2021 Barbera d'Alba Scarrone

A deep purple color, the 2021 Barbera D'Alba Vigna Scarrone comes from the vineyard planted in 1989 just outside the cellar and was aged for 14-16 months in cask. It shows off a ripe and rather complex profile in its notes of peppery spice, violets, crushed berries, and plum. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with a plush texture, velvety tannins, and notes of mocha through the midpalate. It’s going to benefit from another year in bottle and drink well 2025-2032. Vietti was founded by Carlo Vietti in the late 1800s and is based in Castiglione Falletto. After marrying Luciana Vietti in the late 1950s, Alfredo Currado joined the operations of the winery and later was largely regarded as responsible for the resurrection of the Arneis grape. Until last year, the estate had been helmed by fifth-generation winemaker Luca Currado Vietti and his wife Elena, who have been the longtime champions of their family’s winery. In 2016, the estate was purchased by Krause Holdings, which had enabled Luca and Elena to continue their roles while simultaneously supporting significant growth, gaining sought-after site acquisitions for production such as Monvigliero in Barolo. Eugenio Palumbo, who has a long tenure with the winery in all operations, has assumed control as the winemaker of the estate today. Though the winery is in solid control in terms of the winemaking, the recent departure of Luca and Elena is certain to leave a spiritual hole impossible to fill any time soon.

The organic Vietti 2021 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone presents lots of dark fruit, blackberry, toast, sweet spice and cinnamon. The fruit is on the syrupy side with a very fragrant and sweet bouquet. The wine is well executed and classic, like a poster child for a warm-vintage Barbera. The palate is very pleasing with glossy, velvety sensations and bright acidity. This is a well-built Barbera d'Alba that ages in barrique for 12 months followed by six months in botte. Production is 13,540. Vietti has access to Nebbiolo from 10 MGA sites to make the various wines in its ample portfolio. We also have a new wine to celebrate—the 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà—that knocks it out of the ballpark with its inaugural release.

The 2021 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone is dense, plush and explosive. A rush of dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, licorice, spice, rose petal and a kick of French oak all build in the glass. Potent and quite deep, the Scarrone is another lights-out Barbera from Vietti. In recent years, the Scarrone has come along very well. Then again, these vines were planted in 1989, so they are no longer ‘young', just younger than the Vigna Vecchia, where the oldest vines date to 1918.