Roberto Voerzio is one of the leading producers in Piedmont (Piemonte), of whom you probably would recognise one of his eye-catching bright, artsy labels that feature the various aspects of winemaking, a nice touch that Roberto had commissioned a friend of his to create.

Nevertheless, the man behind the wines donning these labels has even more to him than the cheery, almost light-hearted art might seem to evoke. A deeply philosophical winemaker, Roberto cusps both modernity and tradition in his winemaking, which is precisely what has gotten him much acclaim. "I’d never say to anyone that my system is the only way to make wine,... but I do think it." Roberto says in one interview with wine commentator, Wine Anorak. Should anyone expect less from a man who not only grew up helping his father tend to the family's vineyards, but from the moment he tasted his first Barolo, knew he wanted to dedicate his life to producing great wines of the same.

Roberto Voerzio.

Yet, Roberto knew he had to do things differently if he wanted to achieve breakout results. Inspired by his friend (and another legendary producer) Elio Altare in France's Burgundy region, Roberto wanted to bring over French techniques to Langhe's viticulture practice. Despite generations over wine producers having taken over their family's vineyards and then passing it on, it wouldn't be out of reach to say that not many in Piedmont's Langhe region could have expected the sheer success of its Barolo's today. Voerzio is at least in part to thank for that. Barolo's today are rich in appearance, big on fruit and soft on tannins - quite unlike what they were just several decades prior.

So what happened?

La Morra.

Folks like Voerzio began to see that a shift was necessary in how winemakers saw the process - that great wines started off as great grapes. Which meant that change was necessary in the field. 

Around the mid-1980's, Roberto decided to make it out on his own, starting his own winery in La Morra, right in the heart of Langhe. What started out as a 2 hectare project has grown into an over 35 hectare area that is producing some of the most sought after wines. Some of these vineyards belong directly to Roberto, whilst others are rented to his team, and with each passing year, Roberto continues to opportunistically acquire great terroirs in the appellation.

Radical results require radical changes.

A big part of what has driven Roberto, and has become his calling card, is his relentless belief and pursuit of ever improving quality. Beyond the now widely adopted practice of natural and organic farming, which involves the use of natural means of pest control and fertilisers, and the avoidance of any chemical substances touching the vines, Roberto has also brought to his vineyards initiatives to improve the quality of the fruit itself, the most stark of which is the spectacularly low yields his vines produce - just 500 grams per vine, and for certain vineyards going as low as 350 grams per vine (whereas the standard for Nebbiolo in Langhe is typically 4kg per vine)! This is the result of successive yield control and green cropping where Roberto thins the amount of fruit on the vine at least twice for each harvest (known as double green harvesting).

On top of that, he prunes each vine, keeping only 5-8 buds per plant, and on a more macro scale, his vineyards have a notoriously high density, with as many as 8000 - 11,000 vines per hectare, as opposed to 3,200 which is the standard. All of this serves to produce incredibly strong vines and concentrated fruits - noticeably, the Roberto's vines also tend to stick out quite literally, growing to two metres tall, twice the height of neighbouring vineyards. Roberto is so relentless about his farming practices, that when asked about the use of a sorting table, Roberto had utter confidence in stating that the very need to sort the fruits and vet its quality simply reflects the lack of meticulous farming. "A single vine cannot make three different qualities of grapes,... If a vine makes top quality grapes, then all are top quality. Triage tables are for impressing journalists: people who do this have bad quality viticulture." Roberto had told Wine Anorak.

With an obsessiveness about fruit concentration, Roberto's team spends months reducing yields all the way into the September harvest - a month ahead of the rest of the Barolo region. This is as Roberto's organic practices necessitates his fruit be harvested ahead of the autumn fog which tends to bring cold weather and rain, which can in turn cause unwanted mould. To ensure this can happen, Roberto's crops have to achieve double the foliage canopy that is needed to maximise photosynthesis for an earlier ripening - such drastic formations only possible again as a result of lowering the yield.

Once the harvest is done, the winemaking is perhaps alittle more traditional, although adjustments have to be made in order to fit the organic practices that took place in the fields. The grapes are completely destemmed, and fermentation is allowed to happen naturally with indigenous yeasts, with each plot vinified separately. This high degree of intensive farming and systematic vinification takes place across Roberto's opportunistically acquired premier crus across the region - La Serra, Brunate, Cerequio, Sarmassa, Rocche dell'Annunziata, Fossati and Case Nere - where he grows not just the region's most celebrated varietals of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, but includes Merlot as well. 

Roberto's spectacular efforts in the field can only be realised if by logical conclusion, vinification is allowed to happen with as minimal intervention as possible to the wines flavours. He contends that doing too much in the cellar would only result in a more uniform wine, which would defeat the purpose of the initiatives he's conducted in the field. Ultimately, Roberto is all about applying natural means to achieving the boldest flavours at the highest quality possible, which must then be protected in the winemaking process. Consequently, the fruit goes through a rather quick and warm ferment and maceration, much shorter than what is traditional of Barolo's.

With a view to produce wines that are suitable for long ageing, Roberto then fills the wines into smaller French oak barrels for extended periods of time (22 - 27 months). The more delicate Nebbiolo is filled into larger Slovenian oak barrels to reduce the influence of tannins. Finally the Dolcetto is aged in vats. The wines will spend 2 years in wood, after which they are blended in stainless steel vats where they sit for another 6 months, before 6 more months of resting in bottles, and then finally they are released with intense flavours and concentration.

And so with all that said, today we've got the fortune to try two of Voerzio's wines - the 2019 Disanfrancesco Langhe Nebbiolo and the 2015 Il Cerreto Barbera d'Alba!

Let's go!

Roberto Voerzio Langhe Nebbiolo 2019 Disanfrancesco - Review

We start with the Nebbiolo that's classified under Langhe, this is 100% Nebbiolo from La Morra. Fairly high density here with 6,000 to 8,000 vines per hectare, and yields are also fairly low at 1kg to 1.5kg of fruit per vine. Harvest takes place in end September, after which fermentation takes place in steel vats. After which it goes through 12 months in 30% new and 70% used tonnaux and barrels, 25 hl sizes, and then 8 more months in steel.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Ruby

Aroma: More earthy influences here, lots of freshly toiled soil, some hay, behind which are those roses and freshly crushed raspberries. Here it comes off alittle lighter and also more vibrant, with more intensity as well. 

Taste: Really velvety and silky rich here, it’s fuller with lots of raspberries and blackberries. It’s really juicy with a very nice depth to it, the tannins are soft but noticeably firm. With some cedar towards the back.

Finish: The tannins continues to hold the fruit in, here it’s giving alittle more blackcurrants. It even feels alittle grainy from the oak. 

My Thoughts

Absolutely smashing Nebbiolo! This was fully well expressed - lots of richness, fullness on the body, held up by really nice and firm tannins that gives the velvety fruit a good structure. The tannins tightens up into the finish which adds a nice bit of textural progression to this - and at the same time has this effect of playing up the rustic quality about it that we first got on the nose. It feels really fresh and has all this power.

Compared to the Barbera we just had, this one felt like it had more finesse and elegance to it, playing on numerous fronts, each showcasing these little microcosms of nuances that are so well-expressed. At the same time it also comes off with more balance and power at the same time - again, superb value for the quality here.

Roberto Voerzio Il Cerreto Barbera d'Alba 2019 - Review

Here's the Barbera d'Alba from the Il Cerreto vineyard in La Morra - this is 100% Barbera, harvested mid to end September. The vineyards have a pretty high density at 8,000 vines per hectare, and is combined with incredibly low yields at 800g to 1kg of fruit per plant. It's then fermented in steel vats, before 12 months in 30% new oak, 70% used tonnaux and barrels of 25 hl sizes, and finally 8 more months in steel.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Ruby

Aroma: Opens to perfumed florals of roses, accompanied by a raw earthiness of fresh soil. The bouquet here has a noticeably good structure, voluminous, perfumed and layered. Some more concentrated raspberries in the form of jam and paste forms the core.

Taste: Good richness, led by lots of cherries, raspberries and blackberry jams. It’s got a rich sweetness with a light acidity lending some tartness. Really delicious jamminess that’s giving fruit jellies. 

Finish: Abit of clove spice, more earthiness of tobacco and soil, as well as more red fruit jams.

My Thoughts

An incredibly delicious expression that delivers on all fronts! It’s got a very good richness, led by a lifted and layered plume of rustic qualities of roses, soil and freshly made fruit jams. 

This is followed by an equivalent richness on the palate, good balance with some acidity, as well boldness and a fulled body. The fruit here is well expressed and rich, and very forward, delivered with good intensity without any lack of structure. The tannins are firm, with more earthiness on the finish, which gave it more complexity.

It’s bold and rich, good complexity and very approachable at a superb quality to value balance.