Ellena Giuseppe – a family winery in La Morra
The history of the Ellena family in La Morra goes back a long way. Francesco Ellena and his brother Giovanni first worked as mezzadri – sharecroppers – on various farms in La Morra. In 1966they purchased the current farm in Borgata Ascheri Sottani and viticulture became the family business's primary activity.
For a long period, the grapes were supplied to a cooperative. In 2009the family decided to make wine themselves once again, and part of the historic farm and the nineteenth-century cellar were restored. Today, multiple generations work together within the company. The estate covers approximately 15 hectares, of which about 5 hectares are vineyards. Ellena combines traditional viticulture with a modern, highly meticulous approach, featuring short pruning and multiple green harvests to keep yields low.
The taste of La Morra
Within the Barolo area, La Morra is mainly known for its aromatic finesse and elegant tannins. This 2021 Barolo clearly demonstrates this.
The nose is refined and distinct. Think of red raspberry, wild strawberry, pomegranate, and cherry, followed by rose petals, violets, sage, and tea. As the wine receives more air, nuances of orange peel, dried herbs, sweet spices, and earthy minerality emerge.
The palate also emphasizes elegance. Red fruits are combined with fresh acidity and fine, silky tannins. In the 2021, Wine Enthusiast tasted, among other things, raspberry, pomegranate, wild strawberry, roses, violets, sage, and Earl Grey, with cranberry, cinnamon, and fennel appearing later. This fits perfectly with the classic character of La Morra: fragrant and refined, but certainly not light or simple.
Vineyards and location
This Barolo is permitted to carry “del Comune di La Morra”on the label because all the Nebbiolo originates from the municipality of La Morra.
The vineyards are located at approximately 310 meters above sea leveland have a western to southwestern exposure. As a result, the grapes benefit primarily from the afternoon and evening sun, which promotes slow and complete ripening of the Nebbiolo.
Planting and age of the vines
An interesting detail of this wine is the significant age difference between the various Nebbiolo parcels. Ellena lists planting years from 1970 to 2002. In 2021, the oldest vines were therefore about fifty years old, while younger plantings are also part of the blend.
That combination can be particularly attractive: old vines typically yield smaller quantities of concentrated grapes, while younger vines can contribute fruit, liveliness, and freshness.
The maximum yield is approximately 60 quintals per hectare, or about 6,000 kg of grapes per hectare. Furthermore, the family works with short pruning and multiple thinning passes during the growing season to further manage yield and quality.
Soil: limestone and clay
The soil consists of calcareous clay. This is characteristic of key parts of La Morra and plays a major role in the style of the wine.
The clay helps retain moisture during dry periods and contributes to body and structure. The calcareous component helps the wine maintain its tension, freshness, and mineral character. This very combination contributes to the typical contrast that makes good La Morra-Barolo so interesting: ripe and seductive fruit, but at the same time fresh, structured, and refined.
2021 vintage
2021 is a very strong Barolo vintage.After a winter with good water reserves, spring frost followed, and then a hot and dry summer. However, the soil reserves and cooler nights helped the grapes maintain their freshness. September brought lower temperatures and favorable conditions for the final stage of ripening.
The resulting Nebbiolos combine ripe fruit with fresh acidity and distinct but ripe tannins. Vinous describes 2021 as a particularly consistent vintage with open aromas, ripe fruit, and refined tannins. Decanter emphasizes the combination of substance, ripe tannins, good acidity, and great aging potential.
When were the grapes picked?
For this Barolo, Ellena notes a harvest around mid-October. That is relatively late and fits perfectly with Nebbiolo, a grape that requires a long growing season to fully ripen both its aromas and tannins.
This is also in line with the general picture of 2021. In Barolo, the Nebbiolo harvest ran from late September well into October.
Winemaking process
This is where it gets interesting, as Ellena opts for a fairly traditional and slow vinification.
Alcoholic fermentation proceeds with natural, wild yeasts. Afterwards, the skins remain in contact with the wine for no less than 45 to 60 days. During approximately the first ten days, regular pigeages – punching down of the cap – are performed. The wine then transitions to a traditional cappello sommerso, where the grape skins remain submerged below the wine's surface for five to seven weeks.
This very long skin maceration is important for the style. There is no attempt to make a soft, immediately drinkable Barolo. The wine is given time to calmly extract color, aromas, tannins, and structure from the Nebbiolo skins. This produces a Barolo that can be serious when young, but can continue to refine further with bottle aging.
Maturation
After fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation followed by an aging process of approximately 30 months in a combination of barriques and larger wooden casks.
The choice of different cask sizes creates an interesting balance. The smaller wood can provide extra texture and roundness, while the larger casks give the characteristic aroma and taste of Nebbiolo more room to breathe.
The wine is then bottled unfilteredin the summer and receives another 9 to 12 months of bottle agingbefore it is sold.
Drink now or keep?
The 2021 has enough fruit to be attractive already, but the combination of fresh acidity, tannins, and long traditional maceration clearly gives it aging potential.
Anyone opening it now would do well to open or decant the wine one to two hours in advance. With further bottle aging, the primary aromas of cherry, raspberry, and flowers will gradually give way to more complex notes of dried roses, tobacco, leather, forest floor, spices, and possibly truffle.
A practical drinking period is approximately 2026–2040, where lovers of young, energetic Nebbiolo can start earlier and those who prefer developed Barolo can wait longer. This drinking window is an estimate based on the wine's structure and the quality of the vintage, not an official producer guarantee.
Serve at approximately 18°C, as Ellena itself advises.
Food pairings
Because of its elegant structure, this Barolo is versatile at the table. Dishes with sufficient savoriness pair particularly well with the tannins and acidity of Nebbiolo.
Think, for example, of brasato al Barolo, veal cheeks, ossobuco, lamb, porcini or truffle risotto, tajarin with ragùor pasta with mushrooms. The wine also excels with aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or mature pecorino. These combinations also align with the dishes recommended for the 2021 by specialized wine merchants.
Brief summary
The Ellena Giuseppe Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2021is a classic yet refined Barolo from an excellent vintage. Nebbiolo from calcareous clay soils, partly sourced from vines over fifty years old, undergoes a long maceration and approximately 30 months of wood aging. The result is an elegant Barolo full of raspberry, cherry, roses, spices, and fine tannins.
An excellent choice for the enthusiast looking in Barolo primarily for the elegance and aromatic finesse of La Morra, without missing the structure and aging potential of serious Nebbiolo.
