Seghesio Barolo Castelletto La Villa 2021

When sharecropping ended in Piedmont in 1965, Papà Riccardo Seghesio had a chance to buy a small plot of Nebbiolo vines right down the slope from the little church in Monforte d’Alba. He bought it. For years, he and his sons tended these vines, selling the fruit to the local cooperative, as Papà would have done under the old system. When Papà retired, his sons Aldo and Riccardo Jr. started making their own estate Barolo.

Papà and Aldo have since passed. Now Riccardo Jr. — although nobody calls him that — is the old man. An old man, but still making the Wine of Kings.

He’s the kind of farmer whose hands are as big as lobster claws and who looks at you funny if you ask for a tour, although he’ll give you one. He’ll step out onto the dirt driveway, point to the church and the long slope down from it: “C’è Nebbiolo.” Then he’ll walk you inside to the garage-like cellar and taste you through the new wines: “Barolo.” His nephews Marco and Sandro come by to help with the agriculture. His niece Michela handles the business side. And instead of a tour, what you really want is to be invited to Sunday dinner, when Michela makes her meat lasagna and Riccardo plays the game of “taste, and guess which vintage.” That is a good evening.

Riccardo is also not the kind of farmer who keeps up with the times. His wines are traditional Monforte Barolo — stern, powerful, perfumed, silky, elegant and noble all at the same time. His La Villa parcel, within the Castelletto cru, holds a distinction most people don’t know: It is the oldest single MGA bottling from any producer in Castelletto, named for an area that was once its own commune before the maps were redrawn. The vines are 40 to 60 years old, rooted in tuffaceous clay at 350 meters, southeast-facing — the kind of site where Nebbiolo, the most demanding grape in Italy, can become something profound.

The 2021 is, by any serious measure, the finest La Villa I have poured.

Vinous awarded it 95 points, calling it “fabulous. Dark and vibrant in the glass, the 2021 is alluring right out of the gate. Expressive spice and mentholated notes meld into a core of dark red/purplish fruit.”

In Vino Veritas gave it 97 points, noting: “Easily the finest showing I have ever encountered from this wine or this estate. The nose is beautifully pronounced and expressive, with layers of dark cherry, ripe raspberry, and red plum, accented by rose petals, sweet spice, and a delicate mineral undertone. There is remarkable purity and definition to the fruit, with an aromatic intensity that is captivating without becoming excessive.

“The palate is equally impressive, delivering a seamless progression of succulent cherry, black raspberry, and red currant fruit. Rich and generous through the mid-palate, yet beautifully delineated, with vibrant acidity and finely integrated tannins providing both energy and structure. Everything flows effortlessly, with no awkward edges or interruption between fruit, texture, and finish. The length is exceptional, carrying a lovely combination of dark fruit, floral perfume, and mineral precision.

“A genuinely outstanding Barolo, remarkably complete and harmonious. Still decidedly youthful, yet already drinking magnificently, with the depth, balance, and underlying structure to evolve beautifully for many years.”

The wine opens with garnet color, Bing cherry, black tea, roasted hazelnut, pomelo orange and laurel. The palate is classic, traditional Monforte Barolo: massive and muscular, but not blunt; rich and warm, but still perfumed, detailed and elegant. The tannins are firm, saturated and beautifully shaped, carrying the kind of power that will reward time in the cellar. Drink it now with a long decant, or cellar it through the 2030s and beyond.

Riccardo believes in an honest day’s work and not in keeping up with his high-flying neighbors. His prices have always reflected that conviction.

This is exactly the Barolo you want. And at this price, from this vintage, from the oldest La Villa bottling in Castelletto, you should not wait.