Giulia Negri, La Tartufaia, Barolo 2017

“A suave version, almost elegant even, offering macerated strawberry and cherry fruit, with accents of menthol, mineral and tobacco allied to a sleek frame. Balanced and persistent, stretching out nicely on the finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.”-94WS

Taking over a well-established Barolo estate at the tender age of 24 is an incredibly daunting prospect, but for Giulia Negri, the latest in a 150-year line of grape growers in the Langhe commune of La Morra, the challenge proved irresistible. After completing studies in management and biology, and fresh off an inspiring trip to Burgundy where she truly began forming her palate, Giulia returned to La Morra motivated to learn all the secrets to making fine wine in her native Piemonte. She started small, releasing microcuvées under her own label, before finally taking over the totality of vineyard management and production in 2014.

In the heart of the Serradenari cru of La Morra—the highest point in the Barolo zone, with vineyards culminating at 536 meters above sea level—Giulia passionately pursues her goal of crafting Barolo with a Burgundian sensibility. In fact, she even inherited small parcels of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero that her father planted on the estate’s cooler, north-facing sites, allowing her to pay tribute to the great wines of the Côte d’Or through the lens of Piemontese soil.

But Nebbiolo reigns in these parts, and Serradenari yields a Barolo of regal pedigree. The elevation, coupled with a complex mosaic of soils unique to this part of the Langhe, sets the stage for Giulia to create Barolos marrying delicate floral aromas and elegant fruit with a deep mineral foundation. With fine-grained, tightly knit tannins, her seductive wines charm in their youth but have the structure for serious bottle aging.

Upon Giulia’s arrival at the helm of the estate, the modest cellar was filled with small Burgundian barriques. After tasting all around the Langhe and learning from some of Barolo’s most distinguished growers, it quickly became clear that large casks were key to preserving Nebbiolo’s tension and mystical energy. With the goal of maximizing an honest expression of terroir, she has gradually replaced the smaller barrels with botti grandi. Her artisanal approach and espousal of traditional production methods extends to sustainable viticulture, eschewal of commercial yeasts and other additives, harvesting by hand, minimizing filtration, and long but gentle macerations in the cellar.

Barologirl, as she has become known, may still be the new kid on the block in La Morra, but tasting her wines reveals a fine touch and devout respect for tradition that already places her wines among the region’s classics.