chapter II

HISTORY

Named after our own town, Barolo wine was created right here, in the historic cellars of Marchesi di Barolo, in the first half of the 19th century.

Before that, the wine made from the nebbiolo grape variety offered a completely different taste experience: it was a sweet, sparkling wine. As a matter of fact, in 1787 Thomas Jefferson, who was later to become President of the United States, tried nebbiolo while he was staying at Hôtel d’Angleterre in Turin. In his travel journal, he described it with these words: As silky as Madeira, as astringent as Bordeaux and as brisk as Champagne. Thomas Jefferson

Barolo

was born

here

It was only later, thanks to an intuition of Marchesa Giulia di Barolo, that the wine took its full-bodied, stable and noble character. She decided to build new cellars to make wine in large casks, a place that was protected from the cold temperatures of late autumn.
Still today, in five of these centuries-old oak casks, thanks to constant and careful maintenance, Barolo renews its history every year.

Discover the history of Barolo

One day, the Marchesa was at court and King Carlo Alberto asked her jokingly: «Marchesa, people always speak highly of the wine from your holdings. When will you let us taste it?» «Your Majesty, your wish will be granted soon» answered the Marchesa.

And in fact, some time later, a long procession of ox carts entered Turin, and they filled the whole Via Nizza, going to the Royal Palace […] There were more than three hundred of them, one for each day of the year, and that was the «tasting» of Barolo wine that the Marchesa was sending to the King. From the book “Il Paese del Barolo”, by Domenico Massè, headmaster of Collegio Barolo.

King

of Wines

According to the source, Marchesa Giulia ordered that no less than 325 carrà (casks used to transport wine at the time) be brought to the king, one for each day of the year, excluding the 40 days of Lent, when King Carlo Alberto would have followed the Catholic precept of temperance and fast.

Finally stable and perfect to be transported for long distances without being altered, Barolo soon became the wine of the Savoy court, of ambassadors and high-ranking officers of the army. After a short time, it also reached royal and noble banquets all over Europe. For this reason it was famously dubbed “The King of Wines, the Wine of Kings”.

3 centuries

of history

ALCHEMY OF
A BEAUTIFUL
LOVE STORY

XIX

XXI

1782

Carlo Tancredi Falletti was born in Turin, at Palazzo Barolo. He spent his youth between Barolo and Turin and travelled frequently to Holland, Germany, Switzerland and France, increasing his knowledge and his nobility of mind. A great culture, intellect, and a commonality of faith and ideals was what brought together Juliette and Carlo Tancredi.

1785

Juliette Colbert, great-niece of the finance minister of Louis XIV, was born in Maulévrier, in Catholic Vendée. At only 7, she fled to Holland with her father, to escape the bloodthirsty wrath of the sans-culottes. When Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor, he allowed the return of the expatriate members of the nobility. Juliette had a strong character and received a strict and almost encyclopedic education.

1806

Juliette and Carlo Tancredi, Guard of Honour and Chamberlain for Napoleon Bonaparte, fell in love. They married at Versailles on 18th August, crowning their love story.

1814

Juliette and Carlo Tancredi moved to Turin and settled at Palazzo Barolo. Thus Juliette adopted her Italian name: Giulia. In the town of Barolo, helped by the critical mind and enterpreneur spirit that characterised her whole life, Giulia immediately sensed that the vineyards around the castle and the village enjoyed a particularly favourable situation regarding soil and microclimate. All this could enhance the peculiar qualities of the local grape variety that was already valued at the time: nebbiolo.

1820

For this rich and precious grape variety, Giulia and Carlo Tancredi gradually extended the Cascina del Pillone, building magnificent underground cellars to store all the fruit harvested in their holdings. The cellars were the ideal place for winemaking: here, grapes were protected from the abrupt changes in temperature that were typical of the cold autumns of that time. This favoured alcoholic fermentation and the complete transformation of sugars into alcohol, finally and systematically creating a dry, robust and age-worthy wine.

1834

“I visited the cellar of Marchese di Barolo: it is a large basement with barrel vaults… There were 30 casks, most of them with old wines… The wine from Barolo lasts many years and the Marchese preserves it to send it to the court in Turin and to others” Giorgio Gallesio and Enrico Baldini, “I Giornali dei Viaggi”, published by Reale Accademia dei Georgofili, 1995 (account of a visit on 19th September 1834)

1853

During an outbreak of cholera in Turin, the Marchesi Falletti took action to create temporary hospitals and to help the sick people. Marchese Carlo Tancredi got infected and died three years later due to the consequences of the disease.

1864

Marchesa Giulia died, leaving all her belongings – including the cellars in Barolo – to the charity organization she had founded, Opera Pia Barolo.

1873

Vienna World’s Fair: the Barolo made in 1869 in the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo was awarded the Medal For Outstanding Quality.

1883

Lorenzo Fantini published “Monografia sulla Viticultura ed Enologia nella Provincia di Cuneo” and wrote about Barolo: “…Moreover, who made this nebbiolo famous? Everybody knows that the credit goes to the wines of the late Marchese di Barolo. When there was not even talk of exportation, thanks to his means and to his vast and high connections, he was able to make his wines known in countries that nobody else could reach. It was called simply Barolo because that was the village where it came from...”

1884

General Italian Exhibition in Turin: the Barolo from the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo was awarded the Gold Medal.

1901

The Cav. Felice Abbona e Figli winery of Barolo won Gold Medals and awards for their Barolo wine at International Exhibitions in Paris, Lyon and Rome.

1911

The Cav. Felice Abbona e Figli winery of Barolo won the Gold Medal for Barolo wine at the Turin International Exhibition.

1928

Don Domenico Massè, headmaster of Collegio Barolo, published “Il Paese del Barolo”, where he wrote: “…the creators of that type of wine which is now called Barolo were the Marchesi Falletti at the beginning of the 19th century. They made it with great care in their estates in Barolo and Serralunga and, thanks to their numerous connections and long travels, it became known and valued…”

1929

Pietro Abbona took over the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo, together with his brother Ernesto and sisters Marina and Celestina. They moved in to the historic Cascina del Pillone, which became their home and workplace.

1933

King Vittorio Emanuele III allows Pietro Abbona to display the Royal Coat of Arms on the sign of the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo, as supplier of the royal house. The aristocratic estate becomes a structured and efficient winery, which brings its wines to the tables of high society, Popes, Italian embassies all over the world and the huge, sumptuous ocean liners of that time.

1947

At Palazzo Barberini, after tasting a bottle of Barolo made by Marchesi di Barolo, the Ambassador of the United States exclaimed: “Best-Best-Best”

1962

In ‘”Cibi e Vini”, published by the Accademia della Cucina Italiana, Luigi Carnacina wrote: “The Barolo made in 1953 by Marchesi di Barolo is the best Italian wine. To say the least!”

1968

Felice Abbona was appointed Cavaliere del Tartufo e dei Vini d’Alba.

1971

The President of the Italian Republic awarded the rank of Commendatore della Repubblica to Felice Abbona.

1973

At Gino Veronelli’s invitation, historic cru Barolos were made in the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo respecting single vineyard purity: Cannubi, Coste di Rose and Sarmassa.

1996

The restaurant La Foresteria opened on the historic premises of Marchesi di Barolo.

2002

The five historic oak casks that belonged to Marchesa Giulia, preserved for more than a century and a half, were restored and are now still used again to make Barolo wine.

2016

The Marchesi di Barolo winery took over Cascina Bruciata, a historic estate in Barbaresco.

2022

The Marchesi di Barolo winery took over Cascina Colombera, a historic estate in Perno.

I Winery III Territory IV Wines