2017 Barolo Prapo

The Schiavenza 2017 Barolo Prapò is a mostly subdued wine in terms of aromas but a powerful wine in terms of mouthfeel (and its 15% alcohol content). The bouquet shows soft touches of cherry liqueur and dried blackberry that progress to smoke, tar and rusty nail. The wine is not especially intense in terms of its bouquet, but it does show a lot more intensity and determination to the palate with fine tannins and tight structure. Like the other releases from this estate, this 2017 vintage of 2,200 bottles is best suited for near and mid-term drinking, perhaps with a fatty liver pâté.

The 2017 Barolo Prapo parcel is 0.9 hectares at 350 meters elevation. With the highest proportion of limestone soils, it provides the most structure of the Schiavenza wines. The Prapo is more introverted aromatically, with licorice, balsamic, and baked cherry. The structure is balanced and firm, warranting time in cellar to soften its grip. Brooding with tobacco, cherry pit, and stony minerality, the Prapo is classic, dark fruited and grounded. Drink 2024-2042. This estate is located in Serralunga d’Alba in Barolo, where it was founded in 1956. In the vineyard, they do not use pesticides or herbicides and plant cover crops between the vines. Each of the crus are matured in the same manner, in 3000- to 3600-liter Slavonian oak botti for 30 months. They have reduced the maturation period by six months to preserve freshness and have implemented a gentler extraction during maceration with the use of a hydraulic vertical basket press.