The Soli della Sorba vineyards give the wines great expression, structure, vibrancy and elegance. The 2019 vintage, 50% whole-cluster fermentation using only indigenous yeasts, adds an uplifting and elegant touch. The wine is highly aromatic, with notes of rose petals, black tea, dried cherries, fennel seeds, truffles and forest soil. The story of Soli della Sorba begins in the steep, little-tended vineyards, which are exposed to both the sea breezes from the Mediterranean Sea and the fresh breezes from the Italian Alps. The Soli della Sorba vineyards are only 500 meters from the town of Barolo. In these Piedmontese hills, a variety of wild plants and creatures coexist with the truffle forests, creating a beautiful microflora. Soli means cru and refers to the best vineyards. The vineyard is located at a high altitude and is sunny, facing south, so the snow that falls in winter melts first. The soil is ancient limestone mixed with clay, sand, and stone. The vineyard is designated as a single vineyard, but this wine is a single vineyard wine within the Langhe Nebbiolo DOC. "Soli della Sorba" is a winery established in Diano d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy, by Carlo Mondavi, a thoroughbred in the California wine industry, and his fiancée Giovanna Bagnasco. Carlo is the grandson of Robert Mondavi, known as the "father of California wine," and the fourth generation winemaker of the Mondavi family. Carlo has been exposed to wine since he was a child at Robert Mondavi Winery and Opus One, and at Continuum Estate, which his father Tim Mondavi started in Napa Valley in 2005, he is involved in a wide range of operations, including cultivation, brewing, sales, and marketing. In 2013, he and his brother Dante founded Raen, a winery specializing in Burgundy varieties, and the production of world-class Pinot Noir will be a new page in the history of the Mondavi family. Giovanna is the daughter of Pietro Bagnasco, owner of Brandini, a winery based in La Mola that produces wines from indigenous grape varieties in Piedmont, mainly Barolo. The winemaking consultant for Brandini is Beppe Caviola, who was once rated as the best winemaker by Gambero Rosso magazine and consults many wineries in Italy while running his own winery, C'a Viola. Giovanna is a young talent who is trying to bring about a new revolution in Barolo, which is full of tradition and customs, while listening to Beppe's advice.
Her idea to use artificial cork (nomacorc) made from sugar cane, which was unthinkable in the world of Barolo, attracted attention. Carlo's great-grandfather was from the Marche region of Italy, so Carlo and Giovanna hit it off and purchased the vineyard for their new winery, "Soli della Sorba". This was the moment when Carlo, who has an interest in sustainability and a passion for agriculture and winemaking, and Giovanna, who is breathing new life into Barolo, teamed up. Half of Diano d'Alba is in Barolo DOCG, and the rest of the vineyards belong to Langhe DOC. The "Soli della Sorba" vineyard is located in the Langhe DOC, spreading in a semicircle on a south-facing slope at an altitude of 500 meters. The soil is sandy limestone containing clay, and the cold winds blowing in from the Mediterranean keep it very cool in warm years, and in cold years it ensures plenty of sunlight. It is a small and special 1.2 hectare vineyard. The oldest Nebbiolo vines were found to have been planted in 1955, and they are currently encouraging research into clones of each plot. The winery practices permaculture to protect biodiversity and is committed to organic farming using biodynamic farming methods in the fields, with a view to respecting nature and society. The wines are aged in large Slovenian barrels called Botti, and are released when Carlo and Giovanna deem them ripe for drinking. The wines are not filtered or clarified, leaving the delicate and pure aromas in the wines.