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Manzone Barolo Castelletto 2016  - First Bottle

Reviews

94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -
Drawing fruit from Monforte d'Alba (always known for its power and depth), the 2016 Barolo Castelletto shows classic lines and lively fruit intensity that gives the bouquet a pretty sense of lift and power. Red currants, spice, blood orange and rusty nail are part of the aromatic package. Underneath, the wine reveals a solid and tight core of primary fruit that needs time to soften and flesh out. I like the no-nonsense, direct and frank approach of this Barolo by Giovanni Manzone. Some 5,500 bottles were released in June 2020.
93 Vinous -
The 2016 Barolo Castelletto pulses with energy. The flavors are dark and deeply pitched, with tons of balsamic inflections laced throughout. There is a feeling of translucence to the 2016 that is quite appealing. Time in the glass brings out the wine's resonance and breadth. Give it a few years in bottle.
92 James Suckling -
Floral with an undertone of cedar and wood to the cherry and berry character. Medium-bodied with fine, creamy tannins and a delicately fruity finish. It’s a balanced and harmonious wine, even though the new wood is showing now. Give it two or three years to come together. Drink after 2022.

Technical Details

  • BlendNebbiolo
  • CountryItaly
  • RegionPiedmont
  • AppellationBarolo
  • VineyardCastelletto
  • Farming MethodCertified Sustainable
  • Aging/Cooperage3 years in casks and a few months in concrete tanks
  • Alcohol14.5%

Manzone Barolo Castelletto 2016

Nebbiolo  |  Italy
WA94, VN93, JS92

Certified Sustainable
43% off retail!
Act Fast, Only 20 Left!

Just a few weeks now and we’ll be back in Alba with Mauro to taste all the upcoming vintages...but we’re not ready to stop drinking this beauty (and won’t be anytime in the next two decades!). Wow. So much power and complexity, longevity and length wrapped up in such ethereal weight. So amazing. A MUST. And at our price? Pretty much a no-brainer, while it lasts...

Manzone Giovanni bought the "Preve Ciabot" (the priest's house) in 1925 and acquired the coveted Castelletto and Gramolere vineyards in Monforte, before most of the wine world even knew of Barolo. Today his son, Mauro, is heading up most of the winemaking, and we are so proud to have had a chance meeting with them some years back and have been importing them directly to our Napa warehouse. Since then, they’ve gone on to critical acclaim and allocated wines, but we still get a few cases!

The grapes come from the Castelletto vineyard, located in the Monforte d’Alba cru revered for the power and complexity of the wines produced herein. The vineyard exposure is east-southeast, set amongst clay and calcareous soils on a steep and unforgiving slope. An energetic, powerful wine of tremendous depth – taste dried roses, cherries, dried cherries, balsamic, licorice, orange pekoe tea, currants – all things beautifully polished and fine. This will last for decades! DON’T MISS at our crazy price today!

PAIRING IDEAS: Yet another reason why fall is my favorite season... MUSHROOMS! Porcinis and chanterelles are popping here in Northern California, and I just can’t get enough. Meaty, umami rich porcinis go especially well with this powerful wine, so make this pasta dish of Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms. I promise, you’ll thank me later.

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: John Mellencamp and Me’Shell Ndegeocello coming straight from 1994 with this rocking duet "Wild Night”...that’ll do!

About the Producer

A lot of today's famous Barolo producers started making wine when it became the fashionable thing to do in the late 70s and 80s. Not Manzone. It all began in 1925 when Manzone Giovanni bought the "Preve Ciabot" (the priest's house) and began to use grapes from the Castelletto vineyard. In the following years they acquired important vineyards "Castelletto" and "Gramolere", two of the best cru of Monforte d'Alba. Today they have six generations of winemaking history in the books and Giovanni Manzone still runs the show. His son Mauro stepped in to help in 2005 and his daughter Mirella joined in 2012. Both graduated from the historic Alba School of Enology.