Assuming full direction of a Barolo estate at the tender age of twenty-four is an incredibly daunting prospect, but for Giulia Negri, the latest in a 150-year line of grape growers in the Langhe commune of La Morra, the challenge proved irresistible. Upon completing her studies and taking an inspiring trip to Burgundy that sparked her passion for fine wine, Giulia returned to the family estate motivated to learn all the secrets of the craft in her native Piemonte. She started small, releasing micro-cuvées under her own label, before taking over the totality of vineyard management and production in 2014.
                In the heart of the Serradenari cru of La Morra—the highest point in the Barolo zone, with vineyards culminating at 536 meters above sea level—Giulia passionately pursues her goal of crafting Barolo with a Burgundian sensibility. She even inherited small parcels of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero that her father planted on the estate’s cooler, north-facing sites, allowing her to pay tribute to the great wines of the Côte d’Or through the lens of Piemontese soil.
                But Nebbiolo reigns in these parts, and Serradenari yields a Barolo of regal pedigree. The elevation, coupled with a complex mosaic of soils unique to this part of the Langhe, sets the stage for Giulia to create Barolos that marry delicate floral aromas and seductive fruit with a deep mineral foundation. With fine-grained, tightly knit tannins, her wines charm in their youth yet have the structure for serious bottle aging.
                After tasting all over the Langhe, learning from some of Barolo’s most distinguished growers, Giulia quickly understood the importance of traditional vinification and aging practices in preserving Nebbiolo’s mystical energy and heady aromatics. With the goal of maximizing an honest expression of terroir, she has filled her cellar with large oak casks (botti grandi). Her artisanal approach and espousal of old-school production methods include sustainable viticulture, the eschewal of commercial yeasts and other additives, minimizing filtration, and long but gentle macerations in the cellar.
                Barologirl, as she has been dubbed, may still be the new kid on the block in La Morra, but tasting her wines reveals a fine touch and devout respect for tradition that already places them among the region’s classics. We are thrilled to present her on these pages for the first time and excited for you to see why we added this young azienda to our portfolio.