“THE BAROLO & BARBARESCO FESTIVAL” IN ROME LAUNCHES THE DEBUT OF THE GREAT WINES OF THE LANGA TERRITORY. BAROLO 2005 & BARBARESCO 2006: “TWO EXCELLENT QUALITY YEARS” ARRIVE ON THE SCENE

The great wines of the Langa arrive on the Italian wine scene and on the International market after the proper period of aging, “two years of excellent quality”. The two new vintages,
Barolo 2005 and Barbaresco 2006 debuted in Rome. The great event on the capitol scene was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Cuneo and the Department of the Alps and Sea Foreign Center (CEAM,), the wine cellars of Barolo and Barbaresco, Piedmont Region, the Province of Cuneo, the producers of the Granda province and the Italian Commerce Federation, Confcommercio.

The 2005 Barolo is made from grapes of excellent quality, thanks to favorable weather conditions: clusters with regular development, maturation, and a perfect state of health, are all good characteristics for an excellent wine. “The weather conditions in 2005 - the technicians explain - were more than satisfactory for the proper growth of the vine: a mild winter with limited snowfall and then a cool spring with little, but just the right amount of rain.
This is the” snapshot “ of Barolo 2005. In the late spring and early summer, temperatures were above seasonal averages, then below average in August. The sky was clear and rainfall was low.
Throughout the month of September until early October, the temperatures changed from sunny, hot days with some cloudbursts to cool nights that particularly favored a smooth development of clusters and their perfect ripeness combined with an excellent state of health. The last decade of September and the first two weeks of October alternated with cloudbursts on sunny days and cool nights once again proved that those winemakers that waited for the perfect and complete maturation of the Nebbiolo grape, which produces Barolo wine, were right. The 2005 harvest will also be excellent quality and presumably excellent longevity.
It is, therefore, a product of great quality preserved in 10,558.400 bottles- more than 300.000 bottles over 2004. The wine exceeded the 10 million mark for the second time - a goal reached through the diligent work of 330 firms, of which 230 with their own vinification cellars for bottling in the 11 municipalities of the producing territories of (Barolo, Castiglione Falletto Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Novello, Roddi, Serralunga d’Alba and Verduno). At the moment it appears that over 35.000 hectoliters of Barolo 2005 have been certified by the Boards of Tasting of the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce and 4,000.000 bottles were sold.

The Barbaresco 2006 vintage had lower numbers, coming from a year of many climate changes but then was able to fully recover in the final sprint in September: the Nebbiolo grapes from Barbaresco have produced wines of great complexity, extraordinary breadth of aromas and excellent gradations. The total production reached 4,190.767 bottles, 400.000 more than in 2005 and marketed by 200 companies, of which 120 have their headquarters in the territories of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and Sunrise.
“A bizarre climate trend characterized by low precipitation alternating with widely fluctuating temperatures either above or below seasonal averages has affected the vegetative stages of the vine that experienced periods of rapid growth alternating with slowdowns. The year 2006 has amply rewarded all varieties of precocious ripening. White grapes have reached an excellent degree of ripeness and sugar content, good acidic balance and very intense perfume,” say the experts who have no doubts about the quality of Barbaresco 2006: “ it will be a good year.
The medium late and late producing varieties (Barbera, Freisa, Nebbiolo), despite some concern about rainfall in the first half of September, were in ideal conditions at harvest time, offering high-quality level wines. Once again the Nebbiolo showed the highest level of adaptation to the special microclimate of our Langa area. Again, this exclusive unique variety of grape, “the grapes of fog and cold nights, has rewarded the producers who have had the patience to wait for the magic moment of perfect ripeness. The Nebbiolo grapes for Barbaresco once again have given us wines of great complexity, extraordinary breadth of aromas and good gradations- all features that allow us to confirm the excellence of the year 2006 “
At the moment, the Boards of Tasting of the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce have certified 15.000 hectoliters of Barbaresco 2006, and more than 1,500.000 labeled bottles were sold