Region | Piemonte (Italia) |
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Foundation Year | 1870 |
Vineyard hectares | 15 |
Annual production | 90.000 bt |
Address | Via Beato Valfrè, 59 - 12060 Verduno (CN) |
Oenologist | Franco Alessandria |
Fratelli Alessandria is a family business rooted in the very history of Barolo and the craft traditions of the Langhe. Originally established as Fratelli Dabbene, the winery's headquarters were founded as far back as the late 18th century, with the house still inhabited by the current owners. As early as 1843, the winery started by Giuseppe Dabbene bore two medals at the "Primaria Adunanza della Società Agraria," a competition held in Pollenzo by King Carlo Alberto. Clementina, the last heir of the Dabbene family, married Carlo Alessandria in 1893, marking the handover: although the nickname "Prinsiòt," little prince, hinted that he was an only child, the winery's sign changed to Fratelli Alessandria. Gian Battista, along with his brother Alessandro and wife Flavia, represents the seventh generation of the family, while son Vittore, the eighth generation of winemakers, has already joined the business.
Fratelli Alessandria's heritage is represented by the vineyards that cover an area of about 15 hectares, divided among the most vocated areas of the Verduno territory: Monvigliero can rightly be considered the Grand Cru of the commune, composed of a pure expression of the marls of Sant'Agata Fossili. San Lorenzo, Rocche dell'Olmo and Pisapola, are all planted with Nebbiolo, while Dolcetto, Barbera and the emblematic Pelaverga, which constitutes Verduno's symbolic appellation, appear on the slopes of Neirane, Campasso and Riva Rocca. Finally, in the Boscatto plantings there is Favorita, the only white berry bred on the estate, and moving to the municipality of Monforte d'Alba one encounters the Nebbiolo and Barbera plot of Gramolere. The situation is very varied and composes an interesting mosaic of altitudes, ranging from 470 to 240 meters, of exposures, varying from southwest to full east, and of course of soils, from fine white marls to significant presences of sand: the soils are characterized by the important presence of outcropping chalk, capable of reaching 20 meters in depth.
The Fratelli Alessandria winery is a historical entity linked to the creation of Barolo: the Monvigliero, San Lorenzo and Gramolere crus are vinified individually, while the blend of the different vineyards constitutes the Barolo of the Municipality of Verduno. Harvests are carried out manually and following the seasonality of yesteryear, in late October. Winery operations are extremely traditional, with prolonged fermentation and maceration, aging in large Slavonian barrels and long rests in the bottle.
"L'amore e l'orgoglio che Vittore Alessandria nutre per la propria terra è a dir poco trascinante. Se Verduno è emersa in questi anni tra i comuni più ricercati del Barolo, buona parte del merito va anche a questa bella famiglia di lunghissima tradizione"