Wine Wednesday Recap: Barolo’s King, Old Vine Wisdom, and a Big Reveal 🍷
A legendary 2016 vintage, the "sacrilege" of green harvesting, and a final call for founding memberships.
Yesterday’s Wine Wednesday took a deep dive into one of Italy’s most legendary crus 🇮🇹 🍇
If you missed the livestream, here is the breakdown of this week's drop and the massive changes coming to Club dVIN next week 👇
The Icon: Michele Chiarlo 2016 Barolo Cerequio Riserva
We’ve been spending a lot of time in France lately, so it felt right to head back to Italy for the “King of Reds”.
The “Tar and Roses” Profile: Barolo is famous for high tannins and high acidity, with critics often describing its unique aromatics as tar and roses.
The Vineyard: Cerequio is a tiny “amphitheater” of vines sheltered from the wind. This specific site is smaller than a football field, featuring old vines planted over 50 years ago.
The “Wise” Vines: Rodolfo noted that old vines are often called “wise” because they naturally reach a balance, producing less fruit but significantly higher complexity.
Cerequio vineyard, Barolo
The Legend of the Sacrilegious Priest
I shared a favorite story about Michele Chiarlo from the ‘80s. When he first started leasing the Cerequio vines, he began “green harvesting”—manually cutting fruit off the vines to increase the concentration of the remaining bunches.
The locals were so outraged by the perceived waste that they sent a local priest to tell him to stop the “sacrilege”. He ignored them, kept his yields low, and today, his wines are some of the most sought-after in the world.
The Drop: A Generation-Defining Vintage 🚨
Tomorrow’s drop is a 10-year-old library release from the 2016 vintage, which is arguably the best Piedmont has seen in an entire generation.
The Details: Only produced in exceptional years, this Riserva was aged for at least 62 months, including three years in large casks and two in the bottle.
The Offer: We are releasing three-bottle lots that are coming in significantly under market value.
Jana’s Tip: This wine is just arriving at its peak. I’d drink one now, one in five years, and one in ten.
Club Members 👉 Secure Your Allocation before sold out ⚡️
What’s Next: A New Chapter for Club dVIN
This was a significant session as we officially enter the final countdown for our founding tiers.
The New Era: Next week, our new website goes live, along with a brand-new membership tier for Club dVIN.
The Deadline: We are closing the Genesis and Global Insider tiers for good. You have three days left to get your friends or family in on these founding levels.
The Access: If you want a founding seat at the table before the doors lock, reach out to Rod (r@clubdvin.com) or me (j@clubdvin.com) directly.
Missed the live? You can watch the full replay https://dvin.app/buybarolo for the full technical breakdown and the stories behind this rare Italian release.
Cheers,
Jana
Co-founder, dVIN Labs 🍷