The vineyards enjoy a perfect climate for Nebbiolo grapes, with abundant sunshine thanks to their location on south-facing slopes. The vineyards are cooled by their altitude, 350 meters above sea level, ensuring a constant cooling breeze. This, combined with the sharp drop in nighttime temperatures, contributes to the slow ripening of the harvest. The soil is a treasure trove for the grapes, rich in limestone, gravel, and granite. At ideal ripeness, the grapes are harvested by hand in the early morning. Each grape is inspected, and only the finest are transported in small 20-kilo crates to Paolo Manzone's winery. Here, the finest juice is aged in wood for 38 months. It matures for 24 months in large, Slovenian oak Founders, after which this top-quality wine is aged for another 12 months in considerably smaller French oak barrels. Thirty percent of the barrels used are unused, allowing this top-quality wine to experience even more.
This Barolo Meriame is the Manzone family's crowning achievement. This wine, produced only in the finest vintages, boasts everything a top-notch wine should possess. It's best to open this red wine a few hours in advance, or preferably decant it into a carafe. This gives this complex wine ample time to develop its aromas and flavors. The Paolo Manzone Barolo Meriame has an impressive color, best described as ruby red with a subtle orange and red shimmer. The aroma reveals a unique wine, rich with dried fruit, coffee grounds, rose petals, and hints of tar and cocoa. On the palate, it's a powerful and complex wine, offering impressions of dried red fruit, spice, and a touch of bay leaf. On the palate, we taste complexity with abundant cedar, herbs, and a touch of pepper. The back of the palate and finish reveal abundant red fruit, rose petals, and violets. Only a few thousand bottles of this top-quality wine are produced, so think carefully about when you're going to open it. This wine is ready to drink now, but you should decant it thoroughly beforehand. Because of the phenomenal vintage, this wine definitely has ageing potential until 2024 and, if stored properly, for many years to come!
