Luigi Oddero Convento Barolo 2017

Piedmont, Italy

Luigi Oddero Convento Barolo is a beautiful expression of the Nebbiolo grape from a wonderful vintage in Piedmont, the second vintage of this wine that pretty much sold out on arrival last vintage. Given their staggering 35 hectares worth of Nebbiolo di Barolo, the estate has historically sold off a portion of its production in bulk, reserving the best-exposed sites in the best spots for its Barolo "Tradizionale.” Under the guidance of their new cellarmaster Francesco Verzio (ex- of Bruno Giacosa) they decided to instead bottle a "second wine"--mostly from east- and southeast-facing parcels in La Morra and augmented by some east-facing vines across the border in Barolo, to the south of the Annunziata cru toward Cannubi. They named it “Convento”--a nod to the fact that the Tenuta Para estate (the foundation of Luigi Oddero's winery) was the site of a convent in the early 17th century.

Convento is vinified and aged just like Oddero's Barolo "Tradizionale": natural fermentation in stainless steel with a 25-day maceration, followed by two years in large Slavonian-oak casks. Verzio has brought a welcome touch of elegance to the Oddero estate's hardline-old-school Barolos, and Convento indeed emphasizes purity of fruit over structure, with a lifted mineral streak of lovely clarity. That said, it is still very much a traditional Barolo, bearing no trace of oak aromatics or wood tannins, and with a perfume simultaneously ethereal and savory.

Enjoy Luigi Oddero Convento Barolo with osso buco, lasagna, veal chops and aged cheeses.