2021 Paolo Giordano Barolo "Perno": A Perfect Vintage
Producer
Paolo Giordano is the husband of Ileana Seghesio, whose grandfather and his two brothers founded their estate in 1939, having begun making wine in 1923. They began by producing the typical local wines, selling it mainly in large glass jars - or “damigiana” - as only a few selected customers in nearby cities requested wines in bottles at the time.
When Ileana’s grandfather died in 1994, the winery was abandoned and the cultivation of the vineyards was trusted to third parties until Ileana and Paolo decided to pick up the baton in 2018. Paolo left his job as a computer programmer in robotics in 2015 to learn wine and spend more time at home. He worked at the Benevelli winery nearby where he made their first two vintages.
Their vineyards lie entirely in their home village of Perno, south of Alba, just north of Monforte d’Alba and east of the village of Barolo. Their vineyards are 30 years old, planted on hillsides around the village which is also home to a world class restaurant called “Repubblica di Perno.” They farm with strict respect for nature, following sustainable and organic practices, and opting for natural management of weeds and disease over synthetic chemicals. The wines are never fined or filtered, settled naturally in barrel and tank instead, and bottled with the very minimum amount of sulfites necessary. This allows their true character to be revealed even when the wines are quite young. Barolo wines historically needed to age to become drinkable; not these! However, you can & should… if you have the patience. Today they produce just 500 cases of wine & upon release they sell out instantly, the bottles headed to the cellars of the best restaurants across Europe and beyond.
Wine Information
Producer: Paolo Giordano
Cuvée: 2021 Barolo “Perno” DOCG
Winemaking: native yeast fermentation, 100% destemmed, 4-5 week skin maceration
Aging & Fermentation: aged 24 months in used oak barrels, then 18 months in bottle prior to release.
Time & Place
Region: Perno, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy
Grape: Nebbiolo
Terroir: South and southwest-facing, 380 meters average altitude. Soils are sand and marl with a small amount of clay, ancient marine sediments deposited 5–13 million years ago. Very hilly, Piemonte translates to “foot of the mountains”, referring to the Alps.
The Vintage: 2021 in Barolo was a “perfect” vintage, maybe one of the best in decades. A cold winter, ample water reserves, ideal September conditions and an October harvest; structured, intense and balanced, with freshness and fine aging potential
Why this wine?
My introduction to fine wine was through Piedmont, & Barolo is often considered the “king” of fine red wine. Nebbiolo here displays such a beautiful complexity and remarkably unique character. I was fortunate enough to visit the estate (their house) in 2023. We walked their vineyards and tasted their wines in their kitchen while their puppy harassed the family cat in their living room. Their fridge was adorned with photos of their children and the walls were adorned with historical memorabilia of their home village. Their passion and dedication to their craft was palpable in the wines, they possess energy that larger producers just can’t emulate. Upon tasting this cuvée back in December, I knew I had to find a way to get this wine in front of more people. It’s very possible this club was a way of doing just that. They eat a lot of veal here, but if that’s not your speed you can pair this with anything hearty, meaty, or slow-roasted.
