Barolo 'La Foia' Nadia Curto 2021

"La Foia" is the traditionalist interpretation of Nebbiolo di Langa by Nadia Curto, who follows her father Marco's style here to make a more classic and austere version from the Arborina vineyard.
Barolo "La Foia" comes from the Nebbiolo grapes grown by Nadia Curto in the east-facing part of the Arborina vineyard, the additional geographical mention extended over the territory of the municipality of La Morra and characterised by the peculiar blue marl soils of Sant'Agata Fossili. The altitudes between 270 and 300 metres offer significant slopes and drainage that allows natural aromatic concentration in the fruit. The varietal's characteristic late ripening normally pushes harvesting into the month of October, although the continuous environmental warming now tends to bring operations forward to the month of September. Harvesting is carried out by hand in small crates, with yields of around 65 quintals per hectare, and the bunches are destemmed and crushed, starting fermentation through a pied de cuve created using only indigenous yeasts. Manual pumping over and punching down is carried out daily, while maceration on the skins proceeds for about 20 days, at the end of which racking in steel tanks gives freedom for malolactic fermentation to take place. Maturation in large oak casks of 20 and 30 hectolitres takes 24 months, until, in the summer months of the third year after the harvest, 'La Foia' is bottled without clarification or filtration. It will spend a final year of ageing before leaving the cellar.
Nadia Curto's Barolo 'La Foia' wears a bright garnet colour with unmistakable orange reflections. With an appearance of great classicism, the nose is characterised by intense and complex effluvium, with a distinctive rosehip petal. Intriguing is the dark spice that flows into liquorice, while an ethereal and evolved tone introduces leather and woody truffle sensations. The full and robust taste is emblematic of the great extractive richness, played on velvety warmth and balanced mineral freshness, to be spontaneously married to the white Alba truffle grated on egg tajarin.