Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2018 (1.5L)

97+ WA / 96 VM / 95 JS / 95 WS

This is one of my sweetheart wines from Castiglione Falletto. The Vietti 2018 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is beautifully etched and sharp with an especially delineated quality that is uncommon in this vintage. Fruit comes from a small 8,000-square-meter parcel, and like the other wines in this cru series from Vietti, it ages in oak casks for two years. The wine's texture is beautifully smooth and polished thanks to the carefully integrated tannins. Only 3,693 bottles were made. - Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

Lots of sweet, wild-strawberries hit your nose first, but wait for the beautiful, spiced orange-peel note that will bowl you over. Then mineral and savory-spice notes chime in. Full-bodied with intense wild-fruit and agrumi flavor, which is already latching onto the slightly chewy tannins. This is just a baby, but it’s packed with bright, spicy-fruit promise. Patience is needed. Try from 2025. - James Suckling

A Barolo that starts out with breadth, turning more focused and linear by the finish. Delivers cherry, plum, mineral, sandalwood and tar aromas and flavors that permeate the supple texture, with all the components in the right proportions. Firm, refined tannins lend support and this lingers nicely. Best from 2025 through 2045. From Italy.—B.S., Wine Spectator