Sottocastello di Novello (2010)

About this wine

This wine is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes from the Sottocastello di Novello cru near Novello in Barolo. On the nose it shows violet and red cherry aromas with secondary notes of cinnamon, sweet tobacco and liquorice. The palate is structured and mouth filling with firm fine grained tannins and a long spicy finish. Vinification includes extended maceration with daily pumping over and malolactic fermentation in steel, followed by ageing in oak for about two years and further bottle ageing before release. The vineyard sits around 400 metres above sea level on deep, well drained limestone soils, which contributes to the wines balance of freshness and tannic structure.

About the grape

Nebbiolo is the single grape behind this Barolo, a very old Piedmont variety known for thin skins and high acidity that gives Barolo its structure and long ageing potential. In Sottocastello di Novello the vines, planted in 1999 and 2002 at about 400 metres above sea level, grow on deep, well drained limestone and Sant Agata fossil marl soils that help moderate vigor and concentrate the grape s tannins and aromatics. Le Ginestre trains Nebbiolo on vertical trellises and prunes with the Guyot system at a density of about 4,500 vines per hectare, uses manual green pruning and thinning to ensure even ripening, and employs traditional extended maceration and controlled oak ageing to shape the grape s natural backbone into Barolo. These vineyard and cellar choices highlight Nebbiolo s regional origins and its need for precise canopy and crop management to fully express the Sottocastello site.

Quick facts

• 🏰 Sottocastello means below the castle, the vineyard sits on sunny slopes just beneath Novello castle creating its name
• 💎 Le Ginestre releases Sottocastello di Novello as a single vineyard Barolo, a rarity at a value friendly price for Barolo
• 🌱 The Sottocastello parcel used for Le Ginestre was planted around 1999 to 2002, so the vines behind the 2010 have mature but not ancient roots
• 👪 The winery is family run and the Audasso family traces vineyard work in the hamlet back to people who once tended land for Count Cavour
• 🌍 Wines from this cuvée have drawn strong praise from international critics, helping put a small Grinzane Cavour estate on the global Barolo map

Palate profile

Producer

Azienda Agricola Le Ginestre is a family run winery located in the Langhe hills near the Castello di Grinzane Cavour, with roots in local viticulture that go back to the 1700s. The modern estate was established for winemaking in 1980 when Franco Audasso began vinifying and marketing his wines with the support of his wife Giulia. Today the operation includes his son Gian Luca and produces traditional Langhe wines such as Barolo, Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba, and Langhe Nebbiolo, with an annual output around 45,000 bottles. The winery combines traditional aging in large casks with smaller oak barrels to refine its structured reds, and it welcomes visitors for tastings and tours of its vineyards and cellars.