Ettore Germano Barolo Prapò DOCG 2021

Barolo Prapò comes from Ettore Germano, a family estate founded in 1856 in Serralunga d'Alba, in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. Prapò is a named cru on the eastern side of the appellation, where the calcareous marl soils and warm exposure give Nebbiolo its firm structure and long ageing potential. Nebbiolo is a late-ripening grape, high in both tannin and acidity, and it carries the scent of its site more clearly than almost any other variety. The wine is fermented with a long maceration on the skins to draw out colour and tannin, then aged for two years in cask, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and develops savoury complexity, followed by a further year in bottle. Typical of Serralunga, it is pale garnet, with red cherry and redcurrant on the nose, a clear rose-petal note and the liquorice, tar and leather that mark mature Nebbiolo. The palate is structured and savoury, the tannins firm, the finish long. This is grown under respectful farming. Serve at 17 degrees Celsius and decant an hour ahead. It suits braised beef, game and aged cheese.