From the medieval tower of La Morra, the hills of the Langhe unfold as a continuous pattern of Nebbiolo vineyards, castles and villages, the landscape that gives Barolo its name and its terroir, recognised by UNESCO as a cultural site in 2014.
At a glance
La Morra sits at the centre of the Barolo production zone, on the higher hills above the Tanaro valley, where the vineyards rise clear of the autumn fog that settles over the plain. Its belvedere, beside the medieval tower, is one of the recognised viewpoints over the Barolo vineyards.
The wider landscape inscribed by UNESCO in 2014 groups the Langhe, the Monferrato and the Roero into six cultural landscape systems, each tied to a different wine and a different soil. La Morra belongs to the Langhe system, whose two main soil types, the Tortonian marls around La Morra itself and the Helvetian marls further east around Serralunga, are said to produce noticeably different styles of Barolo.
Key facts
- Location: La Morra, province of Cuneo, Piedmont
- Landscape: part of the Langhe-Monferrato-Roero wine landscape, inscribed by UNESCO in 2014 under reference 1390
- Wine: Barolo DOCG, made exclusively from Nebbiolo grapes grown in nine communes including La Morra
- Landmark: the medieval tower of La Morra, dating from the 13th century, now a public viewpoint
- Regional produce: the white truffle of Alba, Tuber magnatum Pico, gathered in the same hills
History
The Nebbiolo grape has documented roots in this area going back to 1268, when it appears as “uva nebbiola” in a notarial act connected to the Rivoli castle near Turin. Its name is generally linked to the autumn fog, the nebbia, that rises from the Po plain and fills the Tanaro valley each October, while the hilltop vineyards of La Morra stand clear of it and ripen in sunlight.
Barolo as a dry wine is traditionally said to date from 1843, when the French oenologist Louis Oudart applied French winemaking methods to Nebbiolo at the invitation of the Marchesa Giulia Falletti di Barolo, working for the House of Savoy. Before this, local Nebbiolo wine was typically sweet and unstable, unsuited to travel or ageing.
In 2014 UNESCO inscribed the wider Langhe-Monferrato-Roero landscape, citing the seven centuries of continuity between vine, castle and village visible across the six recognised landscape systems, of which La Morra and the Langhe form one.
What you see
From La Morra’s belvedere, next to the medieval tower, the view takes in the Barolo vineyards spread across the surrounding hills, with the different soil types and their associated vineyard crus, known locally as MGA, laid out below. The village itself sits at a notable height above the valley, giving it the reputation of offering the best overall view of the Barolo production area.
Nearby, the village of Barolo has its own castle, home to the Museo del Vino di Barolo, a museum tracing the history of the wine through objects, winemaking tools and sensory displays. In La Morra, the Enoteca Comunale offers tastings drawn from across the recognised Barolo vineyard crus.
Practical information
- Enoteca Comunale di La Morra: tastings of wines from the Barolo MGA vineyards, in Piazza Castello; check current opening days and tasting arrangements with the enoteca directly
- Museo del Vino di Barolo (WiMu): housed in the Castello di Barolo in the neighbouring village; consult the museum’s own channels for current hours and admission
- Truffle market: the Alba white truffle market runs seasonally, from October to January, in Piazza Risorgimento, Alba, and is regulated by the Ente Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba
Getting there
La Morra lies among the Langhe hills a short drive from Alba, the main town of the area, with Cuneo and Turin further afield as regional reference points. Visitors typically arrive by car, given the rural, hilltop nature of the vineyard roads connecting La Morra to Barolo, Alba and the other wine villages.
Nearby
- Barolo — a short distance away, with its castle and wine museum
- Alba — the main town of the Langhe, with its medieval centre and the autumn truffle market
- Barbaresco — another Nebbiolo wine village within the wider UNESCO landscape
- Serralunga d’Alba — associated with the more structured, tannic style of Barolo grown on Helvetian soils
Sources
- UNESCO (World Heritage inscription, reference 1390)
- Ente Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba
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