Cavallotto – Top 100

Here is another of my Top 100 producers in Italy.

Painting of Cavallotto Bottle by Hannes Hofstetter

One of the seminal producers of Barolo is the Cavallotto family of Castiglione Falletto. Established in 1948 by Olivio Cavallotto, the operations are run today by his offspring, siblings Alfio, Giuseppe and Laura, who continue to make wines that are shining examples of terroir.

The key to their wines – as with any producer – emerges from the vineyards and the Cavallotto family’s prized site is Bricco Boschis, which sits on a hillside in Castglione Falletto, overlooking much of the Barolo zone. Several red wines are produced from this vineyard, including Grignolino, Freisa and Barbera, but the various offerings of Barolo offer the best evidence of the superior quailty of this vineyard.

Each year a regular bottling of Bricco Boschis Barolo is bottled, while in the finest vintages, a Riserva bottling, labeled Vigna San Giuseppe, is produced. Both of these Barolos, as well as the Riserva bottling from the adjacent Vignolo vineyard are excellent examples of wines that perfectly display their terroir.

A principal reason for this is the decision to only use grandi botti for aging the wines, which allows the fruit to shine through with minimal wood influence. Combine this traditional way of winemaking along with low yields on immaculately farmed sites and you have a recipe for greatness. Even a humble Piemontese red such as Grignolino is an unqualified success, as the Cavallotto bottling offers more depth of fruit and greater complexity than almost any other example of this variety.

But the Barolos from Bricco Boschis are what truly define Cavallotto as one of the greatest producers in Italy. Offering gorgeous cherry and raspberry fruit along with hints of nutmeg and cedar, the wines are quite full in the mouth; elegantly crafted tannins and pinpoint acidity give the wines a remarkable silkiness. The regular bottling of Bricco Boschis Barolo is always striking, while the Vigna San Giuseppe is even better; more deeply concentrated and structured for 20-25 years of cellaring – and in some vintages, such as the glorious 2001 – perhaps as long as 30 or 40 years. This is one of the great bottlings of Barolo and you owe it to yourself to try at least one vintage of this wine to understand what classic Barolo is all about!

One final note about these wines is that they are ideal for food. The family does not make wines to garner high ratings or please the market; rather they make wines that are perfect representations of their site. I have tasted Cavallotto Barolo with any number of dishes, be it roast duck, braised rabbit or even river trout and have been mesmerized by how well the wine works with each food. Given that the Piemontese are idealists when it comes to pairing their wines with the local cuisine, this is about as high a praise I can offer!

The best wines of Cavallotto include:

• Grignolino (Piemonte DOC)
• Dolcetto d’Alba “Vigna Scot”
• Barbera d’Alba “Bricco Boschis – Vigna Cucolo”
• Langhe Nebbiolo “Bricco Boschis”
• Barolo “Bricco Boschis”
• Barolo “Bricco Boschis – Vigna San Giuseppe” Riserva
• Barolo “Vignolo” Riserva