COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2024
GRAPE
Barbera
PRODUCER
Azienda Agricola Olek Bondonio
REGION
Piemonte
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Full
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Mid - Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Olek Bondonio is one of the most celebrated renegades of Barbaresco, Piedmont. After a successful career as a professional snowboarder, Olek returned to his roots to work his family's 200-year-old farmhouse, Cascina La Berchialla, which borders legendary vineyards. Operating with a strictly non-interventionist philosophy, Olek maintains a low-profile estate with no official website or tasting room, letting his wines speak for themselves. His Barbera d'Alba is sourced from the high-elevation Altavilla vineyard, home to extremely old vines that yield a wine of remarkable energy, tension, and pure drinkability.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
AVG. PRICE
€30
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
14-16°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Before becoming a cult winemaker in Barbaresco, Olek Bondonio was a champion professional snowboarder.
Fact 02
Olek's family farmhouse, Cascina La Berchialla, borders Angelo Gaja's iconic Sorì Tildìn vineyard.
Fact 03
His ancestor, General Guglielmo Como, was a key founding father of the legendary Produttori del Barbaresco cooperative.
Fact 04
The aging barrels sit on the bottom floor of Olek's farmhouse, in the exact space where cattle were historically kept.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process at Olek Bondonio is traditional and non-interventionist. Grapes are harvested manually from certified organic and biodynamically farmed old vines. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks using native yeasts. For the 2024 vintage, the wine underwent a two-week skin maceration before being gently pressed using a traditional manual basket press. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in stainless steel. The wine is then aged in large, traditional neutral wood casks (1,600-liter botti) for 8 to 10 months. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur dioxide added.
