Vietti - Barolo Castiglione 2018 (5L)
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
Vietti has the enormous advantage of 10 MGA sites at its disposition for blending purposes (and for making single-vineyard wines). This allows them to select the fruit they want to best express any one vintage. The 2018 Barolo Castiglione draws upon those 10 sites (including the recent additions of Mosconi Ginestra Bricco Ravera and Briccolina) to make what is ultimately its best-selling wine (with 35000 bottles released). This classic rendition is tonic and clean with varietal tones of wild berry rose and rusty nail. Vietti is one of the most dynamic wineries in the appellation. Starting with the 2019 vintage the entire production of Barolo and Barbera is certified organic. This set of new releases comes with three big surprises. There are three new wines in their inaugural release: the single-vineyard Barolo Cerequio (with fruit from La Morra) the Barolo Monvigliero from Verduno and the Barbaresco Masseria now entirely made with fruit from Roncaglie. The Monvigliero is a wine of special interest as it is made with 60% whole cluster fruit in collaboration with colleagues over at Borgogna. I also recently read that Luca Currado Vietti actually created a shared investment in Monvigliero in 2018 (for an 8000-square meter plot in the MGA) with a group of 10 American investors. Luca could not buy the property outright but under the terms of the shared agreement the investor group retains 45% of the production each year released under the Vietti label and Luca is left with the remaining 55%. The question is: What will he do with his share of that precious fruit?
James Suckling: 92 Points
25 Jan 2022 ? Plenty of wild-berry character to the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with good fruit focus and firm tannin that will need a year or two to soften. Bright and youthful. Give it time. Best from 2024.
vVinous: 92 Points
The 2018 Barolo Castiglione is bright fresh and delineated. Crushed red berry fruit white pepper chalk mint and rose petal all run through this gorgeous sculpted Barolo. The purity of the fruit and overall energy here are captivating. I would cellar the 2018 for at least a few years. It's a gorgeous wine in the making.
