Ettore Germano, Serralunga d'Alba

The village of Serralunga is on the south-east edge of the Barolo appellation. A medieval fortified tower dominates the village, giving fair warning of the character of these wines: structured, substantial, uncompromising.

The Germano winery is a few hundred yards north of Serralunga. Sergio Germano is typical of the new generation of producers in the Langhe; after completing six years of study at the school of Enology in Alba he made wine for a few years at Fontanafredda, one of the largest wineries in the area, before returning to the family winery in 1993.

My ideal producer in a traditional appellation such as Barolo has the modern, scientific understanding of winemaking that his forebears lacked, while still respecting the traditions that they developed. Sergio certainly has that new knowledge and is ready to use brand-new techniques such as micro-oxygenation and must-concentration if he thinks they will make better wine. He also has respect for the style of wine made by his father; hence his Serralunga Barolo will never be a creamy, international-style wine.

Great wine is always made in the vineyard. Sergio does much of the fieldwork himself, with the help of his wife Elena and one worker. His two 'crus,' Ceretta and Prapo, are both steep and perfectly exposed to the south.

Herzu

The first bottling of Sergio Germano's Riesling 'Herzu' just arrived. It is made of Riesling from Sergio's new vineyards in the village of Ciglié, about thirty minutes south of his estate in Serralunga. The property is a steep chalky south-facing hillside, perfect for grape-growing, and if you're a Riesling fan you shouldn't miss it. Bone dry, hints of lime-peel, wet stones, floral, very minerally. Only 25 cases available, and I will be drinking some of this...

Chardonnay
I am a recent convert to barrel-fermented chardonnay from the Langhe. This one comes from a single barrel that I chose, so there is only 25 cases of it. Full Burgundian vinification, restrained oak flavors, very good concentration and balance.

Dolcetto Pra di Pò
Some Barolo producers use their Dolcetto as a cash-flow wine, which is understandable given the dreadful cash-flow of Barolo itself (more than three years from vintage to release). Not Germano. This wine is inky purple in color; on the nose it is blueberry with tar and a hint of flowers, classic dolcetto; on the palate it is big, full-bodied, high in both fruit and tannins. (See general Piedmont notes for more about dolcetto, which IS NOT 'the Beaujolais of Italy.') Dolcetto is said to run in the veins of these winemakers, and now it runs in mine too. I drink a lot of it.

Barbera 'Vigna della Madre'
I get less than ten cases of this a year, and one of those cases goes straight into my cellar. Barrique-aged, very good integration of fruit and oak.

Barolos:

Barolo 'Ceretta,' Barolo 'Prapò' Prapò and Ceretta are the two vineyards beneath the winery. They are both south-facing. Usually the Ceretta is a bit bigger, and the Prapo more feminine; both age well, and I cellar both. This illustrates the similarity between Burgundy and Barolo, in that you can compare the terroir of different vineyard sites, vinified by the same person. The '04's are both outstanding.

Serralunga

Fruit from the younger vines is used to make this village wine, Serralunga Barolo. The wine is traditionally fermented and aged in smaller cooperage. It shows all the classic aspects of Nebbiolo from Barolo: medium garnet color, very distinctive aromas of red-currants, strawberry, licorice, and violets. It pairs with substantial meat dishes (lamb, beef) and cheeses.