The Communes of Barolo and Barbaresco

We understand that many Justerini & Brooks customers are fully au fait with the intricacies of the Piedmont’s two principal wine regions; Barolo and Barbaresco, but for those less familiar, or perhaps just in need of a refresher, we provide here a summary of the key communes in both regions. When one considers the diversity of soil, elevation, aspect and micro-climate across the Langhe, even before the complexities of vine age, clonal variation, training methods and winemaking technique, it becomes ever-clearer that the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco comprise some of the most terroir-driven of any wine region in the world. 

In the context of noteworthy single cru Barolo and Barbaresco, the likes of which are represented in our offer today, a little insight into the broad characteristics of each commune may help to narrow down a selection of wines that will appeal to your personal tastes. To the connoisseurs, we hope that a simple overview might tempt a move into new areas, or some lesser-known crus, in the pursuit of diverse and contemporary Barolo and Barbaresco collections.

For your convenience, we have also included a summary of the single crus we offer from each commune. While there are a total of eleven approved communes in the DOCG Barolo appellation, we have opted to focus only on the most prominent six. Not included are Roddi, Grinzane Cavour, Novello (home to Ravera – an increasingly famous single vineyard), Cherasco and Diano d’Alba. In Barbaresco we have opted not to include San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.