Borgo Maragliano‘s awards update: Falstaff rated Borgo Maragliano’s Blanc de Blancs Alta Langa 2020 with 93 Points.
ALTA LANGA: The appellation requires a minimum of 30 months on the fine yeast in the bottle to qualify as DOCG.
The first italian Classic Method was born in 1865 in Piedmont – Canelli – a village nearby Loazzolo.
Loazzolo is one of the selected Villages of the Upper Langa.
Starting in the early 1980s, the Galliano Family began experimenting with Chardonnay and Pinot Nero to produce Classic/Champagne Method Sparkling Wines.
PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
100% Chardonnay grapes.
Bottled in the April of the year after harvest and, after dosage and the immediate addition of yeast from the batch, it undergoes second fermentation. At the end of this process, which creates the characteristic foam, the wine continues to mature on lees for about 32 months. During this period the wine loses its herbaceous characteristics and acquires everything it takes to become a very delicate and refined sparkling wine. Then “riddling” and “disgorging” operations prepare it for consumption, which takes place from about three years after harvesting.
TASTING NOTES
A sparkle characterised by very fine chains of bubbles in a pale straw-coloured wine with greenish highlights. The structured bouquet features sensations of fruit, lime, aromatic herbs and honey, with acacia blossom, which bring out the true nature of the Chardonnay grape. The delicious entry makes its very seductive and harmonious as it lingers on the palate. The remarkable flavour of this Blanc de Blancs expresses the true characteristics of a great grape grown in a very hostile terroir.
GASTRONOMIC PAIRINGS
Perfect on its own or as an aperitif accompanied by shellfish, raw fish or fresh cheese.
Five generations of farmers who have learned to watch the sky and cope with the unpredictability of the climate and natural events.
The first written records of the family date back to an entry in the church registers in 1790, recording the birth of Giovanni, progenitor of the Galliano family, an enterprising, determined and brilliant man who was very proud of his home.
It was 1850 when he decided to purchase the first plot of land in the municipality of Loazzolo. Giovanni had travelled widely, giving him an opportunity to broaden his horizons, and his entrepreneurial mind was filled with the belief that cultivating vines was the way forward
It was the beginning of the twentieth century; a time described as very bitter in the works of Cesare Pavese, which left its mark on the history of the little village of Loazzolo and the Galliano family.
Giovanni’s grandson Carlo died, leaving his wife Teresa to bring up her two young children alone, Giuseppe and Anna Maria. Teresa, obstinate and hard-working, coped with every adversity and never once gave in to the temptation to “run away” from this unfortunate area.
Giuseppe encouraged his son Carlo to study Oenology in Alba and, spurred on by his father, he immediately set to work on the vinification of one of the Langa’s greatest grapes, Moscato.
His passion and dedication knew no ends.
The experience of the generations that had gone before him was reflected in his work, along with the desire for innovation in both the vineyard and the cellar: he challenged his land and himself, attempting something that had never been tried before in these
soils dedicated to the cultivation of Moscato and becoming the first producer of a Traditional Method Sparkling Wine using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The unique pedoclimate proved him right.
Today, Borgo Maragliano is a cellar that is looking to the future once again, through the eyes of the new generation, represented by Carlo and Silvia’s sons: Giovanni, Francesco and Federico.
Take a look at their website and discover more about Borgo Maragliano’s world