Charity Auction
Barolo en Primeur 2025
Info
The Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo (Fondazione CRC), in collaboration with the Fondazione CRC Donare ETS and the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, are proud to present ‘Barolo en primeur’.
The event takes the form of a charity fundraiser involving the auctioning of such exquisite wines as Barolo and Barbaresco still in the ageing stage.
Christie’s will preside over this noteworthy solidarity auction, which this year consists of twenty-three lots: fifteen of these are barriques of Barolo from the Cascina Gustava Vineyard, which is owned by the Fondazione CRC, while the remaining eight are communal lots composed of the finest bottles of Barolo and Barbaresco produced by winemakers belonging to the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani.
When the wine has completed the ageing process – in 2028 – about 270 bottles will be produced by each barrique. The bottling phase will be carefully supervised by the internationally renowned oenologist Dr Donato Lanati, while the bottles will bear a label created by an internationally recognised artist.
Over the years, the association between the Fondazione CRC and the winemakers of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani has developed into a solid, collaborative relationship: for this edition, the Consorzio will donate 672 0.75-litre bottles, 205 magnums (1.5 litres), 26 jeroboams (3 litres) and 4 rehoboams (5 litres), for a total of 909.5 litres.
The auction will take place on 24 October 2025 at the Grinzane Cavour Castle, with Cristiano de Lorenzo, managing director of Christie’s Italia, presiding as auctioneer. The event will be live streamed in both London and New York.
In addition, ‘Barolo en primeur 2025’ will avail itself of the priceless collaboration of renowned critic Antonio Galloni, who has tasted each of the fifteen barriques and given his verdict that these rare wines contain the essence of Barolo, and in particular of the Gustava Vineyard. Each of Galloni’s tasting notes not only describes the wine in the particular moment in which it is tasted, but also predicts its likely evolution.
THE GUSTAVA VINEYARD
The auction winners will come into possession of barriques of wine obtained from Barolo Nebbiolo grapes harvested in the historic Cascina Gustava Vineyard. The vineyard consists of nearly four hectares that extend along the slopes of the hill of Grinzane Cavour Castle, the same land which already produced grapes when the property belonged to Count Camillo Benso di Cavour. With the aim of producing high-quality Barolo in this historic vineyard, the Fondazione CRC – which has owned the property since 2019 – draws on the collaboration of Donato Lanati’s Laboratorio Enosis Meraviglia.
The Fondazione has entrusted the famed oenologist with supervision of the entire production process, from the ripening of the grapes to the vinification and the ageing phase following bottling. In addition, Donato Lanati has developed two instructional activities, which although serious in intent take the form of games: the first aims to allow participants to discover the aromas of the wines, the second to become familiar with their tastes and visual characteristics – of all the barriques in question.
PARTICIPATING IN THE AUCTION
All the procedures governing the Auction are given in the Regulations.
Written offers can also be made in the Auction by filling in and signing the appropriate form.
Interested persons may participate in the Auction by telephone by filling in and signing the appropriate form.
Interested persons may participate in the Auction in person by filling in and signing the appropriate form.
Terms and conditions governing the solidarity Auction
• All auctioned lots will be delivered in the spring of 2028, anywhere in the world without delivery charges
• All bottles of a lot will bear a label designed by an internationally known artist
• All labels will bear an anti-counterfeiting tag as well as a QR code that links to the tasting notes of wine critic Antonio Galloni
• All resources raised thanks to the Auction will be donated to charity, in favor of projects already identified or to be identified by the successful bidders; there are no commissions of any kind.
• All expenses for the Auction will be borne by the Fondazione CRC and the Fondazione CRC Donare ETS, with no exceptions