2013 Fratelli Seghesio La Villa Barolo DOCG 750 ml

I want to introduce you to my top new find of Italy’s heralded 2013 vintage. One my greatest pleasures is the opportunity to taste the many expressions of Nebbiolo across dozens and dozens of producers. And in an exceptional year like 2013, just about every wine I’ve tasted has been in top form. In short, the Piedmontese have all brought their “A-game.” But none more so than the 2013 Fratelli Seghesio La Villa Barolo — a stunning Nebbiolo that just exploded from my glass with truly captivating aromatics. During our weekly Judging Panel, my penchant to return to the wine was evident, and the wine established itself as everyone’s clear favorite! I set about securing the lion’s share of the US allocation at a price to of $45 per bottle.

Brothers Aldo and Riccardo Seghesio’s winery is located in the legendary hilltop village of Monforte d’Alba. The source for this 2013 Fratelli Seghesio Barolo is the famous “La Villa” vineyard, perched 1,148 feet in elevation, rooted with vines planted between 1950 and the early 1980s. This is the top wine from the estate and represents a mere fraction — 500 to 550 cases — of their already small production.

The 2013 vintage is exciting in so many ways. It has the structural elegance of 2001, the flesh and opulence of 2004, and the aromatic lift of 2006. It reminds me a bit like the great 2010 vintage, but perhaps drinking a little better in its youth. Barolo is my favorite red wine region in the world, and selecting my stand out wine of the vintage can be an arduous task, however, the Fratelli Seghesio “La Villa” chose me. This wine has made me a lifelong believer in the Fratelli Seghesio estate, and I look forward to enjoying many bottles of this Seghesio “La Villa”, for decades to come!

At the core, 2013 Fratelli Seghesio “La Villa” offers ripe cherry and dried cranberry. Haunting secondaries of sweet pipe tobacco, rose petal, fresh mushrooms, leather, tar, anise, walnuts, and sandalwood are omnipresent. This structure has everything I crave in Barolo: depth and richness without feeling heavy, detailed definition with lifted aromatics, while displaying volume, length, elegance and composure.

The Italian critic I respect the most — Antonio Galloni — concurs, saying: “One of the finest wines I have tasted from Seghesio of late, the 2013 Barolo La Villa offers striking depth, nuance and complexity,” and awarded in 94 points. Galloni’s rave continues: “Dark cherry, blood orange, mint, lavender and pine wrap around a core of dense, pliant fruit in an exotic, multi-dimensional Barolo that has a lot to say. The tannins are naturally quite firm at this stage, but they are also very nicely integrated into the wine's fabric. Richly textured and beguiling in every way, the 2013 La Villa is another superb effort from Seghesio.”

I wholeheartedly agree, and hope you find just as much delight in this wine as I do.

Kindest Regards,
Sur Lucero MS
Master Sommelier