2010 Barolo Lazzarito

The 2010 Barolos will go down as some of the greatest wines ever made at this historic property. Now that they are in bottle, the 2010s are every bit as incredible as they have always been from barrel. This year, Vietti has brought back the Ravera as a separate bottling. Readers who want to learn more about the Ravera specifically will want to check out this video. The 2010s came in late by today's standards. Yields were down relative to 2009. Winemaker Luca Currado gave the 2010s 25-35 days on the skins. As is the custom here, the malos were done in neutral French oak, with the exception of the Ravera, and several other experimental lots that are now used in the entry-level Barolo Castiglione. Wine lovers will not want to miss Vietti's 2010s...they are stratospheric. For more on Vietti, readers should check out my recent video interview with Currado.

Luca Currado describes 2010 as "a fantastic, elegant vintage for Barolo," while 2009 is "a very good vintage: if you waited too long you got a decadent quality in your wines. The brown spice character of the 2009s can also make the wines seem a bit dry." As a rule, Currado picks on the early side because he wants "a signature of terroir," but he also said if his wines have a signature, "it's acidity and long aging potential." This extraordinary estate has access to 15 of the top 20 crus of Barolos, notes Currado. In addition to the four crus he routinely bottles on their own, he vinifies and raises 11 others separately for three years, then does a series of blind tastings to select the best of them for his Castiglione bottling, which he has trademarked. Most of the rest go into the estate's Nebbiolo Perbacco, which Currado told me is "really our regular Barolo." For budget-minded nebbiolo lovers, this is a bottling to seek out.