Vietti Barolo Cerequio 2019
Non-Member Price:
$263.89 USDMember Price: $250.70
(SAVE 5%)
97+ points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, August 2023
Vietti was able to buy a 9,000-square meter piece of Cerequio from Michele Chiarlo, arguably the king of this celebrated cru. And because this is a new addition to the portfolio, the Vietti team is still learning the ropes. For example, there is a fresh minty tone that pops up from the bouquet of the 2019 Barolo Cerequio. "That minty note was a mystery to us," Luca Currado tells me. "But then we understood that its part of Cerequio." This wine shows a firm grip on the palate that does extend out to include some textural softness, but it ultimately remains quite structured. Among the grand cru sites of La Morra, Luca Currado tells me that "Cerequio is the brother and Brunate is the sister." His wife Elena Penna adds, "We've never had two sites so close to one another show such a great difference between them."
I tasted these wines with Luca Currado and Elena Penna at the Vietti winery just a short time before I would learn that they were leaving for good. The couple sold Vietti to American entrepreneur Kyle Krause in 2016. That historic sale would mark a milestone for the Barolo appellation that has appreciated in value almost exponentially since then, driving wine, grape and land prices through the roof. Luca and Elena stayed on these past years to ensure continuity in winemaking, but that handover phase finally came to an end this past winter. The couple was nice enough to call me and assure me that they were ready to leave and feel that Vietti is in very good hands. In fact, they leave an outstanding portfolio of wines, counting eight Barolos, including one new Barolo Riserva reviewed here. Elena Penna is now focused on making a popular Vermouth di Torino, and Luca Currado plants to continue in wine as a consultant. The couple still lives in their house above the winery. On a personal note, I will miss them dearly. Luca and Elena are some of my favorite people in Italian wine, and I look forward to their next moves. I send them my warmest regards.
Monica Larner
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Wines of Kings is a US-registered wine importer and online wine store, offering a curated selection of high-end European wines. We are devoted to the direct sourcing, handling, importing, sale, and delivery of some of the most sought-after and beloved wines in the world - selected carefully for their quality, vintage and terroir.
From cellar-to-cellar, or cellar to shelf, we maintain the highest standards, thanks to close relationships with the finest producers of wine across the globe, ensuring authenticity.
We maintain strict, direct, temperature- controlled delivery from the cellar to the customer, guaranteeing the integrity of each vintage’s character and flavor profile.
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FOUNDERS AND BACKGROUND
Founders Marco Prete and Cristina Fragni have spent a lifetime in close contact with the top European winemakers and cellar masters, and have spent decades on their shared passion for learning, tasting, and even assisting in the production of fine wines.
After relocating to NYC in 2013, they found that many of their favorite vintages were not available in the US. Inspired by a lack of available inventory on the usual channels, they decided that it was essential to them personally and professionally to create a bespoke, world-class collection of fine wines available for US import.
The Wines of Kings collection of exquisite wines reflects the founders’ obsession with premium wines that are made authentically.
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