Barolo Riserva Villero DOCG 1997

As it’s been widely reported, starting from 1995 in Piedmont we have got a series of excellent vintages, and the Barolo Riserva Villero is bottled only in these special vintages. In 2003 we released the 1996 bottling, this year we are offering a limited release from 1997.

Even though a series of such important vintages, the 1997 will be the last Barolo Riserva Villero for the 20th century. In fact we’ll have to wait until 2008 for the 2001 vintage to be released, as no other vintages will be available in the interim. It’s a difficult decision, but we make no compromises in producing a Riserva bottling of Villero. This has been a long-time Vietti ‘tradition.’ We periodically offer wines of our special series called “Etichetta d’Autore” (wines with a specially designed artist label). commissioned by Vietti; this release from the 1997 vintages wears the label of an original engraving made by a popular American Artist: Wayne Thiebaud.

Born in 1920 in Arizona (U.S.A.), Thiebaud became one of the most well-known American Pop Artists. Thiebaud worked as a cartoonist while serving in the army from 1942 to 1945, creating a character, Aleck, for the comic trip “wingtips”. He became an advertising artist in Hollywood for Universal Studios and he taught at Sacramento City College. In 1985 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Grape: 100% Nebbiolo, Michet clone

Vineyard: Villero vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. South/South West exposure.

Surface: 0,60 Ha. -total vines n°3.100- average age 37 years old.

Soil: Moderately argillous and compact, with evident white and blue marnes.

Harvest date: September 24, 1997

Winemaking: 16 days in stainless steel vats at 32° C. temperature, with automatic pumping over Malolactic fermentation in barrique, where it remains for about six months. Raked into large Slavonian oaks casks of 30 Hl. This wine remained in the oak casks until July 2000. After two months of decanting in stainless steel vats, Barolo Villero was bottled September 1st 2000, without any process of clarification or filtration.

Technical characteristics
Effective alcohol content: 14,10% vol.
Residual sugar: 1,9 g/l
Total acidity (tartaric acid): 6,1 g/l
Dry extract: 30,5 g/l