Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe 1

Barolo, the end of an era? “It’s difficult to produce long-lived Nebbiolo as in the past”

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IN BREVE
  • Barolo is changing due to climate change, with more delicate grapes and adapted winemaking practices.
  • Maurizio Anselma of the Famiglia Anselma winery emphasizes the importance of maintaining Barolo’s identity, even with balanced and elegant wines.
  • Vineyard management is evolving, with more shading and attention to the health of plants under severe climate stress.
  • New vintages, such as 2022 and 2023, promise refined Barolos, but the challenge is maintaining aging potential.
  • The Famiglia Anselma range also includes a Langhe Nebbiolo designed to introduce the territory: a calling card for the Langhe style.

Barolo is changing. Not by market choice. But by necessity. This is according to Maurizio Anselma, owner of the Famiglia Anselma di Barolo winery, who has been observing the effects of climate on Langhe viticulture for years. Higher temperatures, varying vintages, and more delicate grapes are pushing producers to review agronomic practices and winemaking techniques. The goal, according to Anselma, is to maintain Barolo’s identity and its aging potential, but with a style that is more balanced and consistent with the new climate conditions.

BAROLO AND CLIMATE CHANGE: MORE DELICATE GRAPES AND NEW BALANCES

“After 2021,” Anselma explains, “we are getting much more delicate grapes. This means that the aging process must also adapt.” The change mainly concerns the structure of the Nebbiolo. The grapes have less robust tannins than in the past and require more attention during the winemaking phase. For this reason, some traditional practices are being revised.

“Less maceration is needed. Even a few days less can make a difference,” explains the producer. “Much more attention must be paid to the time spent in wood and the size of the barrels.” According to Maurizio Anselma, the main risk is overpowering the wine with oak. “It will be easy to tell if a producer has worked well or not: when the wood dominates and you can no longer sense the fruit and tannin, it means something didn’t work.”

FROM SUN TO PROTECTION: HOW WORK IN THE VINEYARD IS CHANGING

The change doesn’t just involve the cellar. Work in the vineyard is also transforming. “Once we looked for the sun. Today we have to protect the grapes from the sun,” observes Anselma. Canopy management therefore becomes central. More leaves, greater shading, and a more significant presence of grass between the rows to preserve soil moisture. These are all choices aimed at limiting the water and thermal stress of the plants.

According to the owner of Famiglia Anselma, in recent years the vineyards have been experiencing “unprecedented pressure.” “Heat, drought, and increasingly confused seasons,” he specifies, “are putting the plants under stress. And the worst consequence is that many vines are dying.”

Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe
Barolo, the end of an era? “It’s difficult to produce long-lived Nebbiolo as in the past”. Interview with Maurizio Anselma of Famiglia Anselma
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe (3)
Barolo, the end of an era? “It’s difficult to produce long-lived Nebbiolo as in the past”. Interview with Maurizio Anselma of Famiglia Anselma
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe (4)
Barolo, the end of an era? “It’s difficult to produce long-lived Nebbiolo as in the past”. Interview with Maurizio Anselma of Famiglia Anselma
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe (5)
Barolo, the end of an era? “It’s difficult to produce long-lived Nebbiolo as in the past”. Interview with Maurizio Anselma of Famiglia Anselma
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe (3)
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe (4)
Barolo, fine di un'era «Difficile produrre Nebbiolo longevo come in passato» maurizio anselma famiglia anselma sul futuro del barolo e delle langhe (5)
MORE ELEGANT VINTAGES, BUT LONGEVITY REMAINS THE CHALLENGE

The positive side, according to Anselma, is that more recent vintages are producing finer and more elegant Barolos. “2022, 2023, and probably 2024 will yield very elegant and approachable wines,” he explains. But this evolution opens up a new challenge: aging potential. “It will be more difficult to produce wines with very long evolution. We will have to change our approach if we want to keep the Barolo life curve as long as possible.”

Anselma cites the 1997 vintage as an example of a Barolo capable of withstanding time. “When I open a bottle from ’97, often nothing else needs to be said. It is proof of what longevity means.” The future, according to the producer, does not involve giving up this identity. “We will continue to produce age-worthy wines, but we must adapt.”

COOLER EXPOSURES BECOME STRATEGIC

The choice of vineyards is also taking on an increasingly important role. The case of Famiglia Anselma’s Barolo Bricco San Pietro Vigna Bettola is emblematic. It is a vineyard with an East North-East exposure.

“Today,” Maurizio Anselma emphasizes, “many Barolo excellences can also come from cooler exposures. These are vineyards that allow for the maintenance of balance and freshness.” In a warmer climate context, sites traditionally considered “cold” thus become fundamental resources for preserving Nebbiolo’s identity. However, the North slope remains closed off, despite pressure from some producers during 2024.

Barolo e Barbaresco blindati: no a versante Nord e imbottigliamento all’estero
LANGHE NEBBIOLO: THE “LITTLE BAROLO” TO BRING CONSUMERS CLOSER

Alongside the Barolos, the Famiglia Anselma winery also offers a Langhe Nebbiolo designed as an introduction to the territory. “We call it a little Barolo,” says Anselma. “It comes from vineyards in Monforte and Serralunga,” explains the winery owner, “and it is a Nebbiolo still designed for aging.”

The wine matures for about a year in wood and continues aging in steel and bottle. The goal is to offer an accessible Nebbiolo that is representative of the Langhe style. “A way to bring people closer to the area without making everything too demanding,” explains the producer.

THE NEW TASTING CASE

Among the winery’s new releases is a new case available from January 2026. The project was created to tell the story of the territory through different interpretations of Nebbiolo and Barolo, allowing for both vertical and horizontal tastings across vineyards and vintages.

According to Anselma, the ideal journey to get to know the territory can start right from the Langhe Nebbiolo and continue with the winery’s various Barolos, up to the single-vineyard selections. A way to better understand the nuances of the Langhe and the transformations taking place in the territory’s symbolic wine.

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