Wine Advisor
Vietti, Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2006
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Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Barolo Rocche shows incredible definition in detail in its perfumed, floral personality. The 2006 is not as explosive as the 2004 was at this stage, but it is eerily reminiscent of the 1989 in its sweet, Pinot-like fruit. With time in the glass, the fruit gains even more clarity while the bouquet blossoms with incredible grace, all supported by ultra-fine, silky tannins. Today the Rocche is soft and relatively accessible, but it is sure to firm up in bottle. In 2006 the Rocche saw 30 days of maceration on the skins and was aged predominantly in cask with a brief spell in French oak in between for the malolactic fermentation, a blend of traditional and modern approaches that has yielded phenomenal results here. Of course, everything starts in the vineyard, and Vietti’s commitment to low yields means that they are among the first growers to harvest in most vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031. I sampled a mind-boggling array of outstanding – and often profound – wines in my marathon tasting session with proprietor and winemaker Luca Currado. The 2006 Barolos are nothing short of spectacular and the 2007s may be even better! Readers can check out notes on those wines in my recent feature on the estate posted on www.erobertparker.com. I should note that Vietti plans to release a 2006 Barolo Riserva Villero, but that wine is years from seeing the light of day. The Barolos are vinified in stainless steel, then racked into French oak for the malolactic fermentation, where the wines remain for a few months. The majority of aging takes place in large, neutral casks. Over the last few years, the use of French oak has become more measured and the Barolos are now among the elite wines of the region in virtually every vintage. In short, there seems to be no end to this estate’s ambition. Frankly, I wish there were more wineries setting their sights on this level of quality. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405
About the Producer
Vietti is located in the Castiglione Falletto wine region in the Cuneo province of Piedmont, Italy. The wines produced by the winery are not only of excellent quality, among which the Vietti Barolo Ravera 2010 wine won a perfect score from the wine critic Antonio Galloni (Antonio Galloni), who was once the "Wine Spectator", but also launched the "Artist's Wine". The "target wine" idea adds a strong artistic flavor to the wine. The Vietti family's passion for art has so far been fully reflected in the creation of wine art labels. Since 1974, certain Vietti wines have been decorated with specially designed original works (lithographs, woodcuts, etchings, silkscreens, reliefs) inspired by specific vintages. The number of prints is the same as the number of bottles produced, with the first 100 labels signed by the artist. Each piece is used only once for a particular vintage. From the 1982 vintage of Barolo Villero sold in 1988, the artist's label has been dedicated to the wines made in this great vineyard. The history of Chateau Vietti can be traced back to the 19th century. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that Vietti became a winery and sold its own bottles under that name. The founder of the winery, Mario Vietti, began making the first Vietti wines in 1919, mainly for sale in Italy. His most important achievement was the transformation of a family farm in many industries into a viticulture and winemaking business. In 1952, Luciana Viett's husband, Alfredo Currado, continued to make high-quality wines from grapes from their own vineyards and from purchased grapes. Very quickly, Chateau Vietti grew into one of Piedmont's top wine producers and one of the first wineries to export to the American market. Alfredo was one of the first pioneers to select grapes from a single vineyard for winemaking, which was a radical concept at the time, but today virtually every Barolo and Barbaresco wine is made Merchants sell "single vineyard" or "appellation" wines. Alfredo is also known as the "Father of Arneis" because he spent much time in 1967 rediscovering and understanding this nearly extinct breed. Today Arnes is the most prestigious white wine from the Roero region north of Barolo. The wines made by Arnes are so successful that fellow vintners as far away as the West Coast are now cultivating Arnes to make wine! After 1970, the winery launched the idea of "wine with artist label". The Gualado family has 3 children: Emanuela, Elisabetta and Luca. In 1970, Alfredo and Luciana, thanks to their friendship and support with a number of local artists, started updating their labels. They mentioned that, on a long winter night in Langa, a group of artists were eating and drinking with them around the table, suggesting that they decorate their art at the winery with "art on the label". From that moment on, a new label for Vietti wines took shape, which is still in use today. At the same time, the idea of "artist-labeled wines" began to take shape and is still used in the winery's Barolo Riserva Villero.
