Oddero

Few wineries in Piemonte have such deep historical roots to the land. Isabella Oddero is the 7th and youngest generation of this wine-producing family. She and her Aunt Mariacristina form a very dynamic and feminine duo, gorgeous women who take their role, and their patrimony, very seriously indeed. Their patrimony goes back at least to 1878, when the first Oddero wines were bottled, though the family sold wine in demijohns earlier than that and the first written records of the family go as far back as 1700. Grandfather Giacomo, now in his late 80s, has done more than 70 harvests!

The winery is situated in La Morra, in the hamlet (“frazzione”) of Santa Maria, where a gorgeous church giving its name to the vineyard “Bricco Chiesa” is sited. Their vineyard holdings are a register of some of the top Gran Cru of the Langhe - Vigna Rionda and Collaretto in Serralunga d'Alba, Brunate in La Morra, Mondoca di Bussia Soprana in Monforte d'Alba, Rocche di Castiglione, Fiasco and Villero in Castiglione Falletto, and then, in Barbaresco, Gallina in Neive. Going back to Santa Maria di La Morra there is Bricco Chiesa, Roggeri, Capalot, San Biagio. In all, 35 hectares of vineyards in Barolo and 5 in Neive, producing very fine Barolo and Barbaresco from some of the top sites in Piemonte.

The winery is completely organic as of 2008. Philosophy of production is fairly simple: do the important work in the vineyard, and don’t get in the way of the wines while they’re doing their thing in the cellar. Methods are traditional, proudly traditional, but Isabella was careful to provide a caveat: to be traditional doesn’t mean to be stuck in the past. What it does mean is that the wines are fined primarily in large botti of Slavonian and Austrian oak (the biggest in the cantina are 105 hectoliters, or 10,500 liters. A colleague visiting with me recently smiled and said, “you know it’s a good day when the 105 hectoliter botti are the second biggest you’ve seen that day…” (the biggest, at 110 HL, were at Francesco Rinaldi, a short distance away).

Barrel size is strategic– and the size and type of barrel is carefully chosen to match the vineyard. The potentially biggest wines – from Vigna Rionda and Bussia– are aged in Austrian Botti with extremely thick staves. There is poetry to the ideas behind the wines.

The winery produces about 150,000 bottles in an average vintage, almost half of which is Barolo. The quality of these wines is absolutely stunning, and the historical legacy is a treasure to be guarded passionately; Mariacristina and Isabella are up to the task. ~ Joe Kotnik