Deep ruby color; red and black fruits, blackcurrant, cherry, violets, tobacco on the nose; tart black cherry, blackberry, raspberry; licorice; blackcurrant; black, oak on the palate.
Dry; very relaxed tannins—a characteristic of barbera. Medium-plus body; good acidity. The wine is 100% organically farmed barbera grapes. Grapes sourced from three vineyards, thus the “tre vigne” name. Vegan. Fermented in French and Slavonian barrels with full malolactic fermentation. Aged 14 months in barrel. Natural yeasts. Medium 14.5% ABV
Carlo Vietti founded the winery in 1873. It is located in the Langhe hills, at the top of the village of Castiglione Falletto, south of Turin, near the French border. The estate has grown steadily and now includes some of the most highly-prized terroir in the Barolo wine growing region.
The Vietti fortunes particularly accelerated in the 1960s when Luciana Vietti married winemaker and art connoisseur Alfredo Currado. They produced one of the first barolo crus (Rocche di Castiglione, 1961). The first single-varietal of arneis (1967). The invention of artist labels (1974). The legacy continued with Luca Currado Vietti, Luciana and Alfredo’s son, and his wife, Elena.
In 2016, Krause Holdings purchased the historic winery. The website notes: “Enabling Luca and Elena, always at the head of Vietti brand, to add a number of prized crus to the estate’s holdings, and be able as a result to look to a future with new, stimulating prospects, all while maintaining the family approach for which the cellar has always been known.”
Vietti Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne DOCG 2018 is soft, easy drinker. With its low tannins and moderate acidity, barbera is the everyday wine of the Piedmont region of Italy. This is wine you can enjoy every day, particularly at lunch or with a simple meal. Pair with pastas—with red or white sauces; veal; pork; venison; poultry. $18