***Orders are subject to allocation***
Confirmation & Payment Mid-August
Delivery Late-September
All the 2022 Barolos + Friends
&
Including the 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà
Rabajà is an MGA that Vietti has a history with and with this first release it comes back into the fold!
The Prologue
Luca & Elena passed the baton to their longstanding vineyard and winery crew and have started a new chapter with Cascina Penna-Currado. Whilst at Vietti they stayed true to their convictions, and, history, acknowledging the wisdom of their family, and elder peers. While their Cru Barolos have brought them international fame, they have worked to protect patches of history for both their family and the region. Listen to Luca share his stories of retaining the Scarrone vineyard planted to Barbera when his father had planned to replant it to Nebbiolo, saving Arneis from being reconciled to a note in a wine book, and, more recently going back to Barbaresco, acquiring a parcel or Rabajà, and this becomes clear.
The drive for constant improvement continues with a parcel of Monvigliero now in the stables, whole bunch techniques are being applied with the help of Jeremy Seysses from Dujac. Meanwhile, Vietti started making Timorasso in 2018. Grapes for this white coming from vineyards located in Monleale in the Alessandria Province.
I tasted a wide range of wines at Vietti across multiple vintages. This is always one of my favorite tastings in Piedmont because Vietti makes wines from so many appellations. Like all producers, Vietti endured a very challenging year. The team led by Winemaker Eugenio Palumbo ultimately decided not to bottle the Brunate, Cerequio and Villero, three of the estate’s top selections. Yields were down by as much as 40% in other spots because of dehydration and meticulous sorting. The 2022s were done with gentle fermentations and saw a bit less time in oak than the norm. The resulting wines are among the finest of the vintage.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
A Little About Vietti
Back in 2005, I spent some time at Vietti. Their winery sits in the castle atop Castiglione Falletto. It’s walls broken by slit windows for archers to defend the grounds. The escape tunnel leading from the castle to the plains below had been filled in only a few years prior to my visit. Somehow they’ve managed to modernise aspects of the winery carving into the rock without collapsing the ancient buildings surrounding it.
One of my earlier experience of Vietti was at the Australian Wine Research Institutes Advanced Wine Assessment Course. A blind bracket of 9 Nebbiolo’s was presented, Vietti’s Perbacco from 1998 and Brunate from 1996. The Brunate was superb. My notes from the tasting read “Very complex, great harmony, texture, rich, long, very together, perfumed, incredible layers and vibrancy.” The Perbacco excellent, particularly at 1/8th the price. “Great purity, balance, and poise. Supple with an excellent core of fruit and lovely floral notes.”
In many ways, little has changed. Perbacco, typically declassified Barolo, is the wine to crack while you’re waiting for your Barolo to mature!
Vietti intrigues me. Some of the best Barolo I have devoured have come from their winery. Watching the wines evolve over time, both the same vintage and across vintages has been fascinating. Modern technology at times pierced the tradition. Last year a vertical tasting going back to 1982 was fascinating. It again highlighted my growing consensus that the drinking window for good Barolo, from great years, starts at around 10 years and is right in the zone between 15 and 20 years.
Whilst Vietti have always produced more structured wines, the wines have always shown harmony and balance. The difficult 2011 year was perhaps a sign of a maturity and wisdom in the winemaking. They guided the fruit to a state of great harmony and balance in that year, pulling back on the structural elements to produce wines that were drinking superbly in late 2016.
In the last couple of years, I have devoured many more Vietti wines including a 1996 Villero Riserva and 1997 Rocche di Castiglione. Both would be in the top dozen Barolos I’ve every been lucky enough to devour!
A couple of podcasts with the Vietti Crew
Where in the World is Vietti?
The Krause Family bought Vietti a couple of years back, leaving, Luca and the Family in full control of production, hence the name below. The winery based in Castiglione Falletto now has additional vineyard sources in Barolo with Monvigliero in Verduno in the very North of the Barolo region, Rabajà & Roncaglie in the Barbaresco, and, Timorasso plantings in the Colli Tortonesi, the most eastern part of Piedmont. In addition, they have plantings in the Roero and Asti (the Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne is a cracker).
Your tongue will thank you!
*We will only receive a few bottles of the Crus. 1st come 1st served. Following allocation you will be invoiced for the total. The wines will be ready to ship early June.
About the Wines
Barbera
Vietti Barbera d’Alba Scarrone 2023
2023 Barbera d’Alba ‘Vigna Scarrone’: In the 2023 vintage, the Barbera d’Alba ‘Scarrone’ benefited particularly from its eastern exposure. The nose reveals notes of tart red berry fruit, which is faithfully reflected on the palate. In recent years, our work with oak has become increasingly precise and calibrated: every single barrique is catalogued by the year of purchase, number of uses, and type of wine. This approach allows us to fully respect the intense fruit of the Barbera, using wood primarily to refine the palate, where it helps soften the metallic and vegetal notes typical of the variety.
Grape variety: Barbera 100%
The grapes are selected from the single vineyard Scarrone in Castiglione Falletto, with 6,500 plants per hectare, with a south-eastern exposure.
Winemaking: for approximately 2 weeks, the must is kept in open stainless-steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation at 26-28°C. After this, the wine macerates for another week and then is moved to oak for malolactic fermentation.
Ageing: 18 months between big oak barrels and barriques.
The 2023 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone is a gorgeous wine. It offers a striking mix of richness and energy. Readers who enjoy Barberas that are on the more refined side and show less of the opulence of warmer years will adore this. The 2023 is not an overt wine; rather, it impresses with layers of fruit that open gradually in the glass. Graphite, new leather, baking spice and chocolate add further shades of dimension. This is an exceptionally polished Scarrone, not to mention one of the most distinctive wines in Piedmont.
Vietti Barbera d’Alba Scarrone Vigna Vecchia 2023
2023 Barbera d’Alba ‘Vigna Scarrone’ Vigna Vecchia: The influence of the somewhat more south-facing portion of the vineyard is very evident. The nose of this wine shows greater intensity and complexity, with darker, riper fruit, while the palate expresses a more intense and profound sweetness. The aging process is the same as for the ‘Scarrone’: 16 months in barriques.
Grape Variety: Barbera 100%
The steep terraced single vineyard site Scarrone is located in Castiglione Falletto, with a south-eastern exposure. The oldest parcel of the vineyard is planted in 1918, with a density of 4,300 grapevines per hectare. The vineyards soil is made of marl (clay in combination with limestone). The yield which is low by nature due to the age of the plants, is further reduced by a very strict selection of the grapes.
Winemaking: the handpicked grapes were destemmed and, after a short period of cold-maceration, fermented in stainless steel tanks for about two weeks. During this period, alcoholic fermentation, frequent remontages and délestages were implemented to achieve a perfect extraction of color and tannins.
Ageing: 18 months in big oak cask, barriques and steel tanks.
The 2023 Barbera d'Alba Scarrone Vigna Vecchia is a total stunner. It emerges from a southeast-facing plot planted with older vines. In this vintage, the Vigna Vecchia is quite different from the Scarrone. It offers striking freshness to play off a core of red/purplish fruit. Blood orange, chalk, mint and a kick of white pepper lend brightness and energy.
Barolo & Barbaresco
Vietti Barolo 2022
2022 Barolo Classico: A truly “historic blend” for our Estate Barolo, that for the first time includes five of our seven Crus: Brunate, Cerequio, Villero in its entirety, and large portions of Ravera and Lazzarito.
Previously labelled as below with ‘Castiglione’ on the label. This wine has had a name change from 2021 now to be labelled simply ‘Barolo’. The wine remains the same.
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)
Vineyard: The Barolo ‘Castiglione’ is our interpretation of a classic Barolo. The grapes for producing this wine are sourced from various very important small vineyards located all over the Barolo region. Geology: calcareous and clayey soil. The age of the grapevines is between 10 and 45 years old; they are trained in the Guyot trellis system, with an average density of about 4,500 plants per hectare.
Winemaking: All the different single vineyards are vinified and aged separately, each of them with a different winemaking procedure, with the aim to highlight the typical characteristics of their specific “terroir”. Hand-picked in October, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent between three to four weeks in contact with their skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak.
Ageing: The wine has been aged for about 30 months in large oak casks and, a small amount, also in barriques; after this all parcels are carefully blended before bottling. It was bottled without filtration.
Description: Medium-intense ruby red colour. On the nose explosive, elegant, charming and immediate. Aromas of prunes, red and black ripe cherry, blackberry, rose petals and tobacco. On the palate it is classic, quite rich and powerful, with notes of alpine herbs and leather on its finish. The tannins are very well-integrated in the fruit structure of the wine.
The 2022 Barolo is terrific. Pliant, medium in body and layered, the 2022 is impeccable. It benefits from the inclusion of fruit from Brunate, Cerequio and Villero, none of which were bottled as vineyard-designates. Sweet red cherry, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint and dried flowers build nicely in the glass. The 2022 is a bit slender, as so many wines are in this vintage.
Vietti’s classic Barolo stands shoulder to shoulder with its single MGA bottlings. In fact, this vintage’s blend includes the best grapes from Brunate and Cerequio, as these weren’t bottled separately in 2022. It is vibrantly perfumed with rose potpourri, bergamot, sweet earth and raspberry. Sculpted and tight, the palate is assertively structured. Upfront tannins slice through supple fruit and acidity is brisk. The finish is a bit arid but, as a whole, this remains sophisticated. Mint and tobacco linger. This is a strong argument for blending in 2022.
Vietti Barolo Riserva 2018
Designation: Barolo DOCG
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo 100%
The idea of the Barolo Riserva was born during continuous experimentations carried out both in the vineyard and in the cellar, for the choice of the grapes that will be used for the Barolo Castiglione. Throughout the years, some very high quality plots have started to draw our attention and pushed us to decide to create this wine whose grapes are sourced from different vineyards that are vinified and aged separately. The grapes for this vintage were selected from a vineyard in the municipality of Serralunga at 350 m asl. Calcareous-clayey soil, with eastern exposure. The vines are about 25 years old, cultivated with the Guyot system and a density of 4,500 plants per hectare.
Vineyard: A selection of only a few small vineyard parcels, for the 2015 vintage all located on various sites in the municipality of Castiglione Falletto.
Geology: calcareous marl. The age of the grapevines is between 25 and 45 years, they are trained in the Guyot trellis system, with an average density of about 4,500 plants per hectare.
Winemaking: grapes harvested around the middle of October. For this wine we have partially carried out a whole-grape vinification. The remaining part was destemmed, crushed and conveyed in steel tanks for maceration and alcoholic fermentation. After a few days of cold pre-fermentation maceration, the temperature is raised and fermentation begins; it lasts about 20 days with regular pumping-overs.
Ageing: about 24 months in large oak barrels.
Description: intense ruby red color. On the nose notes of small ripe red fruits with balsamic and citrus hints. On the palate it is medium-bodied, rich, full and elegant. The tannins, typical of the Serralunga aera, are well integrated, with a sweet finish. Its vibrant acidity gives depth to the wine.
Vietti Barbaresco 'Masseria Roncaglie' 2022
2022 Roncaglie: Likely one of the most representative vintages ever produced since we purchased it in 2018. The cru’s character is expressed with great typicity: rose petals, raspberry, and wild strawberry. Despite its west/southwest exposure, it displays extraordinary finesse and a balance, paired with an elegant tannic structure.
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)
Vineyard: The grapes for this wine are grown in the single vineyard Roncaglie, in Barbaresco. This is one of Barbaresco’s crus with a long reputation for its outstanding quality. The vineyard has a southwest exposure, at an altitude of 240 – 280 meters a.s.l. and its soil is calcareous and clayey with sandy Sant’Agata’s marls. The grapevines, with an average age of 30 years, are trained in the Guyot trellis system with a density of 4,600 grapes per hectare.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent about three weeks in contact with their skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood.
Ageing: The wine has been aged for 30 months in large oak casks and, only a small amount, in barriques. It was bottled without filtration.
Description: Medium-intense ruby red colour with light garnet hues. Quite intense nose with aromas of ripe red fruit (cherry), red and black berries in combination with refined floral (rose, mint) and mineral nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, well-balanced. The tannins, ripe soft and silky, are well integrated in the wine’s fruit structure. The wine shows overall an incredible finesse and great complexity. Long final with good freshness.
The 2022 Barbaresco Roncaglie is all class. Elegant, lifted and perfumed, the 2022 is so elegant, so refined. Freshly cut flowers, red berry fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper are beautifully delineated. This mid-weight, nuanced Barbaresco is all class. Floral and savory overtones linger on the back end.
Good full red. Whole bunch use-related aromas of pungent herbs and flowers are given greater depth and size by hints of ripe red cherry and apricot. Then sharp and youthfully tough in the mouth with excellent lift to the nicely delineated flavours of red cherry, dark berries, mint and sandalwood. Long and pure on the metallic-edged close. A very promising Roncaglie.
Vietti Barbaresco Riserva 'Rabajà' 2021
Designation: Barbaresco D.O.C.G.
Grape variety: Nebbiolo 100%
The grapes are sourced from the single MGA vineyard “Rabajà” in the municipality of Barbaresco. The 2019 is the first vintage of this Riserva. It is also a return for Vietti, who was already making Rabajà in the 80s. The soil is calcareous-clayey, with south/south-west exposure and an altitude of about 235-315m asl. The average age of the Guyot-cultivated vines is about 51 years and there is a density of approximately 5,200 plants per hectare.
Winemaking: grapes harvested by hand. The alcoholic fermentation lasts about 3 weeks in steel tanks in contact with the skins, with regular pumping overs. This times includes the preand post-fermentation maceration which takes place with the use of the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in wood.
Ageing: about 30 months in oak barrels.
Description: intense garnet red color. The nose is rich and delicate. Floral scents such as rosehips and violets, ripe fruits like cherry and sour cherry. On the palate it is fresh and enveloping. The tannins are ripe, soft, silky and well-integrated, donating good structure and great elegance. Very well balanced and refined overall, with a long persistent finish
Long renowned for its impressive stable of Barolo, Vietti has now become a reference in Barbaresco, particularly with this third edition of Rabajà. It hails from a single vineyard planted in 1968. Profuse perfumes of lavender, coriander and tarragon waft from the 2021. It is smooth and sleek but with great depth and sense of territory. Fennel and wild yellow broom accent grenadine and dark cherry, and that pristine fruit is brightly lit by vibrant acidity and held together by intricate, securely woven tannins. Should show more of its lurking gravitas with time.
Vietti Barolo 'Monvigliero' 2022
2022 Monvigliero: Vinified with 60% whole grapes and influenced by the proximity of the Tanaro River, emerges in the glass as “the most Barbaresco-like of the Barolos,” thanks to its extreme elegance and perfectly integrated tannins.
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)
Vineyard: The Monvigliero vineyard has not only the reputation for being the most important Cru in the village of Verduno, but also to be among the most prestigious ones in the whole Barolo region. The Monvigliero hill is exposed towards south–southeast; the parcel where Vietti grows the grapes for this wines is at about 320 meters a.s.l.. The soil is calcareous and clayey with Sant’Agata’s marls. The grapevines have an average age of about 50 years and are planted, using the Guyot trellis system, at a density of 4,500 plants per hectare. 2018 is the first vintage of the Cru Monvigliero produced by Vietti.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, the grapes have been only partly destemmed (40%) and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the maceration and alcoholic fermentation. 60% of the grapes were added to be vinified as “whole-cluster” with their stems. After five days of cold maceration, the alcoholic fermentation had started with increasing the temperature. The total time of contact with the skins was about four weeks, which included the pre- and post-fermentation maceration using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation took place in oak.
Ageing: The wine has been aged for 24 months in large oak casks. It was bottled without filtration.
Description: Ruby red colour. Very delicate though intense aroma. Very elegant on the palate with hints of strawberry, cherry and rose. The tannins are persistent, round and silky, perfectly in harmony with the fruit structure of the wine. Long lingering aftertaste with fresh spicy notes.
The 2022 Barolo Monvigliero is another very pretty wine in this range from Vietti. Floral notes meld into crushed red berry fruit, orange peel, mint, rose petal, sage and chalk. The 60% stems are not especially evident in the aromatics or flavor profile, although they do lift the wine nicely. I don't see quite the dimension of the best Barolos in this range, but the Monvigliero is nevertheless a success in this very challenging year.
To an already dizzying list of Barolo’s most lauded sites, Vietti added Monvigliero in 2018. A plot of just over half a hectare is comprised of vines with an average age of 44 years old. The 2022 is just so classically fragrant and expressive. Pepper, strawberry blossom, pressed rose and beeswax waft headily. Lightweight but not lacking in flavour, the palate surges with red forest berries sprinkled with mint. Zesty, citrussy acidity makes the mouth water. Crisp tannins have a snappy firmness yet this glides with grace. Exceptionally precise and complex.
Vietti Barolo 'Rocche di Castiglione' 2022
2022 Rocche di Castiglione: A superb balance between power and elegance, made possible by the geology of the vineyards (sandy soils that allow the roots greater freedom and less suffocation, while also facilitating the absorption of morning dew). The tannins are pronounced but well integrated, the wine is full-bodied, intense and deep.
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)
Vineyard: The grapes to produce this wine are grown in one of the historic vineyards of the Barolo area, Rocche in Castiglione Falletto, with roughly 4,600 plants per hectare. The grapevines were planted in three different moments – 1940, 1950 and 1968 – and are trained with the Guyot trellis system. The vineyard has a southeastern exposure and a grey-blueish marly composition.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent about four weeks in contact with the skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood.
Ageing: The wine has been aged for 30 months in large oak casks. It was bottled without filtration.
Description: Medium-intense ruby red colour. Complex and elegant nose. Notes of ripe red fruit (cherry, red berries) floral (rose petals with a hint of chamomile) and mineral nuances. Good intensity on the palate, fresh, well- balanced, silky, mouth-filling and rounded. The tannins are well-integrated. Long and persistent finish with good freshness.
The 2022 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione shows why this site is so highly regarded. Pliant and medium-bodied, the 2022 is a sensual beauty. Sweet red cherry fruit, white pepper, kirsch, mint and rose petal take shape in the glass. The 2022 doesn’t quite have all the inner perfume, sweetness and generosity of the very best years, but it comes a lot closer than I would have ever expected in this vintage, especially in a site planted mostly on sand. The long, sustained finish is exceptionally beautiful.
Vietti Barolo 'Lazzarito' 2022
2022 Lazzarito: Thanks to the three available hectares, it was possible to carefully select the parcels with the best, most completely ripe grapes; the west/southwest exposure and in evidence a notable tannic sweetness.
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)
Vineyard: The grapes for this wine are sourced from the single vineyard Lazzarito in Serralunga d’Alba. Lazzarito is a wonderful natural amphitheater facing southwest, at an altitude of 260 – 390 meters a.s.l., with a clayey and calcareous soil. Vietti’s property in this vineyard stretches for about 2 hectares. The grapevines have an average age of 40 years. They are planted using the Guyot trellis system with about 4,500 plants per hectare.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent about four weeks in contact with their skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood.
Ageing: The wine has been aged for 30 months in large oak casks and, only a small amount, in barriques. It was bottled without filtration.
Description: Deep ruby red colour with garnet nuances. Fascinating and deep on the nose. Notes of hay, cut grass, tobacco, white pepper and a hint of mint. Robust, muscular on the palate, with a taut and mineral finish. The tannins are typical of Serralunga: angular, austere and very deep. Appealing long lingering sweetness on the finish.
The 2022 Barolo Lazzarito is another stellar wine from Vietti. All the virile intensity of Serralunga comes through loud and clear. Black cherry, graphite, lavender, licorice, chocolate and melted road tar fill out the layers. This dark, potent Serralunga Barolo hits all the right notes. The 2022 is impressive and has room to grow.
I tasted a wide range of wines on my most recent visit to Vietti. Starting with the 2020 Barolos, I tasted every wine from a just-opened bottle and a bottle that had been double-decanted two hours prior to my arrival. Aeration can be a tricky thing with young, just-bottled wines. Sometimes, air can help
Vietti’s 2022 releases are simply excellent. This is a testament to winemaker Eugenio Palumbo and his team, who have carried on the legacy of Luca Currado and Elena Penna with confidence. The Lazzarito has all the signatures of Serralunga. It starts with a slightly macerated nose of dark cherry, then sage blossom and orange zest lift the fragrances. There is remarkable buoyancy to the ripe, dark, intense fruit, and the boundaries are clearly drawn by chalky, powdered, self-assured tannins. This reaches thrilling earthy depths of creosote and iron. Very focused.
Vietti Barolo 'Ravera' 2022
2022 Ravera: Clearly expresses the influence of cooler air currents; the harvest took place 7 days later than Rocche di Castiglione (instead of the usual 10 days).
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)
Vineyard: The grapes for this wine are grown in the single vineyard site Ravera in Novello. The roughly 3 hectares owned by Vietti are located on a wonderful hillside with a southwestern exposure. The soil is calcareous clayey with Sant’Agata’s marls. The grapevines have an average age 30 years with the oldest part planted in 1935. Using the Guyot trellis system, they are grown with a density of about 4,500 plants per hectare.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent between four to five weeks in contact with the skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Slow malolactic fermentation in large casks until late spring. The wine spends over a year on its fine lees without racking.
Ageing: The wine has been aged for 32 months in large oak casks. It was bottled without filtration.
Description: Intense garnet red colour. A rather austere nose in the beginning, paired with complex floral and fruity notes that open in the glass after a little while. Hints of red fruit, mineral and spicy nuances. Quite intense on the palate, with ripe red fruit sensations. Firm, compact tannins make this a very classic wine. Vibrant, vertical acidity. Extremely elegant and refined. Long lasting aftertaste.
The 2022 Barolo Ravera is a classy, elegant wine. As always, Ravera is a nervy Barolo, a wine built more on linear intensity rather than volume. Although the Ravera is not as open as some of the other wines in the range, it should open beautifully with a bit of time in bottle. White pepper, orange peel, mint, sage and chalk shape the long, persistent finish. The explosive, salivating finish is classic Ravera.
Place Your Order
"*" indicates required fields
You must be logged in to post a comment.