Barolo · Winery · Curated profile

Sylla Sebaste

Sylla Sebaste

Sylla Sebaste is a historic Barolo name from the Vergne hamlet that the Merlo family, entrepreneurs from Alba, bought in 2000. Fabrizio Merlo, who came from the electronics trade, replanted the vineyards and finished a new underground cellar in 2004. The estate works about 7 hectares, mostly Nebbiolo, in Bussia, San Pietro and Bricco delle Viole, the last a Barolo cru that sits beside the cellar and was first bottled with the 2012 vintage. A second site lies in Canale, and grapes from rented vineyards and trusted growers in the Roero widen the range to Arneis, Barbera, Dolcetto, Gavi and Moscato. Claudio Decasto is the consulting oenologist. Barolo is a village in the Langhe hills, part of the UNESCO-listed wine landscape, and its DOCG wines are made from Nebbiolo alone.

At a glance

Region
Barolo, Piemonte, Italy
Address
Via San Pietro 4, 12060 Barolo (CN)
Winemaker
Claudio Francesco Dacasto
Tours
Available
Tastings
Available
Wines listed
13
Website
https://syllasebaste.com/

Visits & tastings

Visits are guided by the family, through the cellar and, weather permitting, the vineyards, and they end with a tasting lunch. Book ahead with the Merlo family; the estate sits in the Vergne hamlet of Barolo.

Tastings

  • Wine tasting with lunch menu · 4 wines (Arneis, Dolcetto, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo) · trio of starters, plin ravioli, pot roast, bunet · €45 per person

Tours

  • Guided cellar tour · fermentation tanks, racking area, barrel ageing, bottling · vineyards on request · included with every tasting

Food & stay

  • Lunch in the cellar from May to November, at the Bricco delle Viole restaurant in winter
  • Wines can be bought at the cellar and shipped home by UPS in two working days

Good to know

  • Reservation required; themed visits can be arranged beforehand
  • Italian and English
  • Groups of 50 to 80 people welcome, with parking for 3 buses and 20 to 30 cars
  • Pets allowed
  • Cash, major credit cards, Bancomat and PayPal accepted

Contact

Wines from Sylla Sebaste

  • Barbera d'Alba: Barbera d'Alba DOC, Barbera 100%, Red. Full-bodied Barbera d'Alba aged 24 months in large oak barrels.
  • Barbera d'Asti: Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Barbera 100%, Red. Barbera d'Asti from a vineyard in the Costigliole d'Asti area, made and aged in stainless steel.
  • Barolo: Barolo DOCG, Nebbiolo 100%, Red. The estate's classic Barolo, 100% Nebbiolo aged 36 months in large oak barrels. About 6,000 bottles are made.
  • Barolo San Pietro 2013: Barolo, Various, Red. A new cru that is currently aging in tonneaux and will be released on the market in 2017.
  • Bricco delle Viole: Barolo DOCG, Nebbiolo 100%, Red. Cru Barolo from the Bricco delle Viole vineyard next to the winery, first made with the 2012 vintage. It is cryomacerated before fermentation and made only in the best years.
  • Brut La Sylla: Vino Spumante Metodo Classico, Erbaluce 60%, Nebbiolo 40%, Sparkling. Classic-method sparkling wine, offered as an aperitif.
  • Bussia: Barolo DOCG, Nebbiolo 100%, Red. Single-vineyard Barolo from Bussia, aged 36 months in large oak barrels. The site notes an ageing potential of 12 to 15 years.
  • Dolcetto d'Alba: Dolcetto d'Alba DOC, Dolcetto 100%, Red. Dolcetto d'Alba made and aged in stainless steel, with about 5,000 bottles produced.
  • Gavi del Comune di Gavi: Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG, Cortese 100%, White. Gavi from Cortese, made and aged in stainless steel and best drunk within eight months of harvest.
  • Langhe Arneis: Langhe DOC Arneis, Arneis 100%, White. Arneis made and aged in stainless steel, about 8,000 bottles a year.
  • Langhe Nebbiolo: Langhe DOC Nebbiolo, Nebbiolo 100%, Red. A fresh, youthful Nebbiolo made to go with any dish, aged 10 months in large oak barrels.
  • Moscato d'Asti: Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Moscato 100%, Sweet. A sweet, low-alcohol Moscato d'Asti (5%) from Santo Stefano Belbo, to be drunk in its vintage year.
  • Syllabo: Langhe DOC Rosso, Nebbiolo 50%, Barbera 50%, Red. Langhe Rosso blending Nebbiolo and Barbera half and half, aged 12 months in large oak barrels.