Guido Porro "Gianetto" Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2019

FROM KERMIT LYNCH

THE WINE: Tradition dictates that Nebbiolo isn’t harvested until it has been kissed by the first fogs of autumn, a sign that the long growing season it needs to ripen fully is finally coming to an end. As a fourth-generation Barolista, Guido Porro is well versed in tradition, and it guides his hand in the vineyard and the cellar. This Barolo comes from the Gianetto cru in Serralunga d’Alba with a prime southeastern exposure to catch the morning sun. The Barolos of Serralunga are renowned for their power and longevity, and while Porro’s Gianetto is not the unyielding, tannic beast of old, it will certainly benefit from a few years in your cellar.

THE PRODUCER: Reviews and notes on Guido Porro regularly refer to him as “under the radar”: the wines he makes are worthy of a stellar reputation, but he is too easygoing and unassuming to worry about whether the general wine-drinking public recognizes his name. Guido is the fourth generation at an estate that has always been passed from father to son, and now fifth-generation Fabio is starting to lend a hand in the family business. The Porros continue to work just as their predecessors did—the only major change over the last few decades has been the decision to bottle at the estate instead of selling the wine in demijohns or barrels—and they like to keep things simple and down to earth. The Porros are gracious hosts, and Guido’s wife Giovanna is known for her stellar renditions of classic Piemontese dishes, which shine when paired with the family’s wines.

The limestone-heavy soils of Serralunga d’Alba are known for providing the most long-lived and full-bodied Barolos. The cantina overlooks Porro’s vineyards in the Lazzarito cru, a gorgeous amphitheater that faces south-southwest and offers the grapes full sun exposure and protection from the wind. The sub-zones of Lazzairasco and Santa Caterina share the same soil but differ in exposure and altitude, resulting in two very different Baroli—the former regal and structured, the latter more floral and elegant. Even Porro’s Dolcetto and Barbera, grapes usually planted in lesser vineyards, enjoy a privileged place in Lazzarito. Guido expanded the family’s holdings in 2007, acquiring land in the nearby cru Gianetto, where the sandier soil yields a more immediate, open-knit Barolo. He then inherited a small slice of Serralunga’s fabled cru Vigna Rionda in late 2010. After replanting the vines, which were in poor state, he welcomed his first harvest in 2014, adding an undisputed grand cru to his already impressive stable of wines. Guido sticks to traditional methods in the vineyards and cellar, and he never gets in the way of the grapes’ natural expression.