3.1.10. I’ve written about Cavalotto wines before, most recently during Alfio Cavalotto’s recent visit to the US, when he stopped in Boulder and Denver. They are a resolutely traditional producer: all the Barolos see long ageing in huge oak botti. The family believes in making really ageable Barolo, and keeps the wines back an additional 2-3 years before release. When you open a Cavalotto Barolo, you are getting a historically correct wine: a core that is tannic and fresh, with great acidity and structure, wrapped around a center of ripe (but never jammy) fruit that never overwhelms. There is none of the aggressive oak of barrique. These are balanced, harmonious wines that are more elegant than sultry. Castiglione Falletto from the winery:
Interestingly, they also use rotofermentors, that device that diehard traditionalists love, love, love, love to hate. Alfio and Giuseppe explain that this gives them better control over the tannin extraction and interestingly yields wines that throw less sediment. They still do a relatively long traditional fermentation of 25-30 days, gently agitating the wine instead of doing pump-overs or punchdowns. As a rotofermentor (RF) is about 4-5 times the cost f a regular fermentation tank, this is an incredibly expensive investment, because they need enough RFs to ferment the entire production of Barolo at once. (Most other producers that use RFs do very short macerations of 3-7 days and thus can rotate out the must and use the RF for the next batch of grapes – not at Cavallotto.) Giuseppe tells us that they first used RFs as an experiment on the 1995 vintage of Dolcetto, and liked the results so much that they slowly replaced all their fermentation tanks with RFs over the next few years. Indeed, Cavallotto Barolos show incredibly fine tannins for such a traditional producer. To get such beautiful tannins requires – first and foremost - that the fruit be exceptionally clean, healthy and fully ripe, of course. While most traditional producers have accepted (sometimes grudgingly) that the modernists had some good ideas about tannin management (everybody now destems the grapes before they go into the fermentation tank), many traditional producers still make wines with considerable and backwards tannins. The Cavalottos have managed to rise to the top of the qualitative pyramid with their incredibly fine and balanced bottlings. 
After maceration in the RFs, the wine finishes alcoholic fermentation in a standard steel tank. After 1 racking, it goes into large casks (botti) typically in late autumn/early fall. Malolactic is never forced: come spring, when the wines wake up and the first botti show evidence of malo starting, the wines are all transferred back to tank for the second fermentation. Once malo is done, the wines are returned to cask. The base Nebbiolo sees 17-18 months in botti, the Barolo sees 3 years, the Barolo Riserva 5. Wines are further held for about a year after bottling before release. Cavallotto’s wines seem to fly under the radar. Like the Cortese family in Barbaresco, they make incredibly delicious and balanced traditional wines that the market, in general, undervalues. So they represent an incredible value for saavy wine buyers who are willing to give these wines they time they need to fully develop. Once, after a few glasses of wine at a local wine bar, Alfio was talking about a tasting for some journalists from well-known US and British wine publications. He had blown off the tasting itself, for the reason that, “oh, em, we just get the same score and, em, write-up every year, always 89 to 92 points, em, always traditional, always elegant, no oak or jammy fruit like the, em, blockbusters, blah blah blah, I don’t need to be around for that.” Or words to that effect. Like Warren Beatty, Alfio has the gift of pauses in his everyday speech. OK – it was more than a “few” glasses! Giovanni at the Cantina door: 
Again – these are some of my favorite wines of Barolo. Unlike Alfio’s assertion, his wines have been getting some really nice scores from Antonio Galloni at the Wine Advocate, who seems to understand traditional Italian winemaking far better than some of his peers at other publications (I like that Galloni is able to separate his qualitative assessment from his boss’ penchant for super-jammy, low acid wines.) Most of his wines are sold in Europe, where the taste for wines of structure is still strong. Perhaps the US market will finally begin to understand that quality is not synonymous with extraction and size. 2008 Langhe Bianco. Made from pinot noir, vinified off the skins as a white wine. Nose is great, with white peach, stone fruits, bright citrus. Very fresh acidity. On the palate, loads of sweet white fruits, good acidity, some grapefruit and apple, good minerality. Good balance. Very nice. 2.5+ Sees time only in inox, and no malo. 
2008 Dolcetto Vigna Scot. Sees only inox. Good grapey fruit, with pencil lead, graphite, smoke, and plum. Good acidity, the finish is a hint tight and shrill, but this is a drinkable wine that is both drier and less tannic than many other dolcettos. Not bad, but seems a bit tightly wound for something that should be an everyday wine. Very dry finish. 2.0, nothing special. 2006 Langhe Freisa Bricco Boschis. Sees 4-6 months in neutral wood. Freisa in this zone produces wines of tannin and power, and thus a bit of wood helps soften the edges. Good red berry and cherry flavors, light in the palate, better than the dolcetto but still with some good tannins. Good long and dry finish. Quite drinkable. 2.5- 2007 Langhe Nebbiolo. Declassified Barolo vines, from young vines or less optimal sites. Bright cherry fruit, lots of minerals and earth, violet and rose. Simple and delicious, but with enough complexity that its not just like an airhead blonde shopping at the mall. The finish is a bit evolved and the acids a touch harsh, though the tannins are muted. Sees 12-18 months in botti only. Not the best I’ve tried from this vintage, but very drinkable. 2.5 
2005 Barolo Bricco Boschis. Violet, rose petal, licorice and black cherry, tight and unevolved, closed in the nose. On the palate, though the fruit is quite nice and dark, the tannins seem extremely ripe. They started with really good fruit this vintage and the unevolved flavors are entirely devoid of wood effects – no vanilla, chocolate or sweetness. Nice ripe finish, tight and tannic, very fragrant and long. 4.0- 2003 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis, Vigna san Giuseppe. Very tight nose, some dark cherry and cola flavors, layers of earth, mushroom and licorice ad fruit, some berries, very nice and giving. This will be lovely but needs time and patience. Though it will never be very complex, it will be very drinkable. The flavors are there, the acidity is great, the tannins are ripe, and the finish is long. Only a touch of heat on the end is worrisome. 3.5 2003 Barolo Riserva Vignolo. Vignolo has some of the highest levels of clay in Castiglione Falletto, so it seems to be more like a wine from a Serralunga site. The nose is surprisingly giving, more obvious fruit than the VSG, but in the mouth this is tight as a drum. The nose gives up black fruits, stone and damp earth, with licorice and roses, a very classic nose. The palate is hard and tannic, but the wine is balanced and the tannins are very ripe. Some heat on the finish just like the VSG. Could be quite lovely with 5 years ageing. Very nice, but needs patience, the finish keeps on going and going, and though it is a bit thin on fruit right now, due to the monster tannins, it should improve with time and patience. 4.0-
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