Azelia Wine: Styles, 10 Delicious Bottles, Prices (2024)

Azienda Agricola Azelia is a 100-year old Italian winery producing exquisite Barolo wines. 

The picturesque vineyard lies in the iconic Langhe region - an official UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Azelia wines are a beautiful expression of this unique terroir.

Let’s discover everything about Azelia, its history, wine styles, and winemaking. We’ll also explore the best Azelia wines you can buy in 2024 and an easy way to invest in fine wines.

A Quick Look at the Azelia Winery

Azienda Agricola Azelia is nestled in the Castiglione Falletto town in Piedmont, Italy. The wine estate is relatively small, with only 16 hectares of vineyards and an annual production of 85,000 bottles a year. 

Azelia’s primary wine is the Barolo, referred to as the ‘King of Wines.’ It also produces: 

• Dolcetto d’Alba
• Barbera d’Alba
• Langhe Nebbiolo 

Fun Fact: Azelia is named after a Langhe wildflower of the same name. This is because this Italian wine region already had many wine producers with the last name Scavino (name of the Azelia estate’s first patriarch.)

The Origin Story of Azelia

The Azelia estate was established in the 1920s by Cavalier Lorenzo Scavino. He started making wines from a small section of the estate vineyards.  

Later, his son Alfonso took over the family's vineyards. The winery then grew under the leadership of Alfonso's son, Lorenzo (named after Patriarch Lorenzo Scavino), who scaled up wine production for export.

In 1978, Azelia released the first single-vineyard Barolo wine from 40-year old vines of their Bricco Fiasco vineyard. In the following years, it released many vintage wines made from old vines of the San Rocca, Margheria, and Bricco Voghera vineyards.  

The current owner, Luigi Scavino (Lorenzo's son), continues the family winemaking tradition along with his wife, Lorella, and son, Lorenzo (named after Luigi's father.) Lorenzo represents the fifth generation of wine producers.

Fun Fact: A French chocolatier, Valrhona produces Azelia milk chocolate pistoles. Though they share the same name, these milk chocolate pistoles aren’t related to the Langhe winery.

Let’s explore the various vineyards of Azelia and the wine styles unique to each of them.

Azelia Vineyards and Wine Styles

The celebrated agronomist Nicola Algamante manages the family’s vineyards today. 

Throughout the growing season, his vineyard management team conducts soil analysis, plants cover crops, and uses organic fertilizers.

The nine estate vineyards include:

1. Bricco Voghera

This 1-hectare vineyard is situated in the Serralunga d’Alba village in Italy. It has 95-year old low-yielding vines and some cover crops.

The wine produced from this vineyard is Barolo Riserva Bricco Voghera.

This full-bodied Barolo wine undergoes five years each of barrel and bottle aging. Azelia releases about 3,500 bottles of this wine every year.   

2. San Rocco

San Rocco is the first vineyard that Azelia purchased in Serralunga d’Alba. 

The soil is clayey and calcareous, which contributes to the grapes’ flavor intensity. The primary grape grown here is Nebbiolo, and the average vine age is 55 years.

San Rocco produces grapes mainly for the Barolo DOCG wine. It is a complex wine with high alcohol content, high acidity, and strong tannins.

3. Bricco Fiasco

Bricco Fiasco is Azelia’s first Cru vineyard, spread over 1.5 hectares in Castiglione Falletto.

The Bricco Fiasco vines are 85-years old and yield Nebbiolo grapes in small concentrated bunches.

Its flagship wine is the full-bodied and velvety Barolo Bricco Fiasco. The white calcareous soil lends an elegant lift and a long finish to the wine. 

4. Punta

This is a south-facing vineyard situated on a hilltop in Castiglione Falletto. The 1-hectare plantation has white calcareous soil and produces the Barbera grape. The average vine age is 60 years.  

The major Punta wine is Barbera d’Alba which is highly acidic and light-bodied.

5. Bricco dell’Oriolo

This south-facing vineyard, at a height of 600 meters, is located in the Montelupo Albese commune. This altitude is ideal for growing Dolcetto grapes. 

The average vine age is 55 years. The sandy soil enhances the fruity and floral notes of the grapes. 

This vineyard produces grapes for the Azelia Dolcetto d’Alba wine. This wine is light-bodied with a high ABV (12.5%), low tannins, and mild acidity. It is best enjoyed young but it can also be aged for a few years.

6. Cerretta

Luigi purchased this 2.5-hectare vineyard in 2004. Some of the grapes from this vineyard are used in the Barolo Bricco Fiasco wine.

The rest of the grapes are used to make Barolo Cerretta. 

In 2020, to commemorate 100 years of the estate, Cerretta was vinified as a single-vineyard wine. The wine is well-structured with grainy tannins and balanced acidity.

7. Margheria 

This 1.9-hectare vineyard is located in Serralunga d’Alba and has 60-year old vines. The soil is clayey with tuffaceous marls which enrich the wine and render it more complex. 

The major wine is Barolo DOCG Margheria. It has well-structured tannins and mineral notes. It is full-bodied with moderate tannins, high acidity, and high alcohol content of 14% ABV.

8. Barolo

About 70% of this vineyard is situated in Castiglione Falletto while the rest is in Serralunga d’Alba. 

The white calcareous Castiglione soil enhances the wine flavor, while the clayey soil of Serralunga adds structure and body.

The average vine age is 50 years. 

This vineyard produces exceptional Barolo Classico wines similar in style to Barbaresco. The wine undergoes two years of barrique aging. This full-bodied wine has firm tannins, high acidity, and a long finish. 

9.  Langhe Nebbiolo

The 2.2-hectare Langhe Nebbiolo vineyard is spread across the villages of Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba. 

Its 20-year old Nebbiolo vines produce grapes for the exquisite Langhe DOC Nebbiolo wine.

This wine is the purest expression of the Nebbiolo grape and is acidic and zesty. Langhe Nebbiolo is aged in steel tanks instead of large casks. The wine is rich with well-structured tannins.

Let’s move on to how Azelia wine is made.

Azelia Winemaking

The vinification stage combines traditional processes (fermentation in old barrels or large casks) and modern techniques (new oak barrel fermentation.) 

The stages after harvesting are:

• Sorting: The hand-harvested fruit is sorted, destemmed, and crushed.
• Fermentation: Alcoholic fermentation with natural indigenous yeast takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. A mesh pushes the grape skins down to keep them in contact with the wine (submerged cap), which enhances flavor infusion.
• Aging: The wine aging and the type of barrel used depends on the grape variety:
• Barolo: Aged in oak barrels for 2-3 years
• Barbera d’Alba: Aged for 18 months in used barrique vessels 
• Dolcetto d’Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo: Aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks for 6-9 months.
• Bottling: The winery uses a monoblock bottling machine to bottle its wines. The Argon gas released cuts off all air contact and preserves the wine’s freshness and vitality. 
• Some wines are vegan-friendly since no animal products like casein (a milk byproduct), eggs, or honey are used during winemaking.

Tempted to own a bottle from this prized winery? 

Let’s look at the best Azelia wines you can buy in 2024.

8 Best Azelia Wines to Buy in 2024 (Taste and Prices)

Here we have our top eight picks of Azelia wines:

1. 1979 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Barolo Bricco Punta 

This vintage wine has a delightful nose of wild cherry and rose. It boasts a fruity palate with black currant, cherry, and licorice notes.

Price of 1979 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Barolo Bricco Punta: $207

2. 1999 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Fiasco 

Here we have a gorgeous single-vineyard wine with an aromatic nuance of red fruit and mushroom. It has an elegant flavor profile of dark fruit and roasted hazelnut notes.

Price of 1999 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Fiasco: $175

3. 1990 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Fiasco Riserva 

The 1990 Bricco Fiasco Riserva presents a fragrant nose of violets, rose, and licorice. It has a mineral flavor profile with notes of red fruit, wild cherry, chocolate, and white truffle. 

Price of 1990 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Fiasco Riserva: $174

4. 2007 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Voghera Brea Riserva 

Here we have a remarkable Azelia wine with firm tannins and fruit and coffee aromas. Its palate is dynamic with hints of chocolate, blackberry, and coffee.

Price of 2007 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Voghera Brea Riserva: $158

5. 2010 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Voghera Riserva 

This is a well-structured wine with an aromatic nuance of dark fruit and flavors of cherry, roasted hazelnut, and licorice. Pair this wine with a light fruity dessert or an ice cream.

Price of 2010 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Voghera Riserva: $152

6. 2006 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Margheria 

This wine offers sophisticated tasting notes of dark cherries, dried prunes, and spices. It is also suffused with addictive aromas of red fruit and earth.

Price of 2006 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Margheria: $152

7. 2001 Azelia di Luigi Scavino 'San Rocco' 

Here we have a ruby red wine with velvety tannins and cherry, fennel seed, and orange rind aromas. The flavor profile consists of red fruit, dried mushroom, and spice. 

Price of 2001 Azelia di Luigi Scavino 'San Rocco': $131

8. 2016 Azelia di Luigi Scavino 'Cerretta' Barolo DOCG 

This exceptional Piemonte wine exudes aromas of red flowers, cherries, currants, and truffles. It has velvety tannins like a Barbaresco and a smooth finish, offset by red fruit, plum, and prune flavors. It pairs well with desserts like gelato and ice cream.

Price of 2016 Azelia di Luigi Scavino 'Cerretta' Barolo DOCG: $128

Do these enchanting wines have long-term investment potential?

Investing in Azelia wine

The beautiful wines of Azelia have varied aging potential. While a Barolo Riserva or a Barolo DOCG can be aged for over 20 years, a Langhe Nebbiolo is best when drunk young.

Many Azelia wines have earned high scores (95+) from wine critics at Wine Advocate, Vinous, and Wine Spectator.

The Azelia wines have also shown incredible price appreciation over the years. For instance, between 2020 and 2021:

• The price of 1990 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Bricco Fiasco Riserva increased by 72%, from $100 to $172.
• The 2007 Azelia di Luigi Scavino Voghera Brea Riserva appreciated by over 36%, from $119 to $162.

In addition to the steady upswing in price year-on-year, Azelia wines have also had some exceptional auction results:

• At a Sotheby’s auction, a lot of 6 magnum bottles of the 2010 Barolo Azelia Bricco Fiasco Azelia Di Luigi Scavino was sold for $867.
• A 3-bottle lot of 2009 Azelia Barolo, Piedmont, was sold for $225 at the 2021 Wine Auction Room auction.
• An assorted 6-bottle lot of Luigi Scavino Azelia Barolo Margheria 2005, Luigi Scavino Azelia Barolo San Rocco 2005, and Luigi Scavino Azelia Barolo San Rocco 2006 was sold at a Waddingtons auction for $840 in March 2021.

Wondering how to get a hold of these delightful wines? 

Let Vinovest help you.

Buy Azelia and Other Collectible Wines Through Vinovest

Vinovest is an onlinewine investment platform that helps you build a portfolio of collectible wines that regularly outperform the market. Vinovest allows you to buy, store, and sell authentic wines from reputed wine brands.

How Does It Work?

1. Sign up with Vinovest.
2. Reveal your investment style by answering a quick questionnaire.
3. Maintain at least a $1,000 balance in your account.
4. Vinovest’s algorithm will find the best investment wines for your high-performance wine portfolio!

Why should you use Vinovest?

Benefits

There are many benefits:

1. Easy Buying and Selling Using AI-driven Technology

Vinovest’s AI-based platform makes it convenient to buy and sell wines like Azelia from all over the world. 

2. Best Prices

Vinovest only buys authentic wines directly from reputable winemakers, wine exchanges, and wine merchants. So, you get the best rates for all your favorite wines.

3. Curated Portfolio by an Expert Wine Advisory Team

Vinovest’s expert team of sommeliers and data scientists will help you build a high-performing fine wine portfolio.

4. Authenticity and Provenance 

Every wine you buy through Vinovest is authentic as they trace the provenance of each bottle even before you buy.

5. Optimal Storage

Vinovest stores all your exquisite wines in secure, bonded warehouses. The storage facilities always maintain optimal temperature, humidity, light, and vibration levels. 

6. Comprehensive Insurance and Security

Vinovest offers you a complete insurance policy at market price. The warehouses are equipped with 24/7 security cameras that watch over your wine collection. 

7. Low Overall Costs

Vinovest charges you an annual fee of 2.5% (1.9% for portfolios over $50,000). This covers the costs of buying and selling wine, fraud detection, storage, insurance, and management of your portfolio. 

8. Tax Advantages

These superior wine storage facilities are available without excise duty or VAT costs, and the extra tax benefits are passed on to you.

Claim a Coveted Azelia Bottle for Your Collection Today

With extraordinary flavors and addictive aromas, Azelia holds its own among other collectible wines. It could easily be the star of your next house party - watch your guests fall in love with it!

If the investment potential of wines like Azelia excites you, don’t forget to sign up with Vinovest today.