From: Barolo, Italy
Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Tasting Notes: On the nose explosive, opulent, charming, and immediate. Hints of plum, ripe red and black cherry, blackberry, sour cherry, rose petals, and tobacco. On the palate, it is classic, rich, powerful, with notes of Alpine herbs and a leather finish. Tannins are already well-integrated.
Critical Acclaim
JS 94 James Suckling
There’s such purity of fruit to this with both dried and ripe strawberries and citrus rind. It’s full-bodied and structured with layers of ripe tannins that are fine and polished. Tight at the end. Give this two or three years to open and soften. Try in 2024.
JD 93 Jeb Dunnuck
Castiglione is from a collection of vineyards across Barolo, from vines that are 10 to 45 years old. Each of the parcels are fermented and aged separately prior to the final blending and are aged for approximately 30 months in oak casks and barriques. The 2017 Barolo Castiglione has pure aromas of fennel, fresh cherry, and cinnamon. Balanced and energetic on the palate, there is ripe cranberry, blood orange, and dried roses, with fine tannins. Vibrant and approachable out of the gate, this is a wonderful entry from the Vietti estate. Drink 2021-2034.
RP 93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is one of the most versatile wines to emerge from Italy in recent years. A bread and butter winner for Vietti, the 2017 Barolo Castiglione is sharply contoured and bright, with an excellent quality of fruit that can be described as crisp, tonic and rich. That extra concentration comes in part from the hot vintage; however, the greater Castiglione growing area delivers consistent quality and persistence above all else.
W&S 93Wine & Spirits
Vietti’s blended Barolo is bold and ripe in the 2017 vintage, its red-cherry and strawberry flavors framed by ferrous tannins that infuse the wine with cool energy. As usual, two-thirds of the fruit for Castiglione comes from Ravera, a cool corner of Barolo where winds from the Alps helped preserve acidity and kept the fruit tones crunchy and bright. Scents of fresh violets and rose petals accent the wine and add to its appeal.
WW 92 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Vietti Barolo Castiglione is authentic, lovely, and excellent with a meal. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with aromas and flavors of dried earth, ripe fruit, and some fragrant flowers. Enjoy it with grilled lamb kebabs. (Tasted: May 27, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Pairing: Stewed meats, wild game, red meats, and cheeses.
Winemaking: The grapes are selected from very important small vineyards in the Barolo region. The vines are between 10 and 43 years old, planted in clay-limestone soil, and trained with the Guyot system. The average density is roughly 4,500 plants per hectare. All the different single vineyards are vinified and aged separately with slightly different processes to highlight the typical characteristics of each “terroir”.
