The G.B Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 1985-2014 Retrospective

Date: 19 Mar 2019

Time: 19:00

location: Theo Randall, 1 Hamilton Pl, London W1J 7QY

Price: £ 395.00 (inc. VAT)

Burlotto's Monvigliero remains one of the most distinctive and compelling wines being made in Barolo today.– Antonio Galloni

This is a tasting and dinner we have had in mind to hold for some time now, given our own and our clients’ interest in this often overlooked property, as the market remains somewhat unaware of the quality on show. Over the past few months we have sourced single bottles of each of the below ten vintages, which will be showing on the night.

The Burlotto property, situated in the small village of Verduno, is unassuming. Yet Giovanni Batista Burlotto, who founded the estate in the mid-19th century, is often considered to have single-handedly put Barolo on the international wine map. Year after year, he entered his wines in international competitions and year after year, he won awards – something which with rarely bestowed on an Italian property. Giovanni was affectionately called ‘Il Commendatore’ – the commander – by his family and peers in recognition of his impact on the region and its wines. In many ways, not much has changed at the Burlotto estate. Long macerations and fermentations which take place in large, open botti. The Monvigliero, in fact, is still made using whole clusters and fruit is crushed manually. Even the labels remain unchanged. This is thanks to proprietor Fabio Alessandria who has done an incredible job of preserving what has made the wines of Burlotto historically so successful.

While Burlotto produces two stunning Baroli, including from the Cannubi vineyard in Barolo proper, at this dinner we will focus solely on the Monvigliero from its namesake vineyard. Considered a ‘grand cru’ vineyard – and certainly the flagship of the estate – the Monvigliero vineyard lies in Verduno, the northernmost of Barolo production. The town itself is perched on high hills and the elevation of the vineyards assists in the production of elegant, aromatic wines. The vineyards is just 20 hectares in total, with altitudes of 260-320 meters above sea level. The unique microclimate attributed to altitude and proximity to the Tanaro river provide strong diurnal shifts. The south-facing hillsides on limestone rich soils lead to wines with notable spice and elegance.

The tasting in advance of dinner will show just what success the property has made of itself in five more recent vintages – including the ‘magnificent’ 2013 which received 100 points from Italian wine critic Antonio Galloni and the 2010, which was considered one of the most recent legendary vintages in Barolo. Fabio Alessandria was also incredibly successful in the 2014, 2012 and 2011 vintages, which will round out the tasting in advance of dinner. The more mature vintages will then be paired to dinner, with a menu created specifically for the occasion by Theo Randall. This will include a side-by-side comparison of the 2009 and 2008, as well as the fabled 1990, 1989 and 1985 vintages. The full line-up is as follows:

Wines in advance of dinner

2014 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

2013 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

2012 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

2011 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

2010 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

Wines paired with dinner

2009 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

2008 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

1990 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

1989 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

1985 Barolo Monvigliero Burlotto

The evening will begin at 7pm with a glass of Champagne, before moving onto the comparison tasting, which will be led by Simon Larkin MW, Managing Director of Atlas Fine Wines. We anticipate carriages for 10.30pm. Tickets for the evening are £395 (inc VAT) per person. As ever, we do not seek to make a profit on our events but rather pass the ticket price on at cost.