Wine Advisor
Vietti, Barolo Villero Riserva 2007
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The 2007 Barolo Riserva Villero is a wine of staggering beauty and downright flawlessness. Its perfection is measured by the experience it awards those lucky enough to drink it. Only 3,726 bottles were produced and I tested two of those. From the moment your nose descends into the glass, you are made instantly aware of the enormity before you. I felt a profound sense of exhilaration and emotion. The wine is arousing in a way that only Nebbiolo can be. The bouquet is fluid and ever-changing with pressed rose, dried ginger, balsam herb, menthol freshness, licorice and wild berry. The presentation is multifaceted and infinite. The quality of the mouthfeel is pristine and intense with softly yielding tannins that maintain an important structural role. Laced delicately throughout its velvety texture is a fine vein of crisp acidity that adds vibrant life and buoyancy to the long finish. In almost inexplicable fashion, the wine manages to feel weightless, but is potent and commanding at the same time.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
As of today, it is likely Vietti will bottle their 2007 Barolo Villero as a Riserva, which is hardly surprising given the quality of what is in the glass. This is perhaps Vietti’s most layered and intensely mineral-driven Barolo in 2007, with an expansive texture that blossoms on the palate with tons of aromatic complexity and virtually endless fruit. It, too, is shaping up to be a beauty.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Mind-bending aromas of tar, incense, nutmeg, dried rose petal and dark fruit. Full body, incredibly chewy tannins and fabulous depth of fruit. It is so polished but muscular. It needs at least five to six years of bottle age to soften. This is a Barolo forever.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Vietti's 2007 Barolo Riserva Villero is a flat out stunner. Dark red fruit, Villero spices, leather, tobacco, smoke and menthol come alive in a rich, sensual Barolo that captures the essence of this site. Rose petals, mint and sweet red berries flesh out on an inviting wine loaded with class and personality. Over time, the powerful, explosive style of the year becomes more evident. The fruit turns darker, more balsamic and also more intensely mineral.
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.
