Giulia Negri

The place before the modern estate

The story attached to Serradenari begins with the origin of its name. From around 1400, people fleeing plague are said to have climbed to the highest, mountain-wind-swept point of the Barolo area in search of cleaner air, hiding the few coins they carried there. This tradition connects the locality with the old form Sara' 'Dne.

Large millstones still emerge from the woods of Serradenari. These objects are presented as another possible clue to the name of the surrounding locality.

The Diatto-Negri period

The Negri family's connection with the Langhe is traced to the 19th century, while the Serradenari lands are specifically associated with the Diatto-Negri family from 1880. The Diatto were active not only in the automotive industry in Turin and in electric tramways in France, but also in wine. Their early bottles from La Morra were exported to the United States.

Reorganization in 2001

Giovanni Negri reorganized the historic Serradenari farm in 2001. A parliamentarian and writer, he replanted its vineyards while preserving the truffle woodland. The combination of vines, historic woods and white-truffle habitat remained central to the identity of the property.

Giulia Negri

Giulia Negri was born in Palermo, grew up in Rome, studied in Milan and subsequently returned to Piemonte. As a young producer, she wanted to make wine on her own terms and was attracted to the independent, small-production outlook of her garagiste friends. She concentrated her work on Serradenari, its vineyards and a supporting team, with the freedom to revise decisions in both vineyard and cellar while remaining closely connected to the history of Barolo and her family.

Giulia now conducts the estate on the same Serradenari land associated with the Diatto-Negri family since 1880. Her work developed under the identity “Barologirl,” which began playfully and evolved into a philosophy of exploration, independence and continuous reassessment.

Serradenari occupies the highest ground of the Barolo area at La Morra, facing the Barolo hills in one direction and the broad arc of Piemonte in the other. The panorama extends from the Maritime Alps to Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn. Mountain winds are a defining element in the estate's account of the site, while autumn fog envelops the vineyards and woodland.

The property's geological range is compressed into only about 100 metres of elevation. Rocky Conglomerati di La Morra occupy the highest ground, while the lower sector reaches the Marne di Sant'Agata, described as a fossil-rich ancient shore. Serradenari was once the peak of an island rising above the Golfo Padano; the sea withdrew over millions of years, leaving a small area containing geological formations from markedly different periods.

The vineyard descriptions span approximately 400–530 metres above sea level. Messinian soils include sandy-clay, clay-calcareous and sandy-loam textures, while Tortonian sectors include sandy-clay, silty-loam and clay-loam compositions. Limestone, calcareous marl, sand and both sub-acid and sub-alkaline or basic reactions distinguish individual sectors.

Vineyards and historic woodland share the property. The woods sustain biodiversity and the habitat of the Tartufo Bianco d'Alba, linking the vine and truffle environments within the same small territory.

Harvesting is carried out by hand throughout the current range.

The estate's broader land stewardship includes the preservation of Serradenari's historic truffle woodland alongside its replanted vineyards. The woods form an extensive arboreal and biodiverse habitat for the Tartufo Bianco d'Alba. The truffle area is treated as a fragile environment, with visits intended for individuals or small groups.

Giulia's vineyard philosophy allows decisions to change in response to soils, roots, seasons, winds and climate rather than follow fixed dogma. No specific organic, biodynamic or regenerative protocol is defined.

Fermentations across the current range are spontaneous. The cellar works with stainless steel, truncated-conical wooden vats and French-oak tonneaux as fermentation vessels. Red-wine macerations range from approximately 20 to 45 days where durations are defined.

Aging vessels include stainless steel; 60 hL truncated-conical vats; 25 hL Austrian-oak casks; and French-oak barriques and tonneaux of 228, 350 and 500 litres. The stated maturation periods span approximately 16–30 months, depending on the bottling.

The cellar approach is deliberately responsive to the vintage. Its central aim is to recognize the changing rhythm of each harvest and preserve the character formed by the earth, seasons and nature rather than impose an unchanging formula.

Giulia Negri presents “Barologirl” as an open-ended philosophy rather than a fixed formula. Its starting point is curiosity: travel to discover, continued research and an acceptance that making wine does not confer complete knowledge. Soils, roots, seasons, winds and climate provide the orientation.

Freedom to change previous choices is fundamental, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. This freedom is balanced by close fidelity to the history of Barolo and the Negri family's connection with the area, without fear of new ideas or deference to established dogma.

“Barologirl” is conceived as a horizontal revolution—a turning and reconsideration rather than a claim to final authority. It contrasts with the vertically framed mythology Giulia associates with the Baroloboys and their innovations in wine maturation and communication.

The garagiste metaphor further defines the approach. Wine is understood as an artwork or a musical composition whose score and instruments originate in the depth of the earth, the seasons and nature. Human work resembles conducting: tuning the instruments in the vineyard, recognizing the changing rhythm of each vintage, and safeguarding its developing harmonies in the cellar. Conditions may shift abruptly or gradually from year to year; the enduring objective is the pursuit of harmony.

Barolo occupies the centre of this work because Giulia views it as an artwork whose future remains to be written. Pinot Nero and Chardonnay express the same desire to continue searching beyond a single established path.