- 95 points -

Tight and focused with racy, fine tannins. I like the bright fruit and vivid acidity. Cedar, berry and white-truffle flavors. Tight and linear. Needs time to open. Try after 2022.

- 94 points -

The Vietti 2016 Barolo Castiglione opens to a grounded and authentic profile with hints of mint, balsam herb and tilled earth. The primary fruit is neatly folded into all those other components, and all received equal billing when the final results are counted. The entry-level Castiglione is always the most accessible of Vietti's Baroli, but this vintage shows a heightened level of intensity, complexity and freshness. Those silky tannins are followed by beautiful menthol brightness. This is a real charmer.

- 94 points -

The 2016 Barolo Castiglione is a dazzling wine that will show readers just how compelling this vintage is, even among entry-level wines from top producers. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous richness and resonance from the very first taste. Bright red cherry and red plum fruit, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and spice build as this sumptuous, dramatic Barolo shows all it's got. As always, the Castiglione is built on a core of fruit from Ravera. In 2016, the Castiglione benefits from the inclusion of several new sites, including Ginestra, Mosconi, Bricco Ravera (in Monforte), Le Coste, Costabelle, Meriame, Briccolina and Codana. All I can say is: What a wine!

- 94 points -

There’s such purity of fruit to this with both dried and ripe strawberries and citrus rind. It’s full-bodied and structured with layers of ripe tannins that are fine and polished. Tight at the end. Give this two or three years to open and soften. Try in 2024.

- 93 points -

While the exact blend of parcels varies from year to year, the backbone of Castiglione always comes from the Ravera cru of Novello. It has a dark and brooding character and takes time to open up. Winter mint, cedar and an intriguing earthiness offset nuances of red cherry and violets as they slowly emerge. Firm, vertical tannins shore up the palate but remain effortlessly sophisticated in this powerful and dense Barolo.

- 93 points -

Appealing aromas and flavors of rose, black currant, cherry, earth and tobacco mark this harmonious red, which is beautifully balanced and lingers with accents of fruit, earth and tobacco. Best from 2022 through 2040

- 93 points -

- 92 points -

A bright, expressive version, revealing cherry, raspberry, mineral, tar and tobacco flavors. Deftly balanced, featuring a matrix of dusty tannins, this rides out the lengthy finish, with balsamic notes of juniper, rosemary and tobacco. Best from 2022 through 2038.

- 92 points -

Plenty of wild-berry character to the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with good fruit focus and firm tannin that will need a year or two to soften. Bright and youthful.

- 92 points -

The 2017 Barolo Castiglione is a wild, exotic wine. Super-ripe red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, tobacco, new leather and rose petal all flesh out in this ample, voluptuous Barolo from Vietti. The 2017 is a wine of significant heft hidden behind a wall of tannin. Give it a few years to soften or open it well in advance. Time brings out striking translucence as well as finesse.

- 91 points -

A savory version, boasting eucalyptus, juniper, earth and tobacco aromas and flavors around a core of cherry. Firm and dry, with a chalky feel on the finish. Elegant and refined.

- 90 points -

From a selection of small vineyards in Castiglione Falletto, with vines aged between 10 and 43 years old planted on clay-limestone soils. Castiglione is aged for about 30 months in oak casks as well as barriques, and the result is a wine with intense violet and orange peel notes over red fruit aromas, with spices in depth. Tense and supple, the palate features assertive tannins at present but has the shoulders to age well, improving both integration and complexity.