2018 Visit to Vietti
Castiglione Falletto
Tasted Wednesday, October 10, 2018 by HowardNZ with 370 views
Introduction
At lunch Lorenzo had mentioned how good he thought Vietti's 2016 Barolos would be, describing 2016 as "a wonderful vintage - powerful and balanced". We however did not get to do any barrel tasting at Vietti … He also mentioned that he had recently drunk a 1996 Vietti Villero that needed more time.
At the winery we got to taste through the full set of 2014 and 2015 Barolos in bottle. To me, Vietti is all class, clearly one of the best producers in all of Barolo, and these wines all ranged from good upwards in terms of quality. Even though the 2015 Cru were only bottled the week before our tasting, as a set, I rated them as superior to the very good 2014s.
Adverse weather prevented a 2014 Brunate being produced, with all the salvaged fruit, and some Ravera fruit, going into the Castiglione.
When I got home Nick opened a superb 2001 Villero, so I include the note here.
2017 Vietti Roero Arneis
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Roero
We were told that this 2017 was the product of a challenging, hot year. A nose of yellow spices, pear, citrus and hay. On palate, fresh with ripe orchard and some citric fruit. Also a dash of pineapple juice. However, lacking the precision and more straightforward than the very good 2016 version of this wine from Vietti. Also better, in all of our opinions, than the recent 2017 Bruno Giacosa Arneis.
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2015 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba
Served beside the La Crena. The non-old vines version of this wine (vines around 30 years old). I preferred the Scarrone over the La Crena. A more lifted, attractive bouquet of blackberries and other dark fruit, chalky minerals and a whisper of dark florals. Brighter fruit on palate than the La Crena. More ethereal and elegant but with a slightly wild berry element and more prominent acidity.
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2015 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza La Crena
Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza
Served beside the Scarrone. From 80-85 year old vines. A deeper, more vibrant purplish red colour than the Scarrone. A more weighty, earth-bound black-fruited bouquet also showing more oak than the Scarrone. More substance and espresso, bramble and bracken elements. On palate as well the oak was more evident, but not to an off-putting degree, for me.
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2015 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
An ochre red colour. Nice red fruited aromatics. A relatively light bodied wine to drink soon with salumi e formaggi. Red currants and raspberries, earth and red liquorice. Straightforward and enjoyable.
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2014 Vietti Barbaresco Masseria
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
This Barbaresco has been made by Vietti since 1964 and receives the same oak treatment as is typical for the Barolos. A largely red fruited bouquet – cherries and currants – with dry clay, brush and dried herbs. Quite approachable on the day. Succulent and fruit forward. Dark red fruit. Spicy, savoury and earthy with some dried leaf. Seeming higher acidity and lesser bodied. As is often the case, I liked this Barbaresco very much. However, it may soon close and needs 5-10 years in the cellar.
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2014 Vietti Barolo Castiglione
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Vietti made no Brunate in 2014, so the salvageable grapes from there, and some from Ravera, are in this wine. Attractive red fruited aromatics, raspberries, red cherries and even some strawberries, spices and rose florals. Only medium bodied. Very accessible, seemingly ready to go now (but I’d probably give it another 2+ years in bottle). Very elegant and refined. Sleek, fine tannins and good fresh acidity. At normal pricing it would be good value for money.
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2014 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A huge step up in quality here. The best of the 2014s. An aromatic but serious nose of cherries and other largely red fruit and rocky and steely minerals. Also very serious on palate. Real substance, structure and intensity. Presently, actually, a bit of a beast. Our host said: “It’s not like a 2014 Barolo, it’s like a normal Rocche”. Superb. Not far behind the 2015 Rocche in quality. The 2014 will need 8-10+ years in the cellar.
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2014 Vietti Barolo Ravera
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
As always with the Vietti Ravera, this Cru is the most traditionally made, seeing the least non-neutral oak. Compared with the Rocche a ‘lighter’, more immediately aromatic nose red cherries, red currants and other red fruit, cinnamon and other spices and touches of rose petal. Although it lacks the stature and volume of the Rocche, this is another special Barolo. Fresh, red fruited and seamless, with sleek, spherical tannins on entry. It has some additional intensity and tannic grip across the mid palate and on the long finish.
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2014 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A more closed bouquet than the last two Cru. Iron, granite and some black fruit with minty notes and touches of violets. On palate, the most tight and unyielding of the 2014s. Serious ferric minerality and impenetrable dark fruit, with suggestions of menthol and mint. This wine definitely needs 10+ years in the cellar to begin to uncoil.
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2015 Vietti Barolo Brunate
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Like the other 2015 Cru only bottled last week but not showing any bottle shock. A nose of dark spices, new leather, wet dark soil, balsamico and black and red cherries. In the mouth, similar flavours, particularly earthy and spicy, with graphite minerality. Immediately on this first 2015, more fruit intensity and structure than for the 2014s. Very long.
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2015 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A beautiful Barolo. Wine of the tasting. A gorgeous bouquet. A red fruit compote – red cherries, raspberries, cranberries and strawberries – with cinnamon and other baking spices and a top note of delicate rosebud perfumes. On the palate, a soft, sweet entry of red berries. Then spices and minerals. Rounded, plump but chalky tannins. Serious mid and back palate intensity and weight. Excellent length, finishing on those spices and minerals.
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2015 Vietti Barolo Ravera
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Another beautiful nose. More red fruit but not quite as pungent as with the Rocche, more ethereal. Then touches of lemon juice, minerals, spices and rose florals. In the mouth, are red berries, cherries and plums with baked earth, spices and hints of mint. Refreshing, precise acidity. After the entry, serious architecture and power. A long dry finish. My second favourite wine of the tasting.
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2015 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A much more restrained, diffident bouquet, but one suggesting serious latent power. Notes of red cherries, plums, crushed rocks, earth and wet iron. On palate, huge structure and intensity. Palate staining. It gives the impression of kirsch or red-skinned plums under spirit around a core of earth and iron. Impressive, quite racy acidity. A wine to bury at the back of your cellar for 20 years.
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2001 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
After I got back home from my trip, Nick served this wine non-blind after my excellent 2001 Cavallotto San Giussepe. The Vietti was even better than the Cavallotto and is one of my wines of the year. A lovely bouquet of tar, black spices, earth and lifted dark florals. On palate, serious depth and volume, intensity and power, even more than for the Cavallotto. Also, more detail and nuance of flavour. A full peacock’s tail of flavours. Multi-layered. Well balanced. Tannins and acids well integrated. The Villero had a four hour full decant and airing, which was about right. On the evidence of this bottle, it is at the start of a long drinking plateau.
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