G.B. Burlotto - Langhe Sauvignon 'Dives' 2024

Giovan Battista Burlotto formally established this estate in 1850, and it was one of the very first Barolo estates to bottle its own wine. Most of the estate’s wines come from vineyards in the village of Verduno, and these wines share a gracefulness and aromatic profile that is unique in the world of Barolo. The estate remains devoted to traditional Langhe winemaking, with well-seasoned botti grandi used to age all the Barolos. Barolo fermentations use exceptionally long macerations, and the Barolo Monvigliero’s grapes are tread entirely by foot. Burlotto was a key champion of the local Pelaverga grape, and much of the credit for its modern resurgence. All harvesting is by hand, and viticulture respects the natural balance of the vineyards.

This is an excellent wine with great personality made with Sauvignon blanc variety. Harvested when completely ripe to get the best of this variety in terms of complexity and richness. After the grapes are pickup from the bunch they are pressed and they macerate with the skins. They must then develop the alcoholic and in part the malo-lactic fermentation in oak barrels where it stays with the bottoms for 10 months. It is then bottled and it refines for 3-4 months. The ripeness and fermentation in barrel of French oak of five hectoliters contribute to exalt the character and the long life.

Burlotto is the flagship producer from Barolo’s Verduno area. This is a property of enormous historic importance, fabulously delicious wines, and outstanding value. 

The Commendatore Giovan Battista Burlotto, one of Barolo's great characters, founded the estate back in 1850. The labels still commemorate the royal house of Savoy’s fondness for Burlotto wines, as well as the winery’s exclusive presence on Duke Luigi Amedeo's 1899 North Pole expedition. The Duke lost two fingers to frostbite, but wrote to the Commendatore a year and a half into the trip that “[t]he wine has been conserved in perfect condition.” G.B. Burlotto was also a pioneer of selling wine in bottle (rather than in cask or demijohn), as well as a champion of a now-rare but still-ravishing grape, Pelaverga Piccolo.

Four generations later, G.B.’s great-great-nephew, Fabio Alessandria, has changed little at the winery, doing some of the crush by foot, fermenting the wine in upright wooden vats, using indigenous yeast and little temperature control. We love these wines for their history, but even more for their diversity, their pure fruit, delicate structure, and signature Verduno floral aromatics and spicy palate.

The family's single-vineyard Barolos, especially the culty Monvigliero, are some of Piedmont's most lauded wines, critical and collector favorites year-in and year-out. But they continue to make extraordinary wines for Piedmont's more humble grapes (including Dolcetto, Barbera and of course, that Pelaverga), wines that don't attempt to turn those grapes into Nebbiolo blockbusters but rather that show their unique charms and terroir transparency. The sheer drinkability of these "lesser" wines is is tremendous, and the pricing for such special bottles from such top-rank grower, is shockingly accessible.

For Dives we select the grapes from the best exposed and positioned portion of our vineyard, which also happens to be the oldest parcels of the vineyard planted in 1986 which, according to our memory and knowledge, should be the oldest Sauvignon blanc vineyard in the Barolo area. The harvest is carried out by hand, in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit and to allow for, when necessary, a selection of the grapes which are then transported to the cellar in 20 kg boxes. In relation to the vintage, the bunches are de-stemmed and softly pressed or we can opt for a short maceration on the skins at a controlled temperature. This is followed by a cold static cleaning of the must and an alcoholic fermentation in acacia wood barrels of various dimensions.

Malolactic fermentation is prevented with the use of refrigeration and the aging continues on the fermentation lees in acacia wood barrels until the middle of summer. Bottling is usually carried out in the months of July or August following the harvest.

Producer: G.B. Burlotto

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation: Langhe

Vintage: 2024

Size: 750ml