Principiano - Fine Barolo That You Probably Haven't Heard About
4/01/15 -
Grape growing in Barolo and Barbaresco has changed quite a lot in the 12 years since I first visited, the most visible and obvious factor being the greatly diminished use of herbicide – there’s still plenty used, but at least the whole place doesn’t look like the moon with vines growing on it. Some of the better known producers who have farmed organically for generations (B. Mascarello, G. Rinaldi, for instance) have been joined by many others, including Ceretto and Fontanafredda, both very important because of their large vineyard holdings. Greener vineyards are nicer to look at, of course; in addition to indicating a move towards environmental health, they offer a conscientious producer some help in maintaining balance and reasonable alcohol levels in an increasingly warm climate. For those who have given up herbicides, there’s a wide range of methods for dealing with the growth of plants and grasses between the vines and between the rows of vines, from aggressively plowing and weed-whacking, to deliberate benign neglect, which results in an untamed and Edenic atmosphere in the vineyard. This extreme vineyard management has long been practiced by Roagna (“Always,” say Luca Roagna), whose vineyards are very beautiful (as are his wines).
It was exciting to meet Ferdinando Principiano and to visit his vines, where he also allows the free growth of vegetation in the rows. The proof is in the bottle: what you will find are traditionally made wines of great purity and focus, ranging from the amazing 10.5° ‘Dosset’ Dolcetto, to a majestic Barolo from Boscareto, which is the lower part of the hillside of Cascina Francia. How someone like Principiano has gone without a NY distributor is a mystery, but no sooner had we made a purchase then the very fine Indie Wines announced that they would be working with Principiano, so the wines will be more widely available – a good thing for lovers of Barolo. Jamie Wolff
Principiano in the vines, May 2014. Behind him and to the left, you can see a large, conventionally-farmed vineyard with bare ground showing beneath the vines.
