When Lorenzo Accomasso was a young winemaker in the 1950s, the idea of single-vineyard or cru Barolos was just being born. The great majority of Barolos were still a blend of vineyards and villages. But within twenty years, terroir-based Barolo had become the norm. 

That put Lorenzo on the front lines of that revolution, and he adopted the idea of terroir effortlessly. As early as 1967 he was making Barolo from a single site, Rocchette. 

Ironically, little is ever written about Lorenzo's vineyards and the Barolos he makes from them. That has undoubtedly been rooted in his reluctance to get too specific about his wines, though with the recent release of Levi Dalton's priceless podcast on Accomasso, that's sure to change.

All of our past Accomasso offers have been a mixture of cru and blended Barolos. That makes this offer, which focuses exclusively on Annunziata, a first for us (and perhaps any U.S. merchant).

The wine itself is one particularly close to Accomasso's heart, having originally been labeled Le Mie Vigne ("My Vineyard"). The vines are right next to his house on the border between the Annunziata and Rocche dell'Annunziata MGAs. Included in our $795 vertical are a bottle each of:

2011 Barolo Annunziata Riserva
2012 Barolo Annunziata
2013 Barolo Annunziata Riserva

Lorenzo's Vines

All of Accomasso's vines are clustered around the hamlet of Annunziata on the east side of La Morra, and all are close to his winery.

He owns a beautiful but small south-facing parcel in Rocche dell'Annunziata, just separated by some trees from Cantina Bartolo Mascarello's much larger parcel. Also within Rocche is his iconic Rocchette, a superb south-facing site also within the Rocche dell'Annunziata MGA.

His other vines are outside of the Rocche dell'Annunziata MGA, but still quite close. First, there are east-facing vines in Rocchettevino, just north of his winery. To our knowledge, it's never bottled on its own, but is rather used in blends, like his Barolo and Barolo Riserva.

Finally, there are his vines within the Annunziata MGA, and just across a narrow road from the beginning of the Rocche Dell'Annunziata MGA. Accomasso has owned these vines for more than 50 years.

The Accomasso Barolo Lineup

From these vineyards, he produces four different Barolos, which can be designated with or without the word "Riserva," depending on how late he chooses to release the wine. They are:

Barolo and Barolo Riserva — A blend of any or all of his sites, including Rocchettevino.

Annunziata and Annunziata Riserva — The Barolo that comes from the vines next to his house, and that used to be labeled Le Mie Vigne ("My Vineyard"). According to Levi's podcast, Accomasso calls it a "grower's wine," and he's clearly annoyed that he's prohibited under current rules from calling it "Le Mie Vigne."

Rocche Dell'Annunziata and Rocche Dell'Annunziata Riserva —  From the vines in Rocche next to Cantina Bartolo Mascarello's holdings.

Rocchette and Rocchette Riserva — From the Rocchette parcel that lies just west of the village of Annunziata, within the Rocche Dell'Annunziata MGA. 

He sells 90% of his production to visitors to his cellar. But having visited his cantina a number of times, we can attest that it's getting harder and harder to buy bottles from him. The last time we visited, we only got a mixed 6-pack after nearly a half hour of negotiation. If you are deemed worthy, and he sells to you at all, you'll pay the same price no matter what Barolo he sells you!

This Offer

Though we've occasionally gotten a handful of bottles from Lorenzo, we've largely had to depend on friends (or friends of friends) who've been visiting Accomasso for years. And this year was no different. Fortunately, some bottles of the just-released, and long-awaited, 2013 Annunziata Riserva were included in this bounty. That allows us to offer today's three-vintage Annunziata vertical.

We doubt you could find all three elsewhere. And if you could, you would almost certainly pay more than our $795 price.

To learn more about Accomasso, read our profile.