Reviews
James Suckling 93
Sweet-berry and tar aromas with cherries and ripe strawberries. Full-bodied with round and relitively soft tannins that show intensity. Juicy and savory finish.
by JS, James Suckling , 2021
Robert Parker 92
There is no wine like this in the appellation. Made by a cooperative winery with access to fruit from across all the villages of Barolo, the Arnaldo Rivera 2017 Barolo Undicicomuni ("eleven villages") is an ambitious blend of Nebbiolo from several sites: Serralunga d'Alba (San Rocco); Castiglione Falletto (Codana, Pianta and Villero); Diano d'Alba (two sites in Sorano); La Morra (Boiolo and two sites in Rocche dell'Annunziata); and Verduno (Campasso). You get a bit of grape DNA from every corner of the growing region. The result is a balanced and bright wine with silky fruit, cassis, rusty metal and blue flower. There is a touch of white pepper on the close.
by ML, Robert Parker , 2021
Wine Enthusiast 90
Violet, forest floor and leather aromas lead the way. The firm palate features dried black cherry, tobacco and star anise alongside austere tannins.
by KO, Wine Enthusiast , 2021
Wine Spectator 92
There is a core of cherry, strawberry and floral aromas and flavors here, accented by wild herb and iron. Lean and firm, yet vibrant and complex, with a long fruity, savory and mineral aftertaste.
by BS, Wine Spectator , 2021
Technical Details
Ageing
20 months in French wood, 25% used tonneaux, 50% 25Hl oak casks, 25% 50 Hl oak casks. It follows about a year of bottle before sale.
Estate
Arnaldo Rivera wines are the result of a partnership between Terre del Barolo winery and a number of its growers with the aim of producing the region’s best grapes and wines. The vineyards of origin are among the most prestigious on the Langhe hills. They are ultimate expression of expertise and craftsmanship, where the purity of the single varietal is at the absolute pinnacle, testifying to the unmistakable identity of Piedmont’s wines. This label is a unique, new journey through the eleven villages and native varietals in the Barolo winegrowing area, from the vineyard management, to the vinification techniques and woods used; it is truly the wines and the land they come from that speak for themselves.
Arnaldo Rivera was born on December 13th, 1919 in Castiglione Falletto, a small village at the heart of the historic Barolo winegrowing area. He was a local primary school teacher, mayor of his village for 36 years, and founder in 1958 of the Terre del Barolo winery. He lived through the hard times of the war in the front line, as well as the days of the liberation. He and his wife Ester Rinaldi were not blessed with children. Arnaldo Rivera passed away on January 10th, 1987. This project was created by the growers and the winery in honor of this great man.
Soil
clayey and sandy calcareous marls
Tasting notes
Barolo Undicicomuni is arguably Arnaldo Rivera’s most important wine. Spiced cedar, leather and scorched earth on the nose. The palate is wild and savory with notes of crushed raspberry, figs, cinnamon, star anise alongside velvety dusty tannins and fresh acidity. It’s stylish meaty and delicious and super uber Nebbiolo cool. Blending fruit from across the Langhe’s eleven Barolo villages, it epitomizes the quintessential values of traditional, historic Barolo. While the ArnaldoRivera single vineyard Barolos are stunning, it is the Barolo Undicicomuni that demands the winemaker’s greatest attention. He is required to blend different fruit and terroir expressions from diverse villages, just as an artist balances colors to complete his work of art. This means that the Barolo Undicicomuni is naturally Arnaldo Rivera’s most complex Barolo. A shorter ageing in wood, instead of the 32 months of each cru, allows the wine to be more accessible and suitable for early drinking. A consistently great example of Barolo.
Technical data
Variety 100% Nebbiolo.
Refinement 26 months in French oak wood using the following capacities: 75% in large barrels and 25% in second and third passage tonneaux. Six months of aging in concrete tanks follows.
Average annual production: 50,000 bottles.
Vinification
destemming and crushing in a protected atmosphere; maceration for two days at low temperature (12-14 C), alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature (28-30 C) on the skins for a total of around 13 days, with targeted pumping over and delestage maximizing the extraction of color, aroma and tannic structure.