Barolo DOCG is Piemonte’s most prestigious denomination. It is located 20 minutes by car, southwest of the city of Alba. To qualify as Barolo, 100 per cent Nebbiolo grapes must be grown within the delimited area that includes the entire communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba, and defined parts of Monforte d’Alba, Novello, La Morra, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d’Alba, Cherasco, and Roddi.
The total vineyard area within the denomination is 3,433 hectares, of which around 2,200 hectares qualify as Nebbiolo for Barolo. In the past, Dolcetto and Barbera were the most common grape varieties here, with the more demanding Nebbiolo only being planted on the warmest, most favourable sites. This has changed dramatically in recent times due to the value of Nebbiolo, and the warming of the climate, which has meant that Nebbiolo will ripen today on sites that were too cold in the past. As a result, the hectares of Nebbiolo for Barolo doubled in the period 1990–2024. In addition, many hectares of Nebbiolo have been planted that only qualify for Langhe DOC Nebbiolo.
Barolo DOCG features all three of the main subsoil types of the Langhe. On the eastern side of the denomination, Lequio Formation dominates in most of Serralunga d’Alba, while on the western side, Sant’Agata Fossili Marls are to be found in Verduno, La Morra, Barolo and Novello. In the centre of the denomination, Monforte d’Alba has a large expansion of Diano Sandstones, but with both other principal subsoil types on either side of it. Finally, Castiglione Falletto is mainly over Sant’Agate Fossili Marls.
Another key factor is the difference between the two main valleys that run north-south through the denomination. On the eastern side, the valley between Serralunga d’Alba and Monforte d’Alba is narrow and funnels cold winds down from the higher land to the south. By contrast, the valley between La Morra and Barolo communes on the one hand and Castiglione Falletto on the other is broad and acts as a heat bowl, warming the vineyards on both sides.
The elevation of vineyards is also an important factor in Barolo. For example, within Brunate MGA (subzone) in La Morra, the lowest part of the vineyard is at 220 m while the top part is at 410 m. This means that, on average, the top part can be 1.2ºC cooler than the bottom part and windier, meaning that the grapes will ripen later. In good years, this can be an advantage, contributing to a longer maturation period and the intensity of the wine’s aromas; in wet years, it can be a disadvantage as the crop may not ripen fully.
There is no official classification of the vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco. However, growers have known for decades that some vineyards produce wines of exceptional quality. In 1971, Renato Ratti mapped the Barolo vineyards that he considered to be outstanding. Later, in 1985, he introduced his own classification with three tiers, the top tier being ‘1º categoria’. He also produced a map of what he regarded as the best vineyards in Barbaresco.
