The ties that bind the Oberto family to La Morra and the Barolo hills are long-standing. Theirs is a story rooted in a strong attachment to the land and nourished by renewed passion every day.
The Obertos are able to trace their links to this land back several centuries however it was from the 1950s that this family really began producing Barolo in earnest. Established by Luigi Oberto and his father Giovenale, who initially cultivated 2 ha. of Nebbiolo on the Bricco San Biagio hill as a cash crop to sell at the Alba market.
Luigi soon decided to produce his own wine, initially only producing a few thousand bottles a year. Slowly the family began acquiring more and more land, which they entirely dedicated to grape growing.
Today the Obertos possess 12 ha. and a modestly-sized winery. Situated on a hill overlooking their Nebbiolo vineyards, the winery boasts stunning views of peaks Cervino and Monte Rosa.
The name Ciabot Berton comes from a ruined building on their land in sight of the winery. This ‘ciabot’ (a Piemontese dialect word for small building that characterise the hilly landscape of the Langhe) was owned by a firework maker by the name of Berton. The ruin has no roof and is currently inhabited by the resident white cat. In honour of the somewhat hapless Berton, the Obertos have named their Barbera d’Alba “fisetta”, or firework.
Since the 1990s, recognising the quality and potential of their grapes, the family began vinifying each vineyard separately to capture the distinct nuances of their Nebbiolo. Marco Oberto, the current oenologist, has further enhanced the Oberto family’s reputation by crafting full-bodied yet elegant and well-balanced Barolos. These wines are known for their high quality and the structure needed to age gracefully.
Ciabot Berton has a traditional approach to winemaking, using open-concrete fermenters and plenty of time on skins. The Hill of La Morra is key here as the vineyards produce three distinct styles, from three separate elevations. Due to the steep nature of the terrain all work is done by hand and yields are kept very low.
INTRODUCING NEW LABELS
The elegant floral pattern of the new label echoes the frescoes that decorate the ceilings of the family farmhouse in Santa Maria with shoots of bignonia, a climbing plant that can be found throughout the Piedmont countryside, with
colourful flowers that have always brightened up the pergolas of farmhouses and country residences.
2019 Barolo DOCG Roggeri
The Roggeri cru, exposed to the south-east at an altitude of 300 m above sea level, extends from the Roggeri hamlet to their winery.
Four hectares of Nebbiolo are cultivated here and are divided into three parts, including their oldest vineyards, planted about 50 years ago. The age of the vineyards, along with deep, clayey soil, produces grapes that are very rich in polyphenols, which gives the ‘Barolo Roggeri’ its great structure, noble character and pronounced tannins.
Barolo Roggeri is a strong and steadfast, intense and elegant wine.
A powerful and harmonious palate with a dense and complex tannic structure. Pleasantly crisp and savoury, excellent with game, braised red meats and mature cheeses.
2021 Langhe Favorita DOC Alissa
A tangy and fragrant mineral wine, with aromas of white flowers and citrus fruit; A very smooth and balanced palate, a good accompaniment to Piedmontese cuisine in particular fish and shellfish.
2021 Langhe Rosato DOC
Le Macaline
Decisively fruity, fresh and harmonious character, with hints of red fruits, strawberries and spices.
2021 Barbera DOC d’Alba Fisetta
‘Firework’
“Ripe dark cherry and plums with a hint of chocolate. Suave and polished, with ripe cherry and raspberry on the palate. Good intensity and freshness, quite an intense finish with piquant fruit. Very smooth overall, with good length.”
Decanter
June 2023
2020 Barbera d’Alba DOC Bricco San Biagio Superiore
San Biagio hill stands opposite the winery with three hectares of vineyards exposed to the south and south-west. Much of this land is home to forty-year-old vineyards of Nebbiolo da Barolo.
The lightness of the soil, due to the presence of sandy veins, gives the wine a range of floral aromas, which come together in a Barolo of great elegance and finesse.
Next to the Nebbiolo vineyards there is a small plot of Barbera which measures about 0.3 hectares and was planted after the Second World War: the resulting wine is structured and concentrated.
2021 Langhe Nebbiolo DOC
‘3 Utin’
The 3Utin (3 vineyards) Nebbiolo is a fresh lighter style that leads with all the brightness and red-fruited qualities that La Morra offers. An ethereal and graceful wine, it captivates with its intense floral and spicy notes combined with a warm, dry and pleasant taste.
Fresh with flowers and fruit, it offers a bouquet with notes of violet and peony, opening up to sensations of currant, wild strawberry and cherry. A crisp and inviting palate is accompanied by fine tannins and an intensely pleasant mineral streak.
2018 Barolo DOCG
“Subtle notes of dried strawberries and raspberries with red licorice, dark cedar, dried flowers and orange peel. Full-bodied, firm and slightly chewy with compact tannins and vivid acidity. Lingering, racy finish.”
92 Points
James Suckling
2018 Barolo DOCG Rocchettevino
This vineyard was purchased by the Oberto family in the 2000’s and is mainly planted with Nebbiolo and partly with Dolcetto. the old vineyards, which are about thirty years old on average, produce austere and balsamic wines with excellent structure.
“Ripe dark cherries, hints of cassis, blue flowers, cocoa and moist bark. Firm and chalky with tight-grained, slightly chewy tannins and juicy acidity. Full body. Long and textural.”
94 Points
James Suckling
