2016 Barolo Lazzarito

Vietti's 2016 Barolos are stratospheric. I have been following the wines for several years, first as separate lots, then as young wines in barrel. In all of those tastings, the wines were never anything less than mesmerizingly beautiful and full of potential. Now that they are in bottle, that potential has been realized. These are, quite simply, the most monumental wines I have tasted in twenty years of visiting the estate. Luca Currado told me yields were around 52 hectoliters per hectare, which is to say in line with years like 2013, but lower than 2004 or 2010, for example, both of which were more bountiful.

The 2016s represent another major step towards a style that melds together a level of textural richness that is quite contemporary with winemaking that is heavily traditional, a combination that works brilliantly, as readers can see from these notes. The first step in this direction was the 2010 Barolo Ravera, which was done entirely in cask, with no French oak for the malolactic fermentation, a departure from the days when all the Barolos spent about six months in French oak barrique. These days, the Barolos follow the same process, which is to say they are raised entirely in cask. The Lazzarito is an exception; it tends to have a very fast malo that often takes place alongside the alcoholic fermentation. It then sees about three months in French oak (10% new), done to soften the Serralunga tannins, before finishing the rest of its aging in cask. The 2016s saw 30-40 days on the skins, a few days longer than normal, with submerged cap fermentation. Kudos to Luca and Elena Currado, along with their longtime cellarmaster, Eugenio Palumbo, for a set of truly epic wines that will define their legacy at Vietti.