Barbera d'Alba DOC Scarrone Vigna Vecchia 2021

A youthful, still impetuous wine with fire, finesse and intensity. On the nose, red and blue fruits meet wild herbs, cedarwood, marzipan and nougat, alongside distinct floral notes of violet and rose. The exceptional concentration arises naturally from the low yield of the very old vines; the 15.5% ABV feels more moderate than the label suggests.

The grapes grow in Scarrone, a Barolo cru vineyard just below the winery in Castiglione Falletto, where Vietti has been based since 1873. The vineyard is steep and terraced, facing east-northeast, on a limestone marl soil.

Pure varietal Barbera from the parcel with the oldest vines, planted in 1918, trained on wire trellises (Guyot) at around 4,300 vines per hectare. Hand-harvested, gently destemmed, two days of cold maceration in open stainless steel vats, followed by around two weeks of alcoholic fermentation with regular pump-overs and punch-downs of the must. Malolactic fermentation in small oak casks, followed by about 18 months of ageing, mostly in French oak barriques (around 25% new barrels), with a smaller portion in large oak casks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Juicy fruit with fruit sweetness and invigorating acidity, leading into a mineral-saline streak. The tannin is ripe yet still flirts with its youth. Best decanted, and served slightly chilled in large glasses.

At this young stage, braised dishes and rich sauces are the way to go: osso buco with roasted vegetables and rosemary potatoes, pappardelle with sausage and red wine ragù, or risotto with chanterelles and blackberries.

Since 1974, Vietti's bottles have featured original artworks by artists, including a drawing by Pier Paolo Pasolini. In 2025, Doctor Wine named the winery Azienda dell'Anno.