The Barale family have in fact been at it for centuries and while they are amongst the first recorded producers of Barolo wine, from 1870, they appear in the village register of the early 1600s as owners of parts of some pretty familiar vineyard names; Coste di Rose, Cannubi, Castellero, and Preda. The current custodians, Sergio Barale and his daughters Eleonora and Gloria owe their heritage to the acquisition, over generations, of vineyards in not only Barolo comune, but also in Monforte d’Alba and Barbaresco. By the 1970s the family had brought more Cannubi and added Monrobiolo (in Barolo) and some Bussia (in Monforte) and into the 90s had virtually swapped their long-held Rabaja vineyard in Barbaresco for some Serraboella in Neive planted in 1969. All this covers only 20 ha, with Sergio tailoring his plantings almost precisely only to the best soil and aspect combinations. Virtually the whole of Cannubi was replanted at the end of the 2007 vintage, and although just back in production, it’s with startling results. Vineyards are everything to Barale