2000 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione

Long-time readers know the late 1990s and early 2000s were a period of transition at Vietti. It was a time of experimentation with winemaking that led to the growth that now informs the spectacular wines of more recent vintages.

A simple, informal dinner at Becco, in New York City's theater district, provided an incredible opportunity to survey a broad range of vintages of Vietti's Barolo Rocche. Vietti is one of Barolo's historic properties. Husband and wife team Alfredo Currado and Luciana Vietti were pioneers in the 1960s. They were among the first producers to recognize the unique qualities of their vineyards, many of which are among the finest in the region, even today. Their 1961 Barolo Rocche was among the earliest Barolos to be made from a single vineyard rather than from a blend of plots as was the prevailing custom at the time. Vietti was also one of the first estates to export a significant amount of their production to overseas markets, especially to the US. In fact, I remember that when I lived in Italy a few years ago their wines were always easier to find in the US than locally. Today, the estate is run by brothers-in-law Luca Currado and Mario Cordero. While the quality of the Barolos continues to be very high what impresses me most about Vietti is the quality of all their wines, from top to bottom. The Rocche vineyard is located in Castiglione Falletto, not too far from the winery. The hallmarks of this site are perfumed fruit, finessed, silky tannins, and a sweetness to the fruit that makes the wines accessible at a relatively early age for Barolo, all qualities that were on full display in the wines. The atmosphere in the room was electric as we worked our way through this breathtaking array of wines, which we enjoyed alongside Becco's traditional Italian fare. The food was delicious, but on this night our attention was understandably focused on the wines. Special thanks are due to collector Greg Dal Piaz who organized the dinner and contributed all of the wines except for the 2003 and 2004, which were brought by Luca Currado.

Two years ago, even before I had a chance to taste this estate's 2001, Luca Currado told me that 2001 at his family's winery was a 100-point year. I am happy to report that the 2001 Vietti Barolos and Barbarescos are indeed a stunning group of wines, as complete as any I tasted in the Langhe in September. "This vintage offers the essence of Barolo," explains Currado, "a rare combination of power and freshness of fruit. The wines are beautiful now and will be beautiful in 15 to 20 years. " The Currados have redone and expanded their vinification facility and barrel cellars, and now can work virtually entirely by gravity (the barrels can even be brought up to the bottling area via an elevator). Since the 2001 vintage, the Currados are starting their Barolos in barriques and finishing them in botti, which they believe allows for the best possible combination of controlled oxidation and retention of fruit. But the use of barriques remains critical here:that's where the malolactic fermentations take place, and the lees are stirred until the March after the harvest-very unusual for the region. The dying yeasts release stamens, says Luca Currado, which are antioxidants and work in favor of wine longevity. Currado noted that the family carried out four green harvests in 2004, including a pruning just before the harvest to get more natural concentration in the fruit, a technique he described as Burgundian. "We don't use concentrators to get more color and extract," he explained. Vinification takes place almost entirely in vertical steel tanks, where frequent mechanical pumpovers are gentle enough not to break the seeds and stems. The macerations last 10 to 15 days, including a bit of cold maceration in the same steel tanks, with the Villero and Rocche cuvees spending closer to three weeks on their skins. Currado says the estate sold off its rotofermenters, keeping just one for possible use in an emergency. But the rotofermenters, he believes, do too much extraction and yield unbalanced wines.

The Currado family now owns 32 hectares of vineyards, following a very expensive purchase of a parcel of Barolo Villero. The family is in the process of expanding its winery, although there are no plans to increase production. Luca Currado is a flexible winemaker with strong ideas about the different needs of his crus. "The Rocche needs a long fermentation and does not take well to aging in barriques" he told me. "Brunate is a more feminine wine; it typically requires more oxygenation during its first year. The Lazzarito is a typically hard terroir of Serralunga. Small barrels are essential: the wine is like a wild horse that you need to ride." Currado is increasingly doing the malolactic fermentations in barriques which he believes adds silkiness and fat to the family's wines without making them overly oaky. But elevage varies depending on the wine. For example, the Barbaresco Masseria is aged entirely in barriques but the Barolo Villero is racked into large Slavonian ovals the spring after the harvest, once the malos have occurred in small barrels. Rocche is the only Barolo that spends no time in barriques.Currado is a champion of the 1999 vintage, which offered excellent material and power "for the Barolistas." He described 1998 as an elegant, crowd-pleasing style of wine, like a more structured version of 1988. ("No, it's more like '89," interjected Alfredo Currado.) Luca added that he thought 2000 favored Barbaresco over Barolo, but that 2001 is stronger for both areas. "For me, 2001 is a 100-point vintage, surely the best since 1996. 1996 would have been as good if we knew then what we know now."