Cavallotto and Castiglione Falletto
As we move west across the broader appellation of Barolo, there are 3 communes that become critical to experience and understand., and all of them are impacted by the transition from Helvetian soils to Tortonian. In contrast to Helvetian soils, the Tortonian soil influence brings forward wines that are more perfumed, elegant, and approachable; the color leaning towards a ruby hue. The wines of this soil also arguably mature more quickly, but still have the same great staying power of the entire Barolo appellation.The Tortonian soil on this side of the overall appellation is characterized by the following properties:
- Blue tinted (darker in color)
- Compact calcerous marl soil mixed with sand
- Fresher, more fertile
- Rich in magnesium, manganese
Most strikingly impacted by these soils changes is Castiglione Falletto, a cru that is special in the sense that it balances Helvetian soil with influences of the more Western Tortonian soil that extends across the Central Valley of Barolo. The result for wines of Castiglione Falletto is that they are powerful but nuanced, expressive, but also tight knit. These wines have the tannins of their Eastern kindred, and the delicacy of their Western relations.
Of producers that have made Castiglione Falletto the sanctuary of fine nebbiolo that is it today, Cavallotto stands apart for the quality of its wines. This family has been bottling wine since 1948 and is the principle winery using the marvelous Bricco Boschis vineyard for their Baroli. The San Giuseppe bottling is the top end release of the best vines from this vineyard, and it is a wine of immense finesse, longevity, and world class quality. Simply one of the top Baroli made in any year in Piedmont.
This estate is dedicated to tradition in the use of large Slavonion oak casks for maturation, while also combining modern viticultural technique to get the absolute most out of their vineyards. Truly this winery feels like it just embodies the commune of Falletto in a way that is indescribable. Coincidence that both names have a double ll and a double tt? Looks like it was meant to be.
If you want to drink some of the best Barolo that can be found, this is a producer that overdelivers and you will be shocked to learn by just how much.
Cavallotto may very well be the greatest Barolo producer few people have ever heard of, something that continues to mystify me…Readers who appreciate a firm, classic style of Barolo will want to spend some time getting to know Cavallotto.” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Cavallotto wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Cavallotto wines
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The wines featured below are all wines included in the sale.
Cavallotto wines available now:
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy 2022 750ml $39 special, 34 bottles available
Winery Note “Vinification: fermented with indigenous yeasts, macerated with submerged cap for 20-35 days. Ageing: Traditional in Slavonian Oak Casks for 15-18 months. Bottle Ageing: 6 months before release into the market. Organoleptic Characteristics: this wine is made entirely from Nebbiolo grapes, usually coming from the youngest vines. Excellent structure with typical aromas of the Bricco Boschis: red fruits and flowers, with spices, all open and intense. Great aging potential.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2020 750ml $91.90 special, 24 bottles available
Kerin O’Keefe 95 Points “The 2020 Barolo Bricco Boschis is smooth, enveloping and delicious. Made with organically farmed grapes, it opens with inviting aromas of wild rose, forest berry, tobacco and new leather while the delicious palate doles out ripe raspberry, Morello cherry, cake spice and menthol. Showing the structure, elegance and depth of the Bricco Boschis and the forward nature of the vintage, this will be hitting its ideal window soon but will also offer years of fine sipping. Drink 2028-2035.”
Decanter 94 Points “Full of details of prunes, stony salinity, earthy notes and forest floor, tannins firm and slightly sticky on the gums, but with crisp acidity. It’s almost austere on the finish, but dynamic and balanced nonetheless, leaving room for a refreshing hint of menthol. An old-fashioned wine, perhaps even a bit funky, but sumptuously complex.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $89 special, 1 bottles available
Decanter 95 points “Alfio Cavallotto is one of the most traditional producers in Langhe. His winemaking is not only classic but old-fashioned: indigenous yeast, oak fermentation, almost no temperature control, and long maceration with submerged cap. His wines are dark and concentrated and this 2019 is no different. Earthy and smoky, it has dark cherry and blood orange aromas alongside plenty of dried fruits. There’s firm acidity to the fore, as well as firm tannins, with great mid-palate extraction. There’s ome stickiness on the gums now so it comes across as very austere at the moment, but it’s very good on the finish. This deserves more time in bottle and consumers who appreciate the style.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “This estate is certainly the most prolific interpreter of the hilltop Bricco Boschis MGA in Castiglione Falletto. The Cavallotto 2019 Barolo Bricco Boschis (a certified organic wine) would benefit from more time in the bottle. I encountered many Barolos in 2019 that reveal a slightly reductive approach that bodes well for long cellaring. This wine is characterized by velvety black fruit that is framed by dusty nuances of crushed limestone. It builds focus and precision with more time in the glass. Some 18,800 bottles were released.”
Cavallotto Vignolo, Barolo Riserva DOCG, Italy 2012 750ml $149 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 Points “Perfumed, revealing rose, strawberry, cherry, hay and eucalyptus aromas and flavors, with a mineral underpinning and a lean, taut frame that keeps this red focused through the long aftertaste. Beginning to open up aromatically, but the tannins indicate there’s no rush to drink this. Drink now through 2036.—B.S.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “This wine will be released next September. The 2012 Barolo Riserva Vignolo shows a darkened and enriched side of the graceful Nebbiolo grape. This effort delivers a bit more weight and power with firm structure and balanced but also slightly dry tannins. The wine’s acidity plays an important role in giving this expression such a sharp and focused personality. This wine ages in large oak casks for five years, thus prompting deep complexity and aromatic layering. The Vignolo vines are a bit lower in altitude (from 250 to 310 meters above sea level) compared to San Giuseppe (at 310 to 340 meters above sea level). That lower positioning favors the immediate richness and succulence you taste here.”
Cavallotto Vignolo, Barolo Riserva DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $139 special, 3 bottles available
Kerin O’keefe 96 Points “Aromas of rose, woodland berry, underbrush and spice form the fragrant, expressive nose on the fantastic 2018 Vignolo Riserva. The smooth, delicious palate mirrors the nose, delivering fleshy raspberry, wild strawberry, truffle and baking spice before a minty finish. Tightly woven, polished tannins offer enveloping support while fresh acidity keeps it beautifully balanced. While this already almost approachable, it will age beautifully for years.”
Wine Spectator 94 Points “Sleek and expressive, this red is all about finesse. Rose, cherry, strawberry, orange peel, iron and wild herb flavors are driven by the bracing acidity, while light tannins line the finish. Shows fine balance and length.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe, Barolo Riserva DOCG, Italy 2011 750ml $149 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The Cavallotto 2011 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe is an exceptional wine that really shows the best of Castiglione Falletto, home to some of Barolo’s most consistent and age-worthy wines. This bottle offers enormous complexity coupled by power and linear, classic lines. Maceration stopped at 20 days, otherwise the winemaking team feared the results would be overdone and too bold. The bouquet opens quickly to reveal dark fruit, spice, anise seed and licorice. The effect is ethereal and lasting. It would be hard to pin this wine down as being from the warm 2011 vintage in a blind tasting. The acidity is fresh and nicely folded into the background.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe, Barolo Riserva DOCG, Italy 2012 750ml $169 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 Points “This is full of sweet, ripe plum, cherry, leather, soy and tobacco aromas and flavors, with smoky notes of autumn woods. Though firmly structured, there’s energy here that carries through the long, detailed finish. Evokes both strength and elegance. Drink now through 2040.—B.S.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Here is another excellent rendition of the celebrated Bricco Boschis cru (one of the best performing vineyards in Castiglione Falletto) from the talented Cavallotto family. The 2012 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe sees fruit picked only from the central part of the vineyard parcel. This area suffers less stress during the hottest months of summer because it is more protected and isolated. This wine is the proverbial overachiever among this estate’s new releases. The bouquet shows a highly refined and focused quality with extreme varietal precision. The 2012 vintage stands somewhere in between 2010 for its elegance and 2011 for its power. In fact, I tasted this wine next to the 2011 expression and found that the 2012 vintage plays its cards closer to its chest. It has a lot to give in the future as it continues down its evolutionary path. Patience is required. Savory spice and smoke make for an elegant twist on the finish.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe, Barolo Riserva DOCG, Italy 2013 750ml $189 special, 18 bottles available
Kerin O’keefe 100 Points “A dazzling showing that combines Old School structure with finesse, this stunning red offers sublime aromas of rose, camphor, dark-skinned berry and new leather. Full bodied and delicious, the compelling palate delivers fruit purity and complexity, featuring ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and tobacco. A backbone of noble tannins and vibrant acidity keeps it impeccably balanced.”
Wine Advocate 99 points “The Cavallotto 2013 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe feels magically cool even as the wine warms in the glass. Eucalyptus, menthol and medicinal herbs rise from the bouquet, with dark fruit and savory spice in tow. When you first open the bottle, it shows a distinct mineral character with crushed aspirin, limestone and graphite. I opened a second bottle a few days before this tasting and had both bottles side by side to compare. Both showed impressive results with a pristine level of focus, sharpness and linearity. With aeration, those dark fruit nuances come to the forefront, showing dried cherry, plum and candied orange peel. A few hours later, you pick up on leather, tobacco and cedar wood. This is a fluid and ever-changing wine that is well worth adding to your cellar selection. What a beauty.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe, Barolo Riserva DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $179 special, 12 bottles available
Kerin O’keefe 98 Points “Wild red berry, violet dark spice, forest floor, tobacco and new leather are just some of the aromas you’ll find on the gorgeous 2018 Bricco Boschis San Giuseppe Riserva. Still young and tight but already balanced and utterly delicious, the full-bodied palate delivers layers of raspberry compote, ripe cherry, star anise, blood orange and baking spice. Firm, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity provide age-worthy support. Drink 2028-2043”
Jancis Robinson 18/20 “Lustrous and just mid ruby with orange tinges. This is Vignolo but amplified, boasting the same concentration and minerally depth, but more refined and more restraint at the same time. Stunning, fine tannins, rich yet in perfect harmony with the supple, long and still-embryonic fruit. A stellar wine.”