Vietti, Barolo, PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER – 2013 Vintage


Where Voerzio makes feminine wine, Luca Currado, tends to make more structured masculine wine at Vietti. They are very different from each other, both are delicious.

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 andvibrancy.” 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, they have never shifted to the overt new oak regimes of the likes of Clerico. 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.

This wisdom seems to have continued to the following years. The 2013 base Langhe Nebbiolo, Perbacco, is an excellent wine, upon opening it required around 3 days to deliver it’s full potential. The 2013 Barolo Castiglione and Cru’s are receiving critical acclaim.

If you’ve pre-order some of the Voerzio wines, the Cru’s from Vietti will make for an excellent comparison. Two winemaker’s dedicated to quality, with great vineyards, doing their best to push the boundaries. Both making some of the world’s great wines.

Your tongue will thank you!

*We will only receive a few bottles of the Crus. 1st come 1st served. Following allocation, in late April you will be invoiced for 50% of the total. The balance payable when the wines are ready to ship in June.


About the Wines


Vietti from 2013 Barolo: Sublime Finesse & Elegance (FEB 2017) By Antonio Galloni

The sale of the Vietti winery last summer continues to reverberate throughout Piedmont. It is a subject I have already written about extensively. I will limit my comments here to the wines, as the 2013s are spectacular wines that deserve to be appreciated on their own, without any noise from recent events. The 2013s were always superb from barrel. They are every bit as impressive from bottle. Simply put, this is a magical set of new releases from Luca Currado, his wife, Elena Penna, and their talented team. The 2014s and 2015s I tasted from barrel point to two superb vintages in the works at Vietti.

Barolo Castiglione 2013, 93+ points, drink 2019-2043

The 2013 Barolo Castiglione is rich, powerful and intense, especially for what is the estate’s entry-level Barolo. Dark cherry, plum, spice, new leather and menthol are all used together. Intense and voluptuous, the Castiglione shows the richer, more intense side of the vintage. Time in the glass helps release the aromatics and the brighter side of Nebbiolo. Quite simply, the 2013 is a super Barolo Castiglione that is starting to close the qualitative gap with the single vineyard Barolos.

Barolo Brunate 2013, 96 points, drink 2025-2053

Vietti’s 2013 Barolo Brunate is one of the most reticent, powerful and explosive wines in the range. Huge beams of tannin give the wine its energy and overall shape. Readers will have to be especially patient with the 2013, as it is built for the long haul. As…in the very long haul. The gravitas and overall muscularity of Brunate is quite evident, but the wine remains raw, powerful and in need of significant bottle age. Today, the tannins are searing, which adds to the wine’s brooding personality. This is the first vintage that includes old-vine fruit that used to go to Oberto and Marengo from a parcel Vietti acquired a few years ago.

Barolo Lazzarito 2013, 96 points, drink 2025-2053

This tasting of the 2013 Barolo Lazzarito confirms just how far the wine has come along in recent vintages. Creamy, ample and potent, the 2013 offers an intriguing interplay of aromatics, fruit and structural underpinnings. Gravel, smoke, tar and dark fruit – all signatures of this Serralunga site – are front and center, but it is the wine’s overall balance that is most impressive. Scorched earth, leather, smoke and graphite are some of the many notes that reapper on the finish. The 2013 is a real stunner.

Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2013, 97 points, drink 2025-2053

The 2013 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is ample, generous and also surprisingly rich. The more intense, voluptuous side of Rocche comes through loud and clear. Even with all of its textural depth, the Rocche possesses superb aromatic intensity and nuance. The 2013 is an unusually rich, racy Rocche, with tons of midpalate richness. In many vintages, the Rocche is openknit and sensual, which gives it a certain amount of early accessibility. I don’t see much of that in the 2013. Readers will have to be patient here.

Barolo Ravera 2013, 100 points, drink 2025-2053

The 2013 Barolo Ravera is a real stunner. An exceptional, brilliant wine, the 2013 Barolo Ravera possesses breathtaking aromatics, translucent fruit and energy to burn. In 2013, the Ravera is dark and brooding, with fabulous intensity and the linear, focused precision that is the signature of this site in Novello. I have tasted and followed the 2013 Ravera for a number of years. It has never been anything less than thrilling. It is all that and more today. Readers who can find the 2013 should not hesitate, as it is tremendous.

JAMES SUCKLING ON “THE DRINKABILITY OF 2013 BAROLO”, JAN-FEB 2017

NB: Sucklings try dates refer to having a first look at the wine rather than optimal drinking. Good Barolo and these certainly are should start to hit their straps at 10 years and wine dependent drink well for another 10 beyond that – Paul.

Beautiful harmony, bright fruit, clarity—these are the defining traits of Barolo’s 2013 vintage, which may be its best vintage since 2008. I blind tasted more than 60 bottles a few months ago in the town of La Morra and thoroughly enjoyed the firm, linear tannins that gave the reds real dynamism and form. These are young Nebbiolos that will please wine lovers with their classic structure yet accessibility. In other words, you can drink them now or lay them down. You’ll enjoy them either way. Indeed the 2013s have a comparable structure to the excellent 2010 vintage, but the 2013s are overall more refined and focused as well as more consistent in quality.

Vietti Barolo Ravera 2013, 97 points

Fresh and vivid with strawberry, rose petal, and sandalwood. Full body, firm and silky with a beautiful balance and length. A fabulous young Barolo. Try in 2020.

Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2013, 96 points

Aromas of blueberries, lavender and mint. Full body, a tight center palate and beautiful fruit. A wine that shows density and subtlety. Very tannic and structured. The real deal. Better in 2020.

Vietti Barolo Brunate 2013, 95 points

Very focused young Barolo with lots of aromas of crushed strawberries and raspberries. Hints of lilacs, too. Full to medium body, very fine tannins and a persistent and beautiful finish. Drink in 2019.

Vietti Barolo Lazzarito 2013, 94 points

This is a Barolo that really focuses on pure fruit with berry, chocolate and floral character. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a beautiful finish. So much velvet! Gorgeous. Drink in 2020.

Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2013, 93 points

This is a very fruit-forward Barolo with lots of dried-berry and rose-petal character. Full-bodied, round and soft textured. Generous. Drink in 2018.

BAROLO 2013 BY WALTER SPELLER, DEC. 2017

Vietti Barolo Brunate 2013, 17++ points, Drink 2020-2038

La Morra. Cardinal ruby with orange tinges. Deeper and a little richer on the nose than the 2013 Castiglione, and much more brooding. Hints of oatmeal. Bags of crunchy tannins and succulent but very closed fruit. Gorgeous, elegant mid-palate weight.

Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2013, 17 points, Drink 2017-2034

Castiglione Falletto. Beautiful glowing ruby. Fine earthy nose, but right now quite backward. Succulent palate with a powerful tannic structure. Really long and a little vibrant. Firm, long red-fruit finish.

Vietti Barolo Ravera 2013, 17 points, Drink 2020-2038

Novello. Tasted blind. Mid to deep ruby. Fine cherry and oatmeal nose with what looks like the merest suggestion of new oak. Blood orange and rusty nail. Very firm and slightly drying tannins framing elegant fruit. Quite powerful structure, and built for ageing.

Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2013, 17+++ points, Drink 2018-2036

Castiglione Falletto. Tasted blind. Dark, medium concentrated ruby with bright orange tinges. Minty notes and almost richly fruity on the nose. Supple and polished fruit palate with a touch of oak. The whole is well balanced and ends on a generous dose of stalky tannins. Quite gorgeous.


Place Your Order


This offer has expired, wines are subject to availability. We'll do our best to satisfy your tastebuds.

Vietti, Barolo, PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER – 2013 Vintage

  • Available for immediate delivery. $47 for 6 or more.
    Price: $ 50.00
  • Post arrival price $135.
    Price: $ 120.00
  • Post arrival price $68.
    Price: $ 60.00
  • Post arrival price $270.
    Price: $ 240.00
  • Post arrival price $370.
  • Post arrival price $370.
    Price: $ 335.00
  • Post arrival price $370.
  • Post arrival price $370.
  • $ 0.00
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.