VIETTI BAROLO DOCG 2021

An expressive classic from a legend of Barolo. This benchmark label is no longer called Castiglione, but it remains a blend of fruit from premium MGA vineyards, with the goal to present an exceptionally complete, complex yet approachable expression of the year. An "overachiever" among its Barolo peers, the Vietti offers supreme value to decant soon or cellar.

They made wine here back in the 1800s, but it was not until 1919 that Mario Vietti turned the family farm to viticulture and Vietti labels first appeared on the Italian market. The winery grew through the 1950’s, when new export markets opened and Mario’s daughter and son in law Alfredo Currado pioneered what was later to become a defining regional idea – single vineyard Barolo and Barbaresco. Today Vietti remain a towering name, with a portfolio occupying the top tier in most Piedmontese categories – particularly their profoundly important expressions of Cru Barolo.

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"The grapes come from small yet significant vineyards in the various municipalities of the Barolo region. The average age of the Guyot-cultivated vines is between 10 and 45 years old, with a density of about 4,500 plants per hectare. The soil is rich in limestone and clay.

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. On the palate, the flavour is classic, rich and potent, with balsamic and slightly spicy notes. The tannins are well integrated."

95/100 Aldo Fiordelli, James Suckling (2021 Vintage)
"The 2021 is a superb entry-level Barolo from Vietti. A graceful wine with cinnamon, earth, strawberries, sweet violets and leesy complexity. There is a lot of fruit depth, with a full body, lifted acidity and dense, ripe, velvety tannins. The finish is polished yet tight. A fantastic vintage for this entry-level wine, I love it already and would be happy to grab a few cases to enjoy over the coming 15 years."

95/100 Michaela Morris, Decanter UK (2021 Vintage)
"Two years on from the departure of former owners Luca Currado and Elena Penna, Vietti’s wines continue to honour their legacy. The only patent change is the removal of ‘Castiglione’ from the label of the estate’s classic Barolo. The construct remains the same, however: a multi-MGA, vintage-specific blend demonstrating the purity and precision found across the range. Gorgeously perfumed with rose, violet, black raspberry, liquorice and forest undergrowth among its many nuances, it boasts just the right amount of tightness, well measured density and a sophisticated chalky grip."

94/100 Monica Larner, RobertParker.com. Wine Advocate (2021 Vintage)
"This bottle marks the end of an era, and all you Barolo Castiglione fans out there are in for some very bad news. The name "Castiglione" is being taking off the bottle, and what we have instead is the Vietti 2021 Barolo. Apparently, the estate was on the wrong end of a copyright issue, so it had to go. Winemaking has not changed, and the wine remains a blend of 20-plus MGA sites. There is no particular set formula. The parcels are fermented separately and a final blending decision is made further down the road. You still get the same phenomenal value. This wine offers firm structure, plummy dark fruit flavours and elegantly chalky tannins. The finish is a little dry, and that ending gives the wine a near-term personality. In 2021, the Castiglione approaches the level of the crus, and that is saying something."