Borgogno No Name Barolo 2017 - Going Against the Grain

How about drinking one of the Barolo wine region’s finest wines but not having a name to associate with it?  Well, that’s only partially the case with the Borgogno No Name Barolo wine we’re tasting together with Filippo Bartolotta.  Get ready to taste the hot 2017 vintage and learn the mystery behind this special Nebbiolo-based Barolo vintage.

Dark and harmonious flavors are what first strike your palate when you savor this No Name from the Borgogno winery, with plenty of earthy, licorice-accented tones that provide the perfect pairing for any classic dish from the Piedmont region.  Think of pairing this wine with a lovely Risotto al Barolo, or a Barolo-based stew.  Insomma, a dish with a heavier starting base, and that provides a hefty, hearty meal that your Borgogno No Name wine complements.

But what’s with this label, after all?  Why would the Borgogno wine estate, one of Piedmont’s most renowned estates, not want to identify their wines for all the wine lovers out there?  Well, it’s more to do with the governing bodies of wine - in fact, the No Name label is clearly marked as an Etichetta di Protesta, or a Protest Label.  The intrigue thickens.

While two Barolo wines were produced following identical methods - same aging, same grapes, same oak barrels.  One was awarded a DOCG stamp, and the other was not.  So, No Name was born to quietly raise a fist to the draconian bureaucracy that can define select Italian agricultural practices.  Mysetery solved!

Come taste a timeless Barolo icon with Filippo Bartolotta as he cracks open this very special Borgogno No Name Barolo from 2017, hailing from a vintage that Bartolotta indicates as pure perfection.  Learn more, add some names for your must-try bucket list, and enjoy the world of fine Italian wines with Mamablip!

For more Italian wine news, be sure to head over to the Mamablip Wine School Video index for more video explorations of our favorite wineries and wine regions.  Be sure to include a visit to the  Wine Selections to purchase your own bottles of the Borgogno selections and other recommended wines.   Francesca Ciancio brings us on a closer look into the Borgogno family and their wine estate, as well as a peek into the wine-making philosophy of today’s generation of Barolo wine-makers, New Faces - Borgogno’s Youthful Guidance Earns Grand Results.