The name Borgogno is connected to one of the oldest wine cellars in Piedmont: it was born in 1761 with Bartolomeo Borgogno. In 1848 he became the supplier of the boarding school for the sons of the officials of the House of Savoy army in Racconigi, with the first document produced on legal paper, still preciously kept, which attests to the company business and is of great importance in recent history. Since then, thanks to the top quality of the products offered, the name Borgogno became more and more famous and appreciated. Proof of this is the choice of his Barolo, in 1861, for the official dinner celebration of the Italian Unification, and in 1886 for the banquet in honour of Nicola II Romanov Czar of Russia, guest of the House of Savoy, during his official visit at the Castle of Racconigi.
The twenties
At the beginning of the twenties, under the direction of Cesare Borgogno, wine sales started to expand outside the national borders; however, it was at the end of World War II that the real development took place, with the acquisition of some of the most important overseas markets, such as Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and, above all, the USA, on top of the consolidation of the position already established in Europe.
From the fifties to the present
After the cellars were completely renovated between 1945 and 1959, Cesare Borgogno started in 1967 a new transformation programme in the organization of the company that assumes the current name "Giacomo Borgogno & Figli". After Cesare Borgogno passed away, management of the business moved to his nephews Ida and Franco Boschis (and later to their children Cesare and Giorgio), his valued collaborators. Today, Giacomo Borgogno & Figli is a fully developed company that, thanks to centuries-old experience, harmoniously combines tradition and technological innovation in order to always guarantee top quality in its products.
Barolo: the heart of production of the homonymous wine, a small village for one of the greatest wines in the world. Here, the wine growing tradition shows in every moment of the life of men and things. The rich land has shown its vocation for centuries; the calcareous and clay-rich soil, the particularly good exposure, the right altitude and the favourable climate, all these elements perfectly combine and make this area the ideal place for the most prestigious and demanding vineyards.
However, nature alone is not enough: wine growing is a complex practice that requires the careful and patient work of man, it is a precious art through which every year the miracle of the birth of great wines is possible. The grapes, from which Barolo, Dolcetto d'Alba and Barbera d'Alba are produced, come from estate vineyards; after being carefully selected, they are brought to Borgogno cellars.
Borgogno Farms own approximately 20 hectares of vineyards, located among the best areas in Barolo, such as Cannubi, Liste, Fossati and San Pietro. The grape varieties grown are Nebbiolo (for Barolo) in the sub-varieties Michet, Lampia and Rosè, as well as Dolcetto and Barbera; when vines are planted, great attention is paid to the combination of location and land exposure with the varieties able to take greatest advantage from these characteristics.
In the heart of the historic centre of the village, a step away from the Castle of Barolo, the Borgogno House rises from the foundations, with its own cellars excavated in the rock of the hill. Here, some of the most prestigious Piedmontese wines originate.
A careful, traditional vinification supported by modern equipment gives Barolo wine its richness and its structure, making it suitable for a long ageing while at the same time keeping its characteristics of freshness. It rests and refines in Slavonian oak barrels and in dark bottles, in a fresh and peaceful environment, under the constant and meticulous control of the experts.
For centuries, Borgogno House has been in the habit of bottling considerable amounts of Barolo wine of the best vintages and putting it aside for further refinement for at least ten years. This results in extraordinarily rounded and balanced wines that acquire precious and diversified fragrance tones.
Before being proposed to consumers, these bottles are checked one by one and decanted through a delicate but rapid manual operation that also allows elimination of sediments. In a corner of the cellar, visitors can see the old working equipment, proof of the long path travelled by the Borgogno House.