In 1920 Lorenzo Scavino began to vinify part of the grapes grown in his family's vineyards in Castiglione Falletto. Lorenzo's son, Alfonso, took the next step and began bottling and selling the wine created from their pristine terroir. Luigi's father, Lorenzo (Alfonso's son), began to export the wine. Today Luigi, together with his son Lorenzo, who represents the 5th generation of Azelia's history, oversee the production and marketing of this highly lauded cantina in the heart of the Langhe. Ionia Atlantic Imports is proud to represent Azelia in the midwest as a part of our diverse portfolio of Barolo producers.
In the Cantina...
While Luigi and Lorenzo feel that the most important work is in the vineyards, they also believe that scrupulous attention to detail in the cellar is a fundamental aspect of expressing the very best of what the vineyards give. While they respect tradition, the Scavino family is not averse to modern techniques that they believe ensure the highest quality in the bottle. When we discuss traditional versus modern producers in our portfolio, we often reference Cavallotto, also from Castiglione Falletto, as that most traditional of producers and a reference point for such wines. Azelia produces some of their Barolo in small French oak barrels and some in the traditional large casks (botti grandi) of Slovenian oak. Along with their judicious use of barriques, their utilization of roto-fermentation is an example of the employment of modern techniques, while the restrained use of oak in some of their wines (those aged in traditional botti grandi) exhibits an adherence to tradition. In short, Azelia believes in the use of modern techniques while respecting tradition in order to express the very best that their vineyards have to offer.
