go back in time and re-taste a lineup of wines at any producer I’ve visited, it would be the lineup that I tried during my first-ever visit to Cavallotto on August 4, 2018. Although, I stated earlier there wasn’t one particular wine that pushed me over the edge, and rather it was the entire lineup that left me speechless, I would be remiss to not mention how absolutely gorgeous the 2013 Barolo Bricco Boschis was.
Our visit:
Our third and most recent visit to Cavallotto took place on September 21, 2021 — a gorgeous sunny day in Castiglione Falletto. This was the second producer we visited during our September trip to Langhe, and was one of the most anticipated stops of our entire trip. As soon as we arrived, we were welcomed by the affable Giuseppe Cavallotto. It felt great to be back in the tasting room of the place that “started it all” for me in terms of my wine interests today. We spoke for a while about how things have been since we last saw each other approximately 2 years ago, and then began our highly anticipated tasting, starting with Pinner as we always do.
Below are our tasting notes for the lineup of wines that we tasted. For each wine, we’ve included a link to a vintage specific, highly detailed, technical specification sheet of that respective wine provided by Cavallotto which can be found on their website. These technical specification sheets are the most detailed we’ve seen provided by any producer, and we absolutely love reading through this information as we enjoy their wines at home. We hope that you enjoy our notes, along with the technical specifications provided by Cavallotto as much as we do.
Our tasting notes:
2020 Pinner: “Pinner”, whose name is derived from a combination of the words “Pinot Nero”, is a Rosè-like wine made from 100% Pinot Nero grapes grown on East and North-East facing slopes in front of the Cavallotto estate. These slopes which aren’t suitable for Nebbiolo make a fantastic home for Cavallotto’s small production of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay. Pinner is an interesting wine that we’re not sure whether to categorize as white or rosé. It’s vinified as a white wine, but has the appearance of a rosé, and in our opinion, sits in a category of its own. Appearance is pale salmon with a golden hue. Aromas of grapefruit and lemon zest lift from the glass, and carry over to the palette, along with flavors of strawberry and rhubarb. High acidity with a persistent finish. Crisp, refreshing, delicious, easy drinking, but by no means a “simple” wine. A creative and delicious interpretation of Pinot Nero that we’ve not seen done by any other producer. Delicious now, but also has the ability to age for several years.
2018 Barbera d’Alba Superiore “Vigna Cuculo”: Made from 55-year-old Barbera vines, grown inside “Vigna Cuculo”, a small 2.22 hectare parcel located inside Bricco Boschis. This Barbera comes from a Barolo growing zone, and because of that is quite structured, and Nebbiolo like in many ways, though it still retains all the quintessential Barbera characteristics, and is an incredible representation of the grape. Aromas of crushed blackberries, plums, hay, vegetal notes, some earthiness, yet still quite fruity. Great structure, with smooth, fine-grained tannins that are ever so perfectly integrated alongside high acidity. Giuseppe stated that the wine should be left in bottle to age for a minimum of 1 more year prior to consumption, but can likely age nicely for another 6-10 years. Year after year, Cavallotto’s Barbera continues to be one of our favorite expressions of the grape. The old vines, age worthy structure, and terroir make this a unique and outstanding representation of Barbera.
2018 Langhe Nebbiolo: Cavallotto bottles a selection of their younger “Barolo grade” vines grown in various parcels within Bricco Boschis, Codana and Pernanno, under their Langhe Nebbiolo label. On the nose, classic tar notes leap from the glass, along with some notes of scorched earth, a hint of roses, and a hint of cherries. The palette delivers delicious flavors of cherry juice, with hints of pomegranates and roses. Medium/medium-long finish and medium acidity. Smooth tannins, and although young, very accessible and enjoyable right now, though it will likely get even better with time.
2015 Barolo Riserva Vignolo: Vines are grown in various parcels within Cavallotto’s small 1.96 hectare plot within the“Vignolo” MGA, located adjacent to Bricco Boschis. The nose is earthy and delivers a great deal of classic Nebbiolo tar, some roses, a hint of baked tomato, hay, cloves, and a hint of bell pepper, most of which carry over to the palette. Smooth fine-grained, well-integrated tannins, and very structured. Unbelievably approachable now, especially for a young Barolo, but can definitely endure lengthy aging, and will likely become only more enjoyable with time. A beautiful Barolo.
2015 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe: Made from a selection of Cavallotto’s best grapes from their oldest vines grown within the 2.38 hectare San Giuseppe parcel within the Bricco Boschis MGA. The nose is perfumed and elegant, delivering classic Nebbiolo aromas of cherries, roses, and tar. The palette delivers flavors of cherry juice, pomegranate juice, raspberries, strawberries, and roses. Today, the tannins are very much present, but are extremely fine, well integrated, and silky smooth, making this wine extraordinarily approachable and enjoyable to drink now. Mouth enveloping flavors, high acidity, and an unbelievably long finish, highly complex. Outstanding! One of our favorite Barolo’s of the 2015 vintage, and one of our favorite Barolo’s tasted during our trip to Langhe. Although extremely accessible and enjoyable now, it certainly has all the right qualities to become even more enjoyable in years to come.
2013 Barolo Riserva Vignolo: A fun and interesting comparison to taste alongside the 2015 Barolo Riserva Vignolo. Aromas of scorched earth, tar, and baking spices lift from the glass. The palette is filled with flavors of cherry skins, cherry juice, pomegranate juice, and baking spices. Smooth, well integrated fine-grained tannins. Unbelievably long finish. Quite structured, and although delicious now, can definitely withstand lengthy aging, and will only become more enjoyable to drink with time.
Please note all wines were opened approximately 5 hours prior to our arrival, and left in bottle, to slowly introduce some air into them with the exception of 2020 Pinner and 2013 Barolo Vignolo Riserva, which were both opened shortly before we tasted them.
Our thoughts and key takeaways:
When Giuseppe mentioned that the majority of the wines that we tasted were opened approximately 5 hours prior, we inquired as to his thoughts on decanting. His recommendation for the wines that we tried, at least at this stage of their life, is to not decant, but rather open them 24 hours prior to consumption and leave them in bottle. He suggested taking small sips over the course of 24 hours to watch the wine evolve, and stated that 24 hours after opening is when the wine will really become extraordinary. We were pleasantly surprised to hear this, as our favorite way to enjoy wine at home is over the course of a few hours without the use of a decanter, as we too like to watch the wine evolve over time. We have not yet tried this over the span of 24 hours, but we look forward to taking Giuseppe’s advice with the next bottle of Cavallotto that we open.
As always the entire Cavallotto lineup was incredible. As we stated in our previous post about our visit to Ettore Germano, part of what we feel separates a good producer from a truly extraordinary producer is when every wine in the lineup is outstanding, not just the producer’s flagship wine(s). We cannot say enough about how truly extraordinary Cavallotto’s wines are, words can’t describe it, you really need to experience these wines first hand to see how special the entire lineup is
Vintage after vintage, all of Cavallotto’s wines continue to be incredible, and extremely long-lived. Although all the wines that we tasted are delicious today, all of Cavallotto’s wines have the ability to develop further in the bottle, and some can endure quite lengthy aging, more so than many other producers in Langhe, which is a quality that we love, and part of what makes Cavallotto’s wines so special for us.
Fun facts:
As we tasted through the lineup of wines, a few bottles of Cavallotto Grappa caught our eye. We asked Giuseppe if Cavallotto still produces Grappa, as we’ve never seen them before. Giuseppe explained they unfortunately no longer produce Grappa, as the distiller that they used to work with is no longer in business. Giuseppe stated that to his knowledge this was the only distiller who would produce Grappa for them using 100% of their own grapes, other distillers include a portion of other producers grapes. This is extremely important for someone as detail oriented and committed to quality as Giuseppe. He went on to say that he hopes to one day make Grappa again, as he was always extremely pleased with the Grappa they produced.
Following our conversation about Grappa, we somehow landed on the topic of Barolo Chinato, one of our all-time favorite beverages. Giuseppe told us that he too shares the same affection towards Barolo Chinato, and that this is something they also used to produce. However, unlike their Grappa, their Barolo Chinato was produced only for personal consumption, to be shared with family and friends, and was not sold commercially. He went on to explain some of the fundamentals on how it’s made, and how Cavallotto like so many other Barolo Chinato producers keep their recipe a family secret to this day. A fascinating and fun story that left us wanting to taste some, hopefully one day in the near future.
Thank you
Thank you, Laura, Valentina, Giuseppe, Alfio and everyone at Cavallotto who helped produce such an amazing lineup of wines, and who made our visit to Cavallotto so special. Thank you for sharing your spectacular wines with us once again, and for always making our visit to Cavallotto a memorable one. We look forward to seeing you soon in the very near future. Grazie mille! A presto!
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