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, southeast, 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. They are trained on vertical trellises and pruned using the Guyot system.

Vintage
The winter was mild, with only a few snowfalls, while spring was marked by some rain and above-average temperatures for the season. During late June, a few days in July, and the end of August, temperatures were extreme; thankfully, nights were cooler than in recent "hot" years. Rains finally arrived during the first few days of September, helping conditions return to normal. Nebbiolo harvest was quite early, during the third week of September. The finished wines display excellent ripeness, with balanced acidity and round tannins, though some offerings display fruit that is a bit cooked, with slightly lower acidity. Though not candidates for long-term aging, the Barolo and Barbaresco from 2017 are much better balanced and more approachable at an early age than examples from recent hot growing seasons such as 2003.

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 before 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 2017
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Vintage: 2017
Score: 93
Enticing nose of dried wild strawberries and notes of sous-bois and preserved rose petals. Full-bodied with a round and fluid, almost juicy feel to start. Then the tannins build and firm up the palate. At this stage, it’s a wine of two halves and will need a few years to even out and become one. Promising. Try from 2024.

Barolo Sottocastello di Novello 2017    
Le Ginestre
Points: 92
Consistency: 32 - Balance: 31 - Integrity: 29
Type: Red
Category: Barolo
Tasting Date: 4-7-2023
Grape Varieties: Nebbiolo
Volume of Bottle: 0,75 lt
Winery: Cantina Le Ginestre