Barolo Bussia “Vigna Cicala” DOCG 2021

Aldo Conterno | Piedmont
Poderi Aldo Conterno | Loc. Bussia, 48 | IT 12065 Monforte d'Alba

05412421 · 0,75 l · 238,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping< 24 units available
Limitation of 3 articles per customer

Cicala is the most masculine vineyard in the Conterno portfolio. Anyone familiar with the elegant, floral Colonnello from the same Bussia hilltop will be surprised here. Less sand, more clay. Less playfulness, more pressure. The calcareous clay soil is enriched with iron and limestone – minerals that give the wine the structural strength that distinguishes it from its siblings. The vines are 40 to 45 years old, facing south to south-west, and what grows here is mainly Nebbiolo Lampia on Rupestris du Lot rootstock. Only three producers own plots in this part of Bussia: Conterno, Prunotto and Bussia Soprana. Six hectares in total, around 800 crates per vintage. A rarity. Fermentation in steel tanks at 28°C, five to six weeks of maceration, then 29 months in 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels – no barrique, never. Aldo Conterno once said: "Vanilla, toast and spice do not belong in Barolo." The barrels are scraped every two years and used for a maximum of eight years. After ageing, the wine spends a few months in steel before being bottled unfiltered.

Bright garnet red colour. Aromas of leather, vanilla pod, sweet rose scent, plum, orange zest – opulent and dense like a velvety curtain. Full-bodied on the palate, precise tannins, intense red and black cherry, wild berries, wild herbs, a mineral tension that vibrates. This is not a wine for immediate consumption – cicala is a powerhouse with several decades of potential. Masculine, powerful and yet unyieldingly elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

"Rich, intense ruby-garnet colour. Very fragrant and appealing nose of dried orange peel, then crisp cherry, followed by truffles and some liquorice. Present and clear in attack and finish, opens with fine, grippy tannins, very good tension, emphasised salty notes on the finish." Falstaff

"The 2021 Barolo Cicala is packed with dark fruit, iron, gravel, incense, tobacco, dried herbs and chocolate. Time in the glass brings out a more mineral dimension, but the 2021 is a decidedly rich, ample Cicala. Even so, all the elements are very nicely balanced. I would give this a few years in bottle to come around." Vinous

"A super intense and fragrant Barolo, graceful and powerful, with aromas of Parma violets, citrus, leaves, lush cherries and yellow stone fruit. On the palate, it is full-bodied and shows a velvety texture, ripe tannins despite the extraction, taut acidity and graphite flavours. Long, luscious finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027." James Suckling

"This red wine is round, fleshy and expressive, with flavours of cherries, raspberries, hibiscus, iron and sweet spices. The supple texture is balanced by dense but refined tannins as this red wine expands on the bright and kaleidoscopic finish." Wine Spectator