Book Excerpt: Alessandro Masnaghetti’s Barolo MGA Vol. 1 – Third Edition

BY ALESSANDRO MASNAGHETTI | OCTOBER 04, 2023

In this excerpt from the third edition of his book Barolo MGA Vol. 1 - The Encyclopedia of the Great Vineyards of Barolo, Alessandro Masnaghetti shares some of his extraordinary research on the nuances and history of Barolo’s great vineyards. Beautifully illustrated, with dozens of detailed maps and graphs, the third edition is an essential resource for readers who love the great wines of Piedmont.

GATTERA

According to the local people and local history, the area known as Gattera covers both sides of the hill with the famous Lebanese cedar tree at the top, which for more than a hundred years has been associated with the Barolo hills and their image more than anything else.

The west-facing side, with its gentler slopes and deep, evolved soils, now falls within the Annunziata MGA and is known for the quality of its Dolcetto. The opposite slope faces the direction of Castiglione Falletto and falls instead in the Gattera MGA. It was mentioned on Renato Ratti’s map under two different names: Le Turnote, to the left of the Cordero di Montezemolo winery, and Monfalletto, which refers to the hill with the Lebanese cedar on it and the south-facing slope immediately below the road, also known as Turna Lunga.