A big, dense wine the 2013 Barolo Riserva Vignolo is going to need quite a bit of time to be at its best. Today, it is decidedly dark and brooding. Black cherry, smoke, licorice, iron, leather and spice add to that impression. Time in the glass brings out a super-classic profile of rose petal and tar, but the 2013 remains quite imposing. I can't remember a Vignolo with this much sheer brawn. Readers will have to be patient , but there is certainly plenty to look forward to. The 2013 saw 36-38 days on the skins followed by five years in cask, with a preference for larger and more neutral oak that allows for a more gradual pace of aging in the cellar than smaller casks. Feb 2020

The 2013 Barolo Riserva Vignolo surprises for the sheer darkness and saturation of its color. Upfront and without too much bother, the wine offers immediate richness and concentration with dark berry fruit, plum and dried cherry. There is a lot of intensity here, but the wine is more horizontal and broad in character than it is vertical per se. In other words, it shows a heavy center of gravity, and its very character is focused on richness and power. This wine ages in 20- and 100-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti for up to five years before its commercial release. Production is exactly 6,666 bottles. ML June 2019

A core of sweet, ripe fruit is surrounded by tar, eucalyptus, menthol, soy and tobacco flavors. Firm and taut, with latent fruit to balance the structure. The sweet fruit returns on the aftertaste. Needs a few years. Best from 2022 through 2043. BS April 2020

Cavallotto's other Barolo Riserva is called Vignolo and comes from 1.5 hectares on the lower slopes of Bricco Boschis, where the vines are over 50 years old. Ageing in cask continues for 48 months. On the nose it's lush and opulent, with aromas of cherries and raspberries. The tannins are suave and polished, although the wines as a whole is powerful and assertive. Its energy and vigour ensure excellent length. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2036
Tasted by: Stephen Brook(at London, 10 Mar 2021)
Part of Barolo 2013: 133 wines tasted