Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2019

Description

“I can’t think of too many estates in Piedmont that have raised the bar higher than Vietti has over the last decade or so. Virtually every wine that emerges from these cellars is outstanding, and many are profound … an unprecedented level of consistency and quality across their entire range.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

For the past four generations, the Vietti family has been producing wine in Castiglione Falletto, a small village in the heart of the Langhe region of Piedmont, from their vineyards located across the five communes designated for the cultivation and production of Barolo. Over recent years Luca Currado-Vietti had taken over the winemaking direction from his late father Alfredo. The overall objective, to produce the highest quality wines, whilst retaining respect for the traditions of the specific appellations.

About this wine from the winemaker: “The “Castiglione” Barolo is our take on Barolo classico. The grapes come from small yet significant vineyards in the various municipalities of Barolo, and the vines are between 10 and 45 years old. The soil is rich in limestone and clay, the Guyot training system is used, and the average density per hectare is 4500 plants.

“Each individual cru is vinified and aged separately and in different ways to bring out the characteristics of each “terroir”. The grapes are harvested by hand in October. After gentle pressing, the juice fermented for around three to four weeks in a steel tank, in contact with the skins. This period included pre- and post-ferment maceration, involving the traditional submerged-cap method. Malolactic fermentation took place in wood.  Around 30 months in large barrels and, for a small portion, barriques. Each cru is vinified separately and assembled before bottling.

“Ruby-red colour with medium intensity. The nose is explosive, opulent, seductive and striking. Notes of plum, red, ripe black and sour cherries, blackberry, rose petal, and tobacco emerge. On the palate, the flavour is classic, rich and potent, with notes of alpine herbs and a leathery finish. The tannins are well-integrated.”

About the 2019 vintage by Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media “Vietti’s 2019s are off the charts. I can’t say I am totally surprised, as I have been following the wines for several years .. the 2019s possess tremendous depth and purity, along with the deep inflections of site that are what Barolo is all about. Readers who can find these wines should not hesitate, as they are truly magnificent.”

94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media “The 2019 Barolo Castiglione is elegant, translucent and classy. Crushed red berry fruit, orange peel, mint and cinnamon all grace this elegant, wonderfully nuanced Barolo from Vietti. I especially admire the energy here. In many vintages, the Castiglione is easygoing and quite accessible, but I see the 2019 needing a few more years to come into its own. I especially admire its focus and cut.” Nov 22.

95 points, Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “This is the most accessible Barolo from Vietti and the wine that casts the biggest net in terms of fruit sourcing from across many MGA sites. The 2019 Barolo Castiglione is a layered and generous wine that reflects the main takeaways offered by this very successful vintage. In fact, because this wine is not from a single site, it speaks more to the quality of the vintage than it does to any one specific vineyard. The Castiglione reveals generous richness and concentrated cherry fruit with dark saturation and good structure that comes from the thicker skins developed on Nebbiolo grapes this year. It concludes with a salty mineral note that adds focus and elegance.”

RRP $184  Our Price $144.99

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