AZIENDA AGRICOLA OLEK BONDONIO--BARBARESCO ITALY.

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Olek Bondonio began bottling his estate grown Grignolino, Barbera and Barbaresco in 2005. His first attempts were seemingly cut whole cloth from their place of origin and showed no signs of being made by an immature"wine grower." But just as the vintages change, so have the wines: each year his efforts render an ever more beautiful bottle of wine.

Mr. Bondonio achieves that rare dematerialization of form without sacrificing flavor, persistence and authenticity. Roses and red cherries, tar and pitch transport the drinker to a realm far removed from the garish wines of the "international style." The wines seem to have an intelligence and consumable dignity.

Name of producer: Olek Bondonio
Appellation: Barbaresco DOCG
Subregion: Roncagliette
Size of plot: 5800 square meter
Varietals: 100% Nebbiolo, Michet and Lampia clones
Age of vines: 52 years
Slope, exposure and altitude of plot: South, South-west at 279m
Soil type: Clay
Yield per hectare: 6000kg per hectare
Vine training system: Guyot
Hand harvesting: Yes
Yeast type, indigenous or selected: Indigenus, ambient yeast
Barrel size: 1500 liter
Type of wood: French Allier
Percentage of old or new wood: 6 year old casks. No new oak.
Time in barrel: 16 months on average
No fining or filtration
Name of agronomist and oenologist: Olek Bondonio