| | Next we walked to the historic castle at the top of Verduno. The Castello di Verduno, owned by Gabriella Burlotto and Franco Bianco, is a beautiful old building (we got a tour of the genteel, slightly faded hotel next door).
The Castello di Verduno wine operates through two cellars, one under the castle and the other near Rabajà, in Barbaresco. Wines are produced in Barbaresco and bottled and stored in Verduno. The vineyards owned by Castello di Verduno are the Barbaresco Crus of Faset and Rabajà and the Barolo Crus of Monvigliero and Massara.
All wines are vinified traditionally.
We toured the historic wine cellar below the castle (the oldest bottle is from 1913) before a bottle tasting … - 2016 Castello di Verduno Verduno Pelaverga Basadone - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Verduno Pelaverga
Pelaverga Piccolo grape. Bright ruby. Perfumed with notes of raspberry, red cherry and red plum. Elegant and light, showing Pelaverga typicity. Polished red and black cherry. Good precise acidity. Easy, fresh and ripe with a little balsamic and coffee complexity. I rated it just a little below the Fratelli Alessandria Pelaverga.
- 2013 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Grapes from Faset, Rabajà-bas and Rabajà. Élevage was one year in large botti and one year in bottle. An attractive bouquet of cardamom, peppercorn, dry bush, red berries and florals. Clean and refined. Intense. Not lacking in power and back palate grip. Good.
- 2015 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco Rabają-bas - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
The 2015 is the house’s first release of a Rabajà-bas. Again, one year in large botti and one year in bottle. A step up on the 2013 Normale. An ethereal, intense, fine nose. Dark fruited, showing balsamico and smoky barbequed meats. On palate, very fruit forward. Dark cherries and blackberries. However, it pulls up a little short. One of our group noted that “the fruit is bigger than the tannin structure”. Perhaps it'll improve with more time in the cellar. Still, presently decent Cru.
- 2014 Castello di Verduno Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Grapes from all of Castello di Verduno’s Barolo sites. Two years in large botti and one year in bottle. A perfumed, aromatic nose with dark berries, minerals and chalk. In the mouth, silky with fine grained tannins. Black fruited and mineral. Better length than the Rabajà-bas. A good, regular bottling.
- 2012 Castello di Verduno Barolo Riserva Monvigliero - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A big step up to the star of the tasting. To be released in early 2019. Maceration for 30-40 days, three years in botti and three years in bottle. A complex, detailed bouquet of blackberries, balsamico, dark spices, earth, espresso and wet granite. On palate, sleek and sexy. Fine and finessed. Dark fruited and powerful. Serious structure lurking beneath the surface. Spherical tannins. It expands on the back palate. Major grip on the long finish.
- N.V. Castello di Verduno Grappa - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Verduno Pelaverga
A palate cleansing, powerful Grappa made from Pelaverga grapes. Alcohol 42%.
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