Perla Terra Barolo, Piemonte, Italy 2021
Perla Terra is a label conceived by Brian Larky and Scott Ades, co-owners of Dalla Terra Winery Direct, the California-based Italian wine importer founded by Larky in 1990. Larky's immersion in Italian wine began in 1985 when he spent five years as a winemaker at Ca' del Bosco in Franciacorta, before pivoting to become an importer. For decades, Dalla Terra has represented some of Piedmont's most celebrated estates; Perla Terra was created to offer an importer-curated, multi-commune Barolo at an accessible price point. Grapes are sourced from small growers across a broad range of Barolo's eleven communes, vinified separately by cru, and the final blend is selected by Larky and Ades. The project is built on Dalla Terra's longstanding relationships with growers across the appellation and its accumulated knowledge of the region's diverse terroirs.
- WINEMAKER: Andrea Morra
- FARMING: Sustainable. Fruit sourced from multiple growers across the Barolo DOCG; average vine age approximately 20 years. Trained to Guyot.
- VARIETY: 100% Nebbiolo
- TERROIR: Vineyards span ten of the eleven Barolo communes: La Morra, Novello, Monforte d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Verduno, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo, Diano d'Alba, and Cerasco, at an average elevation of 300 masl. Soils vary by commune, ranging from the Tortonian calcareous marls associated with La Morra and Barolo (yielding aromatic, earlier-maturing wines) to the harder Helvetian sandstone and clay of Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto (producing more structured, long-lived expressions). Each cru lot is vinified separately, with the final blend selected to achieve a balanced, representative Barolo. The 2021 growing season was characterized by a cool, wet spring, a warm and dry summer with excellent fruit set, and a long, even ripening period through harvest. The vintage is widely praised for its balance, freshness, and classic aromatic precision, with firm but fine-grained tannins across the appellation.
- VINIFICATION: Destemming and crushing in a protected atmosphere. Partial native, partial selected yeast fermentation. Malolactic fermentation completed. Microfiltered prior to bottling.
- AGING: 36 months total; 18 months in a combination of new French oak (27%), used 50hL barrels (22%), used tonneaux (10%), used 25hL barrels (15%), and old 50/20hL barrels (26%). Followed by 6 months bottle aging. Production: 20,000 bottles.
- TASTING NOTES: The nose offers layered aromas of red fruits, dried roses, and subtle earth, with notes of cherry, chocolate, and leather emerging with air. The palate is structured and balanced, with the characteristic firm tannins and high acidity of Nebbiolo integrated across the multi-commune blend. The finish is long and savory.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Brasato al Barolo, roasted lamb, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, truffle dishes, wild mushroom risotto.
Perla Terra Barolo, Piemonte, Italy 2021
Perla Terra is a label conceived by Brian Larky and Scott Ades, co-owners of Dalla Terra Winery Direct, the California-based Italian wine importer founded by Larky in 1990. Larky's immersion in Italian wine began in 1985 when he spent five years as a winemaker at Ca' del Bosco in Franciacorta, before pivoting to become an importer. For decades, Dalla Terra has represented some of Piedmont's most celebrated estates; Perla Terra was created to offer an importer-curated, multi-commune Barolo at an accessible price point. Grapes are sourced from small growers across a broad range of Barolo's eleven communes, vinified separately by cru, and the final blend is selected by Larky and Ades. The project is built on Dalla Terra's longstanding relationships with growers across the appellation and its accumulated knowledge of the region's diverse terroirs.
- WINEMAKER: Andrea Morra
- FARMING: Sustainable. Fruit sourced from multiple growers across the Barolo DOCG; average vine age approximately 20 years. Trained to Guyot.
- VARIETY: 100% Nebbiolo
- TERROIR: Vineyards span ten of the eleven Barolo communes: La Morra, Novello, Monforte d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Verduno, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo, Diano d'Alba, and Cerasco, at an average elevation of 300 masl. Soils vary by commune, ranging from the Tortonian calcareous marls associated with La Morra and Barolo (yielding aromatic, earlier-maturing wines) to the harder Helvetian sandstone and clay of Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto (producing more structured, long-lived expressions). Each cru lot is vinified separately, with the final blend selected to achieve a balanced, representative Barolo. The 2021 growing season was characterized by a cool, wet spring, a warm and dry summer with excellent fruit set, and a long, even ripening period through harvest. The vintage is widely praised for its balance, freshness, and classic aromatic precision, with firm but fine-grained tannins across the appellation.
- VINIFICATION: Destemming and crushing in a protected atmosphere. Partial native, partial selected yeast fermentation. Malolactic fermentation completed. Microfiltered prior to bottling.
- AGING: 36 months total; 18 months in a combination of new French oak (27%), used 50hL barrels (22%), used tonneaux (10%), used 25hL barrels (15%), and old 50/20hL barrels (26%). Followed by 6 months bottle aging. Production: 20,000 bottles.
- TASTING NOTES: The nose offers layered aromas of red fruits, dried roses, and subtle earth, with notes of cherry, chocolate, and leather emerging with air. The palate is structured and balanced, with the characteristic firm tannins and high acidity of Nebbiolo integrated across the multi-commune blend. The finish is long and savory.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Brasato al Barolo, roasted lamb, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, truffle dishes, wild mushroom risotto.