Barolo en primeur continues to grow: the charity auction, promoted by Fondazione CRC Donare ETS and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo in collaboration with the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, sets a new record by raising 987,000 euros which will be donated to charitable purposes. After 666,000 euros in 2021, 834,000 euros in 2022 and 877,000 euros in 2023, in four years the auction thus reaches an overall result of 3,358,000 euros.
Barolo and Barbaresco from the 2023 harvest went to auction: 14 barriques of approximately 200 liters of Barolo Vigna Gustava, vinified by the oenologist Donato Lanati separately based on the parceling of the vineyard, distinguished by the commentary of the world-famous wine critic and CEO of Vinous Antonio Galloni and which will each give life to 270 bottles; and 10 municipal lots, which have collected under the municipality of origin 1,229 bottles donated by over 80 wineries of the Consortium, divided between 938 bottles of 0.75 liters, 243 magnums and 48 double magnums, for a total of 1,212 liters; and finally the Tonneau del Presidente of over 400 liters, which will produce 540 bottles.
Now one of the most prestigious and important Italian charity projects, the Barolo en primeur auction was held at the Grinzane Cavour Castle, live from Christie’s New York and 67 Pall Mall in London. The bids, also offered online on the Auction Collective platform, came from Italy, the US and England, Canada and China, all hammered by the gavel of Christie’s Italy director Cristiano De Lorenzo.
Added to this result will be the proceeds from the lot paired with the fifteenth barrique, which will be auctioned on November 10 at the Alba White Truffle World Auction, again at the Grinzane Cavour Castle in live streaming with Hong Kong, which will be donated to the international charity Mother’s Choice, which has been working since 1987 to help orphaned children and young mothers in difficulty.
All the bottles, made unique also by the label reproducing the work “Broken Token”, by the Scottish artist Susan Philipsz, will be delivered to the new owners when the refinement time foreseen for this purpose has ended: 38 months for the Barolo and 26 months for the Barbaresco starting from November 1st of the year in which the grapes were produced.
The proceeds from the auction will instead be immediately donated to the charitable projects associated with the lots, which include the restoration of historic buildings, cultural initiatives, promotion of art, education of the youngest, help for people with disabilities, medical research, growth of the welfare system, assistance for mothers in difficulty. The proceeds from the municipal lots will instead go to support the infrastructure and educational innovation of the Alba Wine School and other local institutions, so as to increasingly strengthen the bond with the territory that produces this precious wine.
