Lorenzo Accomasso

History

Family foundations

Ginota, born in 1907, worked tirelessly among the vineyard rows alongside her son Lorenzo Accomasso. Lorenzo learned the estate’s long-maceration method from his father, Giovanni, who taught him to leave the wine on the skins for forty days or more. The family’s work was rooted in the practices associated with the 1960s: short pruning and the removal of still-green bunches during the hot afternoons of August.

The 1958 Barolo and the 1966 public debut

Lorenzo made his first public appearance as a producer in 1966, presenting a Barolo from the 1958 vintage during the village festivities in La Morra. His approach subsequently placed him among the early practitioners of vinificazione in selezione—selection-based vinification—in the Barolo area.

Lorenzo maintained the long maturation cycle inherited from Giovanni. Wines produced with macerations lasting forty days or more develop slowly, so the estate generally bottles them one year later than other local producers. The additional time is intended to allow the Barolo to acquire complexity and depth and prepare for extended ageing.

Continuity and a deliberately small scale

The winery remained deliberately small, with just over three hectares of vineyards close to the family home and cellar. Its vineyards lie within the MGAs Rocche dell’Annunziata and Annunziata di La Morra, while the cellar stands in the centre of Borgata Pozzo.

Lorenzo’s sister Elena received visitors at the estate until her death in 2016. In January 2023, Lorenzo marked 65 years of harvests. The business continues under family management, with Lorenzo working alongside Lorenzo Jr.

1907Ginota, Lorenzo Accomasso’s mother and later his vineyard co-worker, was born.

1958Lorenzo produced the Barolo vintage that he would present at his first public appearance.

1960sThe viticultural model followed by Lorenzo included short pruning and the removal of green bunches during the hot afternoons of August; he became an early practitioner of selection-based vinification.

1966Lorenzo made his first public appearance during the village festivities in La Morra, presenting his Barolo 1958.

2016Elena, Lorenzo’s sister and the family member responsible for welcoming visitors, died.

January 2023Lorenzo Accomasso celebrated 65 years of harvests.

PresentThe winery remains family-run, with Lorenzo assisted by Lorenzo Jr.; its vineyard holding remains just over three hectares.

Terroir

The winery and its vineyards are located in the La Morra commune. The cellar occupies the centre of Borgata Pozzo, in Frazione Annunziata, and the vineyards lie only a short distance from the house and cellar.

The holding is divided between two named MGAs: Rocche dell’Annunziata and Annunziata di La Morra.

Winemaking

Selection-based vinificationLorenzo Accomasso was among the early practitioners of vinificazione in selezione in the Barolo area.

Extended macerationMacerations last forty days or more, following the method taught by Lorenzo’s father, Giovanni.

Delayed bottlingThe wines are generally bottled one year later than those of other local producers to accommodate their slower maturation.

Lorenzo’s traditional viticultural model is tied to the practices of the 1960s, when vines were pruned short and still-green bunches were removed during the hot afternoons of August. These operations placed an early emphasis on selection and crop reduction before harvest.

Ginota worked alongside Lorenzo in the vineyard rows, reflecting the family labour behind the small holding. The vineyards remain close to the house and cellar and cover just over three hectares in total.

Selection is the defining principle of the estate’s production. Lorenzo Accomasso was among the early practitioners of vinificazione in selezione in the Barolo area.

The process includes macerations lasting forty days or more, following the method taught to Lorenzo by his father, Giovanni. Wines made through such extended maceration mature slowly. Consequently, the estate generally bottles its wines one year later than other producers in the area, giving the Barolo additional time to develop complexity and depth before release and supporting its capacity for long ageing.

Philosophy

The estate’s core values are passion for wine, respect for the land and fidelity to traditions passed from one generation to the next.

Lorenzo’s philosophy is to remain a small producer. In his view, expansion would require a faster pace that is incompatible with his decision to remain rooted at home and receive visitors there. He has consciously declined to follow modern wine-market trends, preserving methods connected to the 1960s and to the teachings of his father.

The small vineyard area, the proximity of the vines to the house and cellar, long macerations and later bottling all express this commitment to continuity, patience and a deliberately modest scale. The cellar itself is conceived as a simple place maintained in keeping with tradition.