Roccheviberti Barolo Vigneti Rocche di Castiglione 2021

Nothing I want more with my autumnal beef stews and hearty chilis than a big, ol’ Barolo. This remarkably powerful and dense 94-pointer from a quaint family estate offers generously layered complexity that will make you think it couldn’t possibly be less than $60… but that’s exactly, marvelously what it is! Free shipping on just 3!

Small family wineries are the bread and butter of what still makes the wine industry interesting, exciting, and easy to support. This one, in Castiglione Falletto, Italy, is thoughtfully managed by the family’s third generation, winemaker Claudio Viberti, whose grandfather bought land in the Rocche di Castiglione cru in the 1940s. The estate began like so many others – growing and selling fruit to the bigger houses, before one family member (Claudio, in this case) decided to put all their eggs – er, or grapes – in their own basket. He launched the family’s Roccheviberti label in 2002 and hasn’t looked back since.

The farming is all strictly organic, using no chemical fertilizers or herbicides throughout their 4.5 hectares of vineyard holdings. Likewise, cellar practices lean heavily traditional, employing spontaneous native fermentations and long maceration periods (about 18 to 25 days), with large neutral oak casks rather than small new barriques for aging in order to preserve the transparency of the Nebbiolo grapes.

Their Roche di Castiglione Barolo is the estate’s flagship wine – and a brooding, beastly one at that! The striking 2021 vintage was awarded 94 points from Vinous, who said it “impresses with its poise and substance.” Absolutely – this is young, to be certain, but after it has a few moments to breathe, it takes you on a raucous ride through wild strawberry fields, dried cherries, and spirals of blood orange peel before braiding in bits of tobacco leaf, pomegranate seed, dried violet, black tea, black truffle, and crushed anise. A massively huge wine that will only lovingly melt into itself with more years in the bottle, but I can’t blame you if you opt to taste some sooner rather than later. Free shipping on 3 or more certainly helps on both fronts, so do take advantage!

FOOD PAIRINGS: I do think my aforementioned beef stew is nearly ready to make its comeback for this one… this recipe is wicked easy and so mouthwateringly delicious.