Vietti's 2020 Nebbiolo opens with figs and plums before revealing a silken palate of sweet dark fruits, fresh herbs, and baking spice. Tannins so well-integrated they seem to dissolve. A wine from Piedmont's storied Langhe hills that proves power and smoothness aren't opposites.
Winemaker Notes
Aromatically this wine is powerful with notes of figs as well as plums. On the palate, the wine is extremely smooth with well-integrated tannins, sweet, almost dried dark fruits, fresh herbs, and baking spice.
Professional Ratings
96
Robert Parker / Wine AdvocateLazzarito stands out as one of the strongest wines in this portfolio of new releases from Vietti. With fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, the 2020 Barolo Lazzarito comes in at a very high threshold in terms of complexity, offering dark cherry, crème de cassis, violet macaron, dried herb and lavender. The wine's perfumes remind me of the south of France in summer. It shows elegant tannins, streamlined intensity and good acidity.
96
James SucklingThere is a little more savoriness here, showing contained power. Tar and dark minerality. Plenty of forest berries, dried orange peel, frozen grapefruit and raspberries. Very structured and full-bodied, with firm, chewy tannins rendering the bold austere quality to the wine. But at the end, this is focused and taut, with a crunchy, spicy finish full of length. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drinkable now if you are willing to embrace austerity, but this should be better from 2027.
94
Wine SpectatorStarts with an open feel, displaying cherry, peach, iron, tar and tobacco flavors before firming up. This lively red builds to the long aftertaste of red licorice, tobacco and earth. Best from 2027 through 2045.
93
VinousThe 2020 Barolo Lazzarito is a blend of fruit picked before and after the early October rains. It marries power and finesse to a notable degree. Dark red fruit, menthol, licorice, crushed rocks and dried herbs open nicely in the glass. This is a bit light for a Serralunga Barolo, although the tannic structure is there. This is missing a bit of personality.
About the Producer
Located in the heart of the Langhe hills, at the top of the village of Castiglione Falletto, the Vietti wine cellar was founded in the late 1800's by Carlo Vietti. The estate has gradually grown over time, and today the vineyard holdings include some of the most highly prized terroirs within the Barolo and Barbaresco winegrowing areas. Although they had been making wine for four generations, the turning point came at the end of the 1950's when Luciana Vietti married winemaker and art connoisseur Alfredo Currado, whose intuitions - from the production of one of the first Barolo crus (1961 - Roc…