By Le Ginestre
Sottocastello di Novello Barolo DOCG

Vineyard
The vineyard lies in the village of Novello, on the highly-prized "sotto castello" (below the castle) cru facing South, South-East at an average altitude of 400 meters above sea level. The fairly deep limestone soil has medium consistency with good drainage. The vines were planted with a density of 4,500 per hectare, with initial planting occurring in 1999 and 2002, and are trained on vertical trellises and pruned using the Guyot system.

Vintage
The growing season started with an 8-10 day delay compared to a typical year (low temperatures and rain at the end of February and March), so the harvest took place later than the other more recent vintages. The ideal summer conditions lasted until the end of September, with sunny days and a very good temperature shift between night and day. The result was healthy and perfectly ripe grapes. Harvest occurred between the second week of October until the 19th or 20th. Producers report an extraordinary balance between acidity, tannins, alcohol, and extract. The finished wines display the proper structure for long aging, but also offer graceful tannins that give these wines approachability even at an early age; perfect is a word used by numerous producers in Barolo and Barbaresco to describe 2016. Long-term cellar potential, between 25-40 years, will be seen for dozens of Barolo and Barbaresco from 2016.

Winemaking
Vinification on the skins, with a submerged cap and daily pumping-over of the must. The maceration is extended for several days following the alcoholic fermentation by steeping the cap to increase the extraction and stabilize the color extracted; after the wine has been drawn off and racked several times, it undergoes malolactic fermentation in steel before being transferred to oak by the end of the year to mature for two years in Oak barrels prior to bottling, which takes place one year before the wine is released.

Tasting Notes
Deep, bright ruby red with slight orange hues; expansive, clear-cut nose, with hints of violet, vanilla, cinnamon, sweet tobacco, and licorice; very structured, soft, mouth-filling taste, which is lightly dry with an appealing, long, spicy finish. Its structure and wealth of polyphenols give this wine an exceptionally long cellar life, during which its tasting properties continue to develop.
[Information provided by Votto Vines]

LE GINESTRE BAROLO SOTTOCASTELLO DI NOVELLO 2016
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Vintage: 2016
Score: 94
Beautiful, sweet and ripe fruit here. Strawberries with sweet mushrooms and cedar on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied and succulent. Give it two or three years to soften slightly. Try after 2022.

Le Ginestre, Sottocastello di Novello, Barolo, Novello, 2016
Tasted by: Stephen Brook (at Alba, 25 Jan 2020)
Points: 92
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2038
Producer: Le Ginestre
Vintage: 2016
Wine Type: Still 
Colour: Red 
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Appellation: Barolo
Sweetness: Dry 
Closure: Cork 
Alcohol: 14.50% 
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 100% Nebbiolo
Although Le Ginestre is based in Grinzane Cavour, its Barolo vineyard is in Novello at an elevation of 400 metres on deep limestone soils. The nose is aromatic, with intense red-fruit aromas. The palate is dense and concentrated, with power and grip, and some liquorice tones. It's not especially refined but has energy and impressive length, and should age well.

Le Ginestre, Sottocastello Di Novello , Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2016
Producer: Le Ginestre
Wine name: Sottocastello Di Novello
Vintage: 2016
Sub-region: Barolo
Region: Piedmont
Country: Italy
Award: Silver
Score: 90
Colour: Red
Style: Still - Dry (below 5 g/L residual sugar)
Bottle size: 75cl
Closure: Natural Cork
Alcohol level: 14.50%
Grape composition: 100% Nebbiolo
Tasting notes: Plum, prune, and posh brown sauce on the nose followed by balsamic-soaked black fruits and a big, extracted oaky finish.

Le Ginestre 2016 Sottocastello di Novello (Barolo)
Rating: 89
Designation: Sottocastello di Novello
Variety: Nebbiolo
Appellation: Barolo, Piedmont, Italy
Winery: Le Ginestre
Alcohol: 14.50%
Bottle Size: 750.00 ml
Category: Red
Importer: Vintage Imports, Inc
Date Published: 9/1/2020
Reviewed by: Kerin O’Keefe
This opens with aromas of cedar, mocha and tobacco. The savory palate offers cranberry jam, star anise and dried sage alongside grainy tannins. Drink after 2023.