corino - La Morra (Barolo)
Of all the eleven Barolo communes, La Morra is the most renowned for elegant Nebbiolo wines due to the ancient Tortonian soils of clay, limestone and sand that bring freshness and grace to Nebbiolo and its infamous tannins. The Giovanni Corino estate has been farming in La Morra for four generations now, and their connection with the land is one of pride and respect. In 1952 Celeste Corino moved to La Morra to work as “mezzadri” or sharecropper and his son Giovanni grew up around the La Morra vineyards at a time of wine-revolution in the early 80s when Barolo was one of the first regions to receive DOCG status and a group of young winemakers, affectionately nicknamed “the Barolo boys”, started to make more conscientious Nebbiolo wines influenced by Burgundian techniques including “green harvesting”(dropping fruit for lower yields and better quality fruit), and ageing in smaller 225L French barrels to soften the tannins. Although these Burgundian methods are now widely appreciated, at the time they caused much conflict in Barolo from the older generation. The “Barolo Boys” also began using rotary fermenters which extracted colour and tannin more efficiently. All of these methods are techniques that the Giovanni Corino estate still swears by.
Giovanni founded Corino Azienda Agricola in 1987 and his son Giuliano started to learn the ropes with one eye on tradition and the other on the exciting changes happening in the region. It is true that great fine wines are an expression of their geology, climate, exposure and site elevation, but also the minimal impact of the winemaker is not to be underestimated. To this end Giovanni Corino’s vineyards are managed with organic viticultural practices without any chemicals and are hand-harvested. In fact the majority of vineyard work at Giovanni Corino is completed by manual labour for less impact, and the harvest is fermented with ambient indigenous yeasts which brings an authentic sense of place to the wines. The wines are also bottled without fining or filtration to allow the character of the terroir to be present in the glass from the aromatics to the complex finish.
Today, Giuliano’s son (fourth generation) Andrea joins him as oenologist and in fact it is a real family affair from vineyard management, winery work, and promotion of the wines made from their 9 hectares in La Morra. Across the Giovanni Corino range there is purity and elegance with a signature terroir expression that transports the senses to La Morra. The attention to detail in the vineyard and winery is not just evident in their Arborina and Giachini Cru Barolo – two of the most revered vineyards in the commune, but also in their expressive Dolcetto, Barbera and Langhe Nebbiolo. We recommend you try them all!
