Barrel and Bottle Tasting with Luca Currado

Tasting with Luca Currado is always a treat, because the passion and connection he feels for each of his wines is so easily communicated to you as you work through the cellar. Luca may not even realize it, but he’s a fascinating story teller as well, as he recounts his childhood and memories of working with his father in the winery. Often he will talk about the aromas of a specific vintages fermentation or the enticing smells of free run juice. What he never does, is tell you what to expect, as he prefers to let the wines speak for themselves.

The 2016’s are some of the most thrilling wines I’ve ever tasted. Since the first chance I had to sample these last year, I find today that all of the vibrancy, mixed with intensely dark fruit and crunchy minerality, is all still there. I’m so excited to taste these once they are in bottle.

• 2016 Vietti Barolo Brunate

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) Here I found a dark, intense, powerful yet remarkably refined and polished Brunate, as exotic florals and minerals gave way to dark red berry fruits. It was intense with tart red berries, pomegranate, and spice on the palate, as youthful tannins coated the senses. Dark minerality lasted long throughout the finish, along with fine grain tannin. Such an exciting wine to taste that's loaded with potential. (94-96 points)

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• 2016 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) The nose was exotic with dark florals, sweet spices, clove, dried orange peel, pepper, moist soil, and marine-inspired minerality. It was silky and pure on the palate, energized by brisk acidity and showing red berries with dusty spices, herbs, leather, and fine tannin. The finish was long and clenching through its young tannin, yet balanced with palate staining fruit concentration. This is a gorgeous expression of Lazzarito. (95-97 points)

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• 2016 Vietti Barolo Ravera

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Barrel A - (Barrel Sample) The nose showed dark florals and mineral intensity with pure red and black fruits. It was remarkably smooth on the palate, with saturating black cherry, raspberry, dark minerality and cascading inner floral tones. The finish was incredibly long and precise, displaying dark fruits, minerals and fine tannin combining to form a structured yet fresh expression. (96-98 points)
  
  Barrel B - (Barrel Sample) The nose was exotic, showing redder fruit than the first cask, with notes of sweet spice, and dried floral tones. On the palate, it was incredibly smooth, showing pure red berry fruit, in a lifted expression with brisk acids. The finish was long with a coating of intense red berry concentrate and young, fine tannin. (95-96 points)

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• 2016 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) This is the second year I've tasted from this barrel and just like before I am amazed by what I'm finding in the glass. The nose was beautiful and spicy with a mix of red and black fruits, mineral infused and perfumed with lifting floral tones, dried orange peel, sweet undergrowth and spice. It was creamy on the palate, yet so pure and showing amazing balance as red and black fruits coated the senses along with fine zesty tannins. The finish was long, lingering on pure red berry fruit and dark spice tones. The ‘16 Rocche was refined and long, yet structured to the core. (98-100 points)

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The 2017’s, are from another warm year, and although it’s too soon to tell how the wines will fare by the end of their maturation process, what I’m tasting from barrel is making me very happy.

• 2017 Vietti Barolo Brunate

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) Here I found a lifted expression of pure red fruits, dusty minerals, and dried floral tones. On the palate, high-toned red fruits washed across the senses in a feminine expression with minerals and masses of inner florals, giving way to fine tannin which saturated the senses. It finished with clenching tannin and seemed almost savory with hints of sweet and sour red fruits. (94-95 points)

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• 2017 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) The nose was quite reductive at this young stage, showing red berry fruit, with hints of herbs, and animal musk. On the palate, I found silky textures which were wonderfully refined with pure red fruits and zesty acidity. It finished long on energetic red fruits and spice. (Early barrel tasting, score reserved)

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• 2017 Vietti Barolo Ravera

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) The nose was exotic yet currently quite reductive, beneath the surface it showing intense red and black fruits with crushed stone and dried florals. It was so pure on the palate, showing ripe red and black fruits, saturating minerals and spice with zesty acids. There are masses of fruit to be found here, yet perfectly balanced with tannins and acid. It’s a structured and hulking wine that I’m really looking forward to following. Wow. (95-97 points)

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• 2017 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Barrel Sample) There was a lot of potential here, already showing the purity and minerality of Rocche. The nose displayed exotic florals, zesty red berries, orange peel, and lifted sweet minerals. On the palate, it was high toned and luminous with tart red fruit, great acids and mounting tannins. It finished long and structure, with clenching acidity. (Early barrel tasting, score reserved)

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Luca has made some of the most precise and balanced 2015’s that I’ve yet to taste. The wines take the warmth of the vintage and balance it with wonderful vibrancy and sight-transparent details.

• 2015 Vietti Barolo Brunate 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose was dark, with balsamic spiced fruit, cherry, ripe raspberry, and sweet dusty florals. On the palate, I found velvety textures giving way to zesty, tart dark red fruits with savory spice, minerals and hints of herbs. It was intense and inward, yet with incredible persistence. The finish was long and saturating with dark fruits, minerals and fine tannin. The 2015 Brunate delivered a powerfully structured yet also perfectly balanced expression.

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• 2015 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose was restrained, showing mineral infused--dark red fruits with sweet and sour spiciness, lifting florals and cedar. On the palate, I found soft, deep, plush textures with intensely dark red fruits, yet so pure, and spicy, with zesty minerality and brisk acidity in support. The finish was long and drying, displaying youthful fine tannin and hints of dried cherries.

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• 2015 Vietti Barolo Ravera 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The bouquet was amazing with it’s dark, rich red fruits, opening to reveal pretty florals, spiced orange, dusty minerals, crushed stone, wild herbs, and spices. On the palate, I found soft, broad textures with dark ripe red fruits, cedar, pretty inner florals, zesty acid and savory spices. It finished dry and structured, yet with energy in reserve, resonating on mineral-infused dark red fruits.

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• 2015 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Luca has found perfect balance with Rocche in the 2015 vintage. The nose was remarkably pretty, showing sweet and spicy florals, dusty spices, dried orange peel, cranberry, and fresh strawberry. On the palate. I found silky textures with wonderfully pure red fruits as a mix of fine tannin and minerals slowly mounted on the senses, joined by hints of cedar and savory spice. The finish was long with palate staining red fruits, fine tannins and lingering inner floral tones.

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In the end, Luca is at the top of his game, and willing to experiment whenever possible. That’s not to say that this house is moving away from tradition, instead it’s simply exploring all of the possibilities. There’s a lot to look forward to at Vietti, and if the prices of the single vineyards are getting you down, then there’s no shame in looking at the Barolo Castiglione--it’s one of the best values in the region today.