Aurelio Settimo

Driving down from La Morra towards Alba, the road bearing right leads to Frazione Annunziata. Just before the square on which the former San Martino di Marcenasco Benedictine Abbey stands lies a white house. This is Azienda Aurelio Settimo‘s home. The gravel road leads around the building into the estate vineyards: 5.67 hectares (14 acres) growing NEBBIOLO, and 0.97 hectares planted with DOLCETTO. Nebbiolo is the variety from which BAROLO wine is produced, and 3.42 hectares of the estate’s nebbiolo lie facing SOUTH – SOUTH-WEST on what is considered to be one of the area’s very finest crus: the celebrated ROCCHE DELL’ANNUNZIATA.

Here the vineyards looking out over the Torriglione hamlet – in the shelter of a “hollow” lying between the hills of San Martino and Cerequio-Brunate – are “kissed” by the sun from early morning till late in the afternoon. The rich, clayey–calcareous soil of the ROCCHE combines with the altitude (approx. 270 m. a.s.l.) and position (south – south-west) allows us to produce a Barolo which is full of body, yet soft and very fragrant. A standard BAROLO DOCG is also produced from the remaining 2.25 hectares of Nebbiolo, planted on slopes facing SOUTH-EAST. The vineyards have been planted at different times, so the vines range in age between 18 and 46 years. The traditional Guyot vine-training system is used, with a planting density of 4,500-5,000 vines per hectare.

The maximum yields are laid down by law (8,000 kg of grapes per hectare for BAROLO DOCG, BAROLO DOCG ROCCHE and LANGHE NEBBIOLO, and 9,000 kg per hectare for DOLCETTO D’ALBA). However, further reductions on the farm brought about by pruning to 8-10 buds and thinning in summer (June-July) mean that in certain vintages the yields are lower still, as has been the case most recently in 2007 – 2003 – 2002.

As far as treatments in the vineyard to combat major vine diseases – such as downy and powdery mildew – are concerned, integrated pest management has been adopted by the estate for many years, in accordance with EC regulation 2078 regulating the use of chemicals and encouraging the use of natural, environmentally-friendly products. Under this program supported by the Region of Piedmont, a specialist vine-growing technician keeps tabs on conditions by means of meteorological stations, and advises growers on the best time to carry our treatments.

The Aurelio Settimo winery produces only DOC and DOCG status red wines, grown exclusively on estate vineyards and vinified according to tradition: fairly lengthy fermentations on the skins for the BAROLO(submerged cap for 15-20 days), with frequent breaking up of the cap and pumping over of the must, followed by maturing in oak casks holding between 2,500 and 3,500 litres. For the DOLCETTO D’ALBA and LANGHE NEBBIOLO the macerations are shorter(submerged cap fermentations, with the must in contact with the skins for around 7 days for the Dolcetto, and 8–10 days for the Langhe Nebbiolo), frequent breaking up of the cap and pumping over of the must, and maturing in steel tanks.

The cellar premises are all 5 metres high, with 3 metres of this dug into the San Martino hillside: this is very important in maintaining a constant temperature (not too cold in winter, and fairly cool in summer). Huge GLASS-LINED CONCRETE TANKS (holding 52 hl each) are housed in the WINERY, and in the intermediate cellar are to be found steel and glass-lined concrete tanks of varying capacities (from 6 to 52 hl), used exclusively for “finished” wines. The AGEING HALL, on the other hand, houses LARGE CASKS made of French oak for the ageing of Barolo. As per tradition, they hold an average of between 2,500 and 3,500 litres each. Groups of up to 40 people can be entertained here for presentations of the company and wine-tastings.

The total storage capacity of the winery containers is approximately 1,500 hectolitres. Two areas (around 200 m², with a maximum storage capacity of approx. 60,000 bottles) are used exclusively for bottling, labelling and packaging, and for the storage of bottled wines. Here the temperature is “assisted” by heating in winter and cooling in summer. The Aurelio Settimo winery produces an average 40,000 bottles a year (the maximum production in any one vintage could be: 14,000 bottles of Barolo Docg, 22,000 bottles of Barolo Rocche, and 8,000 of Dolcetto d’Alba.

Langhe Nebbiolo is produced from a selection of nebbiolo grapes that would otherwise be used to produce Barolo, so if 8,000 bottles of Langhe Nebbiolo are produced, 8,000 fewer bottles of Barolo will be produced in that vintage). In recent years around 60% of the production has been exported. Aurelio Settimo’s wines have achieved excellent ratings in tastings in Italian and international trade magazines.