2016 Eugenio Bocchino Lu Barolo

Eugenio Bocchino and Cinzia Pelazza cultivate around 5 hectares of vineyards in La Morra, right in the heart of the Barolo area. Some of them were once owned by Cinzia's grandfather, others were added during their now 20+ years winemaking career. Like many other who studies economics, Eugenio got really bored and felt that he needed to do something completely different. So he started to work in a cellar in Barbaresco to learn how to make wine, at the same time as he tried his luck as a pro-skier. He didn’t get world famous, so in 1996 Eugenio did his first own vintage, that gave him 500 bottles of Nebbiolo.

In 1997 after inherited another vineyard, La Perucca, They manage to produce 1000 bottles. Since 2000 they started to work naturally in the vineyards and thanks to Cinzia studies in biology, with a keen interest in fungi and soils and how they interact with vines, they also started use some biodynamic practices. Cinzia has done a lot of studies on biodynamics over the years, and has also translated Nicolas Joly’s book on that topic from French to Italian. In 2010 they become member of Nicolas Joly's Renaissance de Terroir Group and also part of the natural wine movement, Vini Veri.

Today, there is a constant effort to reduce sulfur and especially copper as much as possible in the vineyards, experimenting with various preparations and oils. In the winery they only use indigenous yeasts, no new oak, but instead old ‘botti and the wines are neither clarified nor filtered. No additives are allowed for the exception of a little sulfur.

Named after Eugenio and Cinzia’s daughter, Lucia, “Lu” comes from a selection of their best grappoli from their vineyard at 300m above sea level in Santa Maria in La Morra. The vineyard is facing South-East and rich in clay and limestone. The grapes are carefully de-stemmed and macerated with submerged cap for about thirty days before ageing for two years in old botti. Followed by six to twelve months in concrete vats before resting in bottle for an additional year before release. The only Barolo Eugenio and Cinzia produce. Bright Nebbiolo with ruby color. Ripe red fruit, eucalyptus, rosemary and sweet spices. Complex refine palate with lingering acidity and solid tannin structure.

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Region: Piemonte, IT

Viticulture: Biodynamic