Viberti, Giovanni
I have dined at the Viberti’s restaurant on a couple of occasions, and those events account for the majority of my experience with these wines. Running through my notes I decided that it was time to take more time to learn about these bottlings and met with Claudio Viberti to walk through the vineyards, cellar, and company philosophy. This is a solid mid level producer making reliable traditional wines that are showing signs of reachin a new level of quality.
2015 Viberti Dolcetto d’Alba 14%
current vintage, SS and malo in concrete with delayed harvest
Dark color, very almond, amaretti toned nose with a hint of baked goods yeastiness. In the mouth this starts off as a bit sweet with slightly jammy raspberry fruit. A polished, round wine with big fruit, a little chewy, decidedly powerful Dolcetto, with depth of fruit that is impressive, very full on the palate, all of which makes this a more special occasion Dolcetto than the more typical every day every meal style. Clean and fresh if not zingy not withstanding the fine acidity. Finishes with pleasant almond notes. This needs air to open and thin out just a bit, as it brightens up nicely and becomes a bit more tannic and easier to drink. Still, it’s a big dolcetto. 87pts
2015 Viberti Barbera d’Alba La Gemella 14%
Lovely nose, gently fruity with wild cherry and gentle spicy vegetal notes. Bright and juicy in the mouth with lovely freshness and purity to the fruit, and fine ripe tannins lending this both a playful quality and length. Just textbook Barbera with this black cherry note on the finish, juicy good length, workmanlike but so delicious and well balanced and vibrant. Cleans the palate so well, great everyday Barbera. 87pts
Tasted from tank
2014 Bricco delle Viole fine and elegant, very pretty
2013 Barolo
All crus are very representative
Ravera is tannic, powerful, coffee tinged, with slight vegetal notes,
Bricco delle Viole is fine and elegant with spice notes
San Piero is the most complete
2013 Viberti Barbera d’Alba Superiore Bricco Airoli 13%
Three parcels co fermented 30-54 year old, one parcel lies within Bricco delle Viole
Just released
Dark on the nose with leathery top notes, spicy with hints of older wood and Salumi. Big rich yet not heavy mouthfeel, good length, complex and elegant with lovely clarity to the tart red fruit on the palate, showing hints of cranberry laced through dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit that drifts off through the fairly long finish. Very well done with acids that are present but integrated into the fruit. 89pts
2013 Viberti Barolo Buon Padre 14%
40-45k
Less 10k or more bottles when crus are produced
Smells of soil, dried cherry fruit, and leather, with a top note of minty spice. Seamless if brighter in style, not a lot of flesh here, ripe tannins, a solid core of red fruit, very youthful but moderately expressive already. Tannic but the tannins are finely ripe. Hints of asphalt emerge on the nose, the minerally midpalate leads to a firm, dried cherry fruited finish, classic old school Barolo. 91pts
Have produced seven vintages in 22 years
2010 Viberti Barolo Riserva Bricco delle Viole 14.5%
Deep cherry fruit on the nose, spicy and fresh with leafy hints of flowers and fennel pollen; a really classic camphor nose hint of cherry cola and white pepper. Tight, focused and sapid in the mouth with fine focus and length: all red fruited and floral. The midpalate takes on a nicely burnished quality with lovely nutty complexity through the long and perfumed finish, surprisingly approachable already. 91pts
2007 Viberti Barolo Riserva San Piero 14.55
Lots of cherry in alcohol on the nose, smoky tobacco, pipe tobacco, with silica soill and blue flower complexity leading to dusty sweet notes dusty seed spices and lots of shoe polish. Bright and juicy with excellent transparency and tons of minerality on the palate. Very fresh for the vintage, very fresh for any vintage with excellent length. Young but open, real ripeness to the fruit, but no hint of over ripeness, gets brighter and more elegant as it sits in the glas. 92pts
2014 Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo
Evergreen on the nose and fresh with plenty of red fruit,. Fairly full in the mouth, though bright with lovely cut on the palate. This has a great acid driven mouthfeel with slightly gritty if fine grained tannins. A touch broad shouldered and not terribly complex but appealingly fresh. 84pts
In this vintage Claudio pulled 60-70 % of seeds out after first day, also did for Bricco delle Viole, which might be why that wine is so fine grained as well.
2015 Viberti Dolcetto d’Alba 14%
current vintage, SS and malo in concrete with delayed harvest
Dark color, very almond, amaretti toned nose with a hint of baked goods yeastiness. In the mouth this starts off as a bit sweet with slightly jammy raspberry fruit. A polished, round wine with big fruit, a little chewy, decidedly powerful Dolcetto, with depth of fruit that is impressive, very full on the palate, all of which makes this a more special occasion Dolcetto than the more typical every day every meal style. Clean and fresh if not zingy not withstanding the fine acidity. Finishes with pleasant almond notes. This needs air to open and thin out just a bit, as it brightens up nicely and becomes a bit more tannic and easier to drink. Still, it’s a big dolcetto. 87pts
2015 Viberti Barbera d’Alba La Gemella 14%
Lovely nose, gently fruity with wild cherry and gentle spicy vegetal notes. Bright and juicy in the mouth with lovely freshness and purity to the fruit, and fine ripe tannins lending this both a playful quality and length. Just textbook Barbera with this black cherry note on the finish, juicy good length, workmanlike but so delicious and well balanced and vibrant. Cleans the palate so well, great everyday Barbera. 87pts
Tasted from tank
2014 Bricco delle Viole fine and elegant, very pretty
2013 Barolo
All crus are very representative
Ravera is tannic, powerful, coffee tinged, with slight vegetal notes,
Bricco delle Viole is fine and elegant with spice notes
San Piero is the most complete
2013 Viberti Barbera d’Alba Superiore Bricco Airoli 13%
Three parcels co fermented 30-54 year old, one parcel lies within Bricco delle Viole
Just released
Dark on the nose with leathery top notes, spicy with hints of older wood and Salumi. Big rich yet not heavy mouthfeel, good length, complex and elegant with lovely clarity to the tart red fruit on the palate, showing hints of cranberry laced through dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit that drifts off through the fairly long finish. Very well done with acids that are present but integrated into the fruit. 89pts
2013 Viberti Barolo Buon Padre 14%
40-45k
Less 10k or more bottles when crus are produced
Smells of soil, dried cherry fruit, and leather, with a top note of minty spice. Seamless if brighter in style, not a lot of flesh here, ripe tannins, a solid core of red fruit, very youthful but moderately expressive already. Tannic but the tannins are finely ripe. Hints of asphalt emerge on the nose, the minerally midpalate leads to a firm, dried cherry fruited finish, classic old school Barolo. 91pts
Have produced seven vintages in 22 years
2010 Viberti Barolo Riserva Bricco delle Viole 14.5%
Deep cherry fruit on the nose, spicy and fresh with leafy hints of flowers and fennel pollen; a really classic camphor nose hint of cherry cola and white pepper. Tight, focused and sapid in the mouth with fine focus and length: all red fruited and floral. The midpalate takes on a nicely burnished quality with lovely nutty complexity through the long and perfumed finish, surprisingly approachable already. 91pts
2007 Viberti Barolo Riserva San Piero 14.55
Lots of cherry in alcohol on the nose, smoky tobacco, pipe tobacco, with silica soill and blue flower complexity leading to dusty sweet notes dusty seed spices and lots of shoe polish. Bright and juicy with excellent transparency and tons of minerality on the palate. Very fresh for the vintage, very fresh for any vintage with excellent length. Young but open, real ripeness to the fruit, but no hint of over ripeness, gets brighter and more elegant as it sits in the glas. 92pts
2014 Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo
Evergreen on the nose and fresh with plenty of red fruit,. Fairly full in the mouth, though bright with lovely cut on the palate. This has a great acid driven mouthfeel with slightly gritty if fine grained tannins. A touch broad shouldered and not terribly complex but appealingly fresh. 84pts
In this vintage Claudio pulled 60-70 % of seeds out after first day, also did for Bricco delle Viole, which might be why that wine is so fine grained as well.