The 2007 Barolo Castiglione deftly balances the open, radiant personality of the vintage with considerable underlying structure. Warm, dense and full-bodied, the 2007 Barolo Castiglione flows effortlessly across the palate with generous fruit and fabulous overall balance. The wine was even better when I tasted it from bottle a few months later. It is another overachieving wine from Vietti and a bottle that is exceedingly fairly priced. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Sadly the world lost Alfredo Currado - one of Piedmont's pioneers - last year, but I am sure he would have been thrilled to see how his son's wines have turned out. Luca Currado's 2007 Baroli are every bit as impressive from bottle as they were from cask. Interestingly, Vietti is one of the few producers where the house style and vineyard nuances are just as evident as vintage character. Although the 2007s are gorgeous today, most of the wines shut down quickly in the glass, suggesting they may be headed for a period of stubbornness. All of the wines now see a fairly lengthy period of several weeks of contact on the skins, followed by malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels and aging in large, Slavonian oak casks. Always curious to explore, Currado continues to make small adjustments to vinification, including an experimental 2010 Barolo made with a strictly traditional approach that may end up being bottled only in magnum. I think it is fair to say readers will be stunned by the quality of the wines that are emerging from this family run property in Castiglione Falletto. An upcoming article on www.erobertparker.com will take an in-depth look at the estate's Barolo Riserva Villero. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405

A meaty, dense style, packing plum and cherry flavors accented by tea and tobacco, this muscular red wears its burly tannins well, with enough sweet fruit for balance. Fine length. Best from 2015 through 2030. 3,597 cases made.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add