Poderi Gianni Gagliardo
Known for its sensational Barolos, Poderi Gianni Gagliardo boasts 30 hectares of vineyards including sites in top Barolo crus like Lazzarito, Castelletto, Monvigliero, Mosconi and Fossati. The estate was founded by the Colla family who had been making wine in Piemonte since at least 1847, but the property’s name comes from Gianni Gagliardo who married Paolo Colla’s daughter, Marivanna, committing himself both to the family and to the vines.
Today the estate is run by Gianni’s three sons; the winemaker Stefano, vineyard manager Alberto, and Paolo who is in charge of the commercial side. The Gagliardo philosophy has remained little-changed since the 1960s when Paolo Colla made the estate’s first Barolos; the family seeks to make wines that are above all enjoyable to drink while expressing the unique qualities of their top vineyard sites. In the vineyard the family use biodynamic practices and minimal intervention is the norm when the grapes arrive at the winery.
This outlook is reflected in the estate’s logo, an ornate theatrical mask. It’s a reminder of how a great wine encourages the drinkers to pause, reflect, and eventually drop their own masks to reveal their true selves.
While this might sound a little romantic, Poderi Gianni Gagliardo has a reputation for producing seriously good Barolo which offers a harmonious composition of ripe fruit character and balancing freshness. In the vineyard the family use biodynamic practices and minimal intervention is the norm when the grapes arrive at the winery to express the purity and intensity of their top quality grapes.
The winemaking approach is tailored to the particular characteristics of each harvest’s grapes. Their Barolos are often aged in traditional large oak casks for at least 30 months with smaller oak barrels used for certain vintages and vineyard sites.
In 2017 the family purchased the 15 hectare Tenuta Garetto in Monferrato’s Nizza appellation. This subzone in the Barbera d’Asti hills offers exceptional terroir for Barbera and will allow the Gagliardo brothers to expand and further enhance their portfolio with the estate’s old Barbera vines.
Top wines include the Barolo Serre 2010 which was awarded 95 points by James Suckling and the Barolo Lazzarito Vigna Preve 2013 which received 96 points also from Suckling.