OLEK BONDONIO
Barbaresco Roncagliette 2022 [1.5L]
Piedmont, Italy
Nebbiolo from a small parcel his family planted around sixty years ago in one of Barbaresco’s most famous crus, Roncagliette. The site is blessed with a southern exposure and a gentle slope of clay and limestone that lends structure and finesse. The grapes were macerated for two months before two years of rest in old casks, with a warmer year making for a compact, layered and powerful wine that will reward drinkers for many years to come.
Nebbiolo
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Olek Bondonio has become one of the most sought-after names in Barbaresco.
Olek grew up in the family’s farmhouse, ‘La Berchialla’, which sits amongst Barbaresco’s most famous crus and has been in his family for several centuries. After conquering Italy as a professional snowboarder, he turned his mind to wine, working in the Langhe and also abroad before returning home to look after the family’s vineyards.
Olek is lucky enough to tend some of the very best sites in Piedmont and does everything he can to make sure each wine speaks of this wonderful place. Today he farms close to seven hectares of vines, split up between Barbaresco’s Roncagliette and Starderi crus as well as parcels in Altavilla, Neive, and Catagnole delle Lanze, a famous vineyard high in the hills above Alba. Most recently, he has rented a small parcel of old vines in Verduno, from which he will produce his first Barolo, ‘San Lorenzo’.
In the vines, Olek farms organically and with a real hands-on approach, whilst in the cantina he works without fuss, exhibiting a patience beyond his years. The results are pure, deep and decidedly old-school expressions of Piedmont’s local grapes.