Barolo 2021 – frost, hail and drought

Salvatore Alessandria of the Fratelli Alessandria estate in Verduno confessed to me last month that, unlike his father, he wasn't much in favour of hail nets. 'The nets are made of plastic and with the discussion on sustainability going on, it is very difficult to decide what to do. Everything is a compromise of what is necessary and what is sustainable.'

Alessandria thinks the nets are ugly, and I agree. But this year it turned out they helped to protect...