Hurtigruten Recovers Arctic-Aged Barolo for Norwegian Coast Ships
A comparative tasting led by Henrik Dahl Jahnsen found the underwater-aged wine brighter in colour, with fresher wild-fruit aromas and more pronounced tannins.
Hurtigruten has recovered 1,002 bottles of Barolo after storing them 34 metres beneath the Arctic Ocean for 12 months off Kirkenes, Norway. The resulting Arctic Barolo will be served exclusively across the cruise line’s ships operating on the Norwegian coast.
The project paired bottles exposed to cold, darkness and underwater pressure with the same wine kept in a land-based cellar. A comparative tasting found distinct differences in colour, aroma and tannin structure.
Underwater conditions produced a younger profile
Hurtigruten partnered with Italian winery Rivetto to submerge the bottles at 70° north. The wine remained at a near-constant temperature of approximately 5°C to 6°C, in complete darkness and under about four bar of pressure.
Henrik Dahl Jahnsen, president of the Norwegian Sommelier Association, led the first tasting after the bottles were raised. “The difference between the cellar-aged wine and the wine aged beneath Arctic waters was immediately apparent,” he said.
Jahnsen described the underwater-stored wine as having a brighter ruby colour and a fresher aromatic profile dominated by wild fruits and flowers. Its tannins were also fresher and more pronounced, giving it a younger character than the cellar bottle.
Rivetto produced the wine at its certified organic and biodynamic estate in Serralunga d’Alba. Before submersion, it underwent conventional maturation that included 24 months in large oak casks. Barolo DOCG rules require at least 38 months of aging before release, including a minimum of 18 months in wood.
“Taking one of Italy’s great wines and placing it in such conditions might sound bizarre, but that sense of curiosity is exactly what made the project so exciting,” said Tani Gurra, Hurtigruten’s front of house and beverage director.
Where the wine will be served
The wine will be available aboard Hurtigruten’s 10 ships on the Norwegian coast. Seven operate the Coastal Express. Three sail under the line’s premium Signature product.
The Coastal Express runs between Bergen and Kirkenes and visits 34 ports during the round trip. “Now our guests will be able to taste the result while sailing through the very same Arctic waters,” Gurra said.
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