The Great Wines of Flavio Roddolo
[Flavio Roddolo, Bricco Appiani]
“Entrare nella cantina di Flavio Roddolo e un po come varcare la soglia di un luogo in ciu il tempo si e fermato. Fare il vino, nella cascina di Bricco Appiani, vuol dire saperlo aspettare pazientemente. Flavio e la sintesi perfetta del vignaiolo che ascolta e osserva, schivo ma capace di comunicare la sua filosofia produttiva. Un grande vecchio di Langa che vale la pena conoscere, per i vini che ci regala e la sagezza che riesce a trasmettere.” Slow Wine (2015)
We last visited Flavio Roddolo in 2012, and it was memorable – a special person, and very special wines. In recalling our visit I looked up what had been written about Roddolo – very little, it seems, but I realized that I couldn’t say it better than the authors of the Slow Wine guide: “Entering Flavio Roddolo’s winery is a little like crossing the threshold of a place where time has stopped. To make wine at the farm of Bricco Appiani, you need to know how to wait patiently. Flavio is the perfect synthesis of a winemaker who listens and observes, shy but fully able to communicate his philosophy of production. He is a grand elder of the Langa who is worth the effort of knowing, for the gift of his wines to us and for the wisdom which he shares.”
I think Roddolo’s wine is in the top tier of traditional Barolo producers. You would already know all about the wines if he had a big-name importer, but Roddolo has hit perfect synthesis with another reticent Italian, our friend Jan D’Amore (ask anyone in the NY trade who really knows something about Italian wine which importer they respect most, and Jan will be in the top 3).
Roddolo farms without using any products other than copper and sulfur. The winemaking is old-school. The wines are not flashy or ingratiating. The Nebbiolos in particular need a lot of time. They represent to me the best of local type – clean but earthy with a rustic edge, demanding of our patience and attention.
-Jamie Wolff
