Cordero di Montezemolo : Enrico VI 2014

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Enrico VI 2014 from Cordero di Montezemolo

Tasting

Color
The color reveals a deep garnet red hue.

Nose
The nose shows remarkable floral intensity, accompanied by notes of pencil shavings, cranberries and boysenberries. Delicate spicy nuances emerge with menthol and eucalyptus touches, rounded out by aromas of licorice and mint. The bouquet then broadens with ripe black fruit evoking brandied cherries, blackberries and prunes, with hints of violet and medicinal herbs.

Palate
On the palate, the wine offers considerable breadth and volume while maintaining an abundance of soft, silky tannins. The tannic structure, drawn from the fruit, brings power without harshness. The palate reveals an underlying sweetness of black fruit, milk chocolate and candied fruit, alongside a touch of peppery spice. At the core, an elegant austerity defines the whole, with fine length and delicately austere tannins that never weigh the wine down, instead providing great transparency and remarkable balance. The finish is powerful, slightly tangy and fresh, with notable persistence.

Food and wine pairings
This wine pairs ideally with game dishes and richly flavored meats. It goes perfectly with hare stew, braised beef, chamois, venison, wild boar, game meats and pigeon. Piedmontese specialties featuring Alba white truffle, such as cardoon flan with fondue or duck ravioli, also make harmonious matches.

Serving and cellaring
Enrico VI 2014 can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve favorably over the coming years, developing tertiary aromas and gaining complexity thanks to its tannic structure and excellent acidity.

A powerful, transparent Barolo from Castiglione Falletto in Piedmont

The estate
Cordero di Montezemolo is one of the most historic estates in the Barolo region of Piedmont, with a documented legacy dating back to 1340. The estate is now run by Giovanni Cordero di Montezemolo, together with his children Elena and Alberto, thus continuing nineteen generations of uninterrupted family stewardship. The domaine farms fifty-one hectares of vineyards spread across La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Alba, Guarene and Cherasco. Since 2013, the entire vineyard has been certified organic, reflecting the family’s commitment to respectful, sustainable viticulture.

The vineyard
Enrico VI comes from the prestigious Villero vineyard located in the commune of Castiglione Falletto. This parcel of around 2 hectares lies at approximately three hundred meters above sea level, on south- and southwest-facing slopes. The soils are characterized by their limestone and clay nature, particularly rich in iron and micronutrients. The site’s microclimate is cooler and less windy than that of the Monfalletto properties, creating a sheltered environment that favors the production of structured wines with pronounced black-fruit character and firm tannins. This distinctive geological composition, notably its iron-richness, gives this Barolo wine specific mineral traits and contributes to its unique personality.

The vintage
The 2014 vintage in Piedmont proved particularly challenging, marked by poor fruit set during a cold, wet spring, persistent rainfall and overcast skies throughout the growing season, as well as violent hailstorms that devastated yields in several communes. This year was described as the coldest and wettest in recent memory, with the most difficult growing cycle since 1991-1992. Yields were drastically reduced, with losses of twenty to fifty percent depending on the vineyard sites. However, improved weather conditions in August and September—drier and sunnier as harvest approached—allowed rigorous producers who delayed picking and carried out meticulous fruit selection to obtain concentrated grapes that reached full ripeness. The vintage ultimately produced wines of surprising purity, transparency and balance.

Winemaking and aging
Enrico VI 2014 benefited from careful winemaking tailored to the vintage’s particular conditions. The wine was aged in oak barrels, allowing its aromatic complexity to develop while preserving the transparency and precision characteristic of this year. The vinification approach favored the extraction of gentle, fruit-driven tannins rather than an aggressive tannic framework, creating a wine that is both powerful and elegant.

Grape variety
100% Nebbiolo