Barolo Villero Riserva

Vineyard and terroir

Nebbiolo comes from the Villero cru in Castiglione Falletto. Vintage accounts describe a robust site capable of absorbing substantial rainfall, notably in 2006.

Grapes

Nebbiolo.

Ageing

The Riserva editions receive prolonged maturation in oak, developing greater complexity and depth.

Tasting profile

The 1998 has an intense garnet colour, a complex bouquet, a full and harmonious palate, and a long, persistent finish. The 1999 combines intense colour with a rich, mature-Barolo aromatic profile and a notably enduring finish. The deep-coloured 2001 is aromatic, complex and profound. The 2004 offers ripe cherry, rose, tobacco and spice after extended oak maturation; it is full and enveloping, with liquorice nuances, robust structure and refinement. The full-bodied 2006 ranges from flowers and red fruit to leather, with broad, persistent aromas and a solid structure. The 2009 is garnet-coloured, with evolved notes of dried fruit, leather and tobacco.

Vintage notes

The archived Riserva releases are 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2009. The 1998 season favoured late-ripening Nebbiolo and produced 1,248 bottles; harvest was on 15 September. The 2001 growing season ended with complete Nebbiolo ripeness after September instability; harvest ran from 10 to 20 October, with 690 bottles produced. In 2004, a dry, sunny autumn allowed optimal ripening; harvest ran from 6 to 15 October and yielded 1,443 bottles. The 2006 vines endured a cold, wet winter and variable summer, while the vineyard soils absorbed the September rain effectively; harvest ran from 11 to 21 October and yielded 1,354 bottles.