Rizzi - Barbaresco Riserva Boito 2018

Ernesto Dellapiana is known to say: “I have a crazy love for the earth.”

Born in Alba, Italy in 1940 his passion for the land of the Langhe and winemaking drove him to reclaim a historic lost family property. The starting point for Rizzi begins in 1973 with the acquisition of the Rizzi farmhouse and its vineyards on the two sides of the hill (Cru Rizzi) and Cru Nervo, a 4-hectare (9.88 acres) plot under the village of Treiso. The Rizzi Winery continued to expand with the addition of the Boito farmhouse and the adjacent Vigna Boito, still inside the Cru Rizzi, in 1984. The Manzola farmhouse and its vineyards were purchased in 1997.
Between 2004 and 2018 the family purchased 3 hectares (7.41 acres) of vineyards in the Cru Pajorè, 5 hectares (12.35 acres) of Podere Stella at Neviglie and 1.5 hectares (3.70 acres) in the Cru Giacone and 3 hectares (7.41 acres) of the Cru Bricco di Neive.

In 2004, after graduating from the University of Turn with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology, Enrico Dellapiana followed his older sister Jole to Rizzi.  A passionate winemaker and a talented painter, Enrico strives to make wines that are “alive”; clean, pure and elegant. Enrico designs the Barbaresco Rizzi Riserva Boito labels for each vintage and hand paints each individual label for the limited magnum production of this special wine. His creative passions shine through in both his winemaking and artistic sensibilities.

Treiso is located almost directly south of the classic town of Barbaresco. The gentle rolling hills steeped in Piedmont history. The Rizzi estate is comprised of 40 total hectares (98.84 acres) located primarily in this famous Trieso zone. Elevation ranges between 200m and 430m (656ft and 1410.76ft), with 20 hectares (49.42 acres) of Nebbiolo planted. The vines produce elegant and sophisticated wines from the vineyard crus Rizzi (from which a Riserva Vigna Boito is also born), Pajoré, Nervo, Manzola, Giacone, and Bricco di Neive. An additional 20 hectares (49.42 acres) of the estate produce Langhe Nebbiolo, Dolceto D’Alba, Barbera D’Alba and Moscato D’Asti from vineyards in the nearby zone of Neviglie.

It is impossible to visit this very special zone of Barbaresco without traversing the impressive, steep, vine-clad hills of Treiso and partaking in the warm hospitality of their peoples. Their protection of this idyllic environment and the validation of the region and its estates are essential guidelines for the continued growth and work of the Rizzi winery and the Dellapiana family.

Vigna Boito is located on the upper part of the Rizzi Cru, in soils that are geologically younger, deeper, and have more clay than the surrounding areas. It is located at an altitude of  790-1,015 feet, with south and southwest exposure. Vines were planted from 1972 to 1995, in soils of white marl and calcareous clay, and are trained using the Guyot system.

100% Nebbiolo; alcohol: 15%; grown in the upper “saddle” of the Rizzi Cru, on geologically younger soils, more clayey-calcareous and deeper; hand harvested 10/1 – 10/2016; fermented in stainless steel tanks below 86ºF for 4 weeks; 1 month malolactic fermentation; aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for 20 months; aged in bottle until at least 50 months after harvest.

“An aromatic nose with wild berries, strawberries, flowers, sweet spices, wet stones and chocolate cherries. It’s medium-bodied with finely grained tannins and bright acidity. Transparent with a pure core of juicy fruit at the center, with clarity and vitality throughout. Precise and harmonious with a succulent finish. Drink or hold.” - 94 Points, James Suckling

“Rizzi 2018 Vigna Boito Riserva (Barbaresco). Vigna Boito sits at the top of the Rizzi cru and shows depth, intensity and power. This wine opens with candied plum, violet, licorice and cedar aromas. Concentrated on the palate with a balance between power and elegance, showing flavors of macerated plums with anise and clove with oolong tea and dark earthy notes on the long and firm finish. Drink 2025–2045.” - 94 Points, Wine Enthusiast

“The “Vigna Boito” Riserva from Enrico Dellapiana is crafted from an upper section of the Cru vineyard of Rizzi, where the soils have more clay and less chalk than in the lower portions of the Cru. The Vigna Boito is aged solely in botti for twenty months prior to bottling and is then given bottle aging in the Rizzi cellars to allow at least four years of aging prior to release. The 2018 Vigna Boito is the new release of this lovely Riserva Barbaresco. It delivers a deep, complex and very refined bouquet of red and black cherries, licorice, a touch of road tar, woodsmoke, spiced meats, fresh oregano, curry, cedar and the first hints of the autumnal shadings of soil that will come with bottle age. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and loaded with ripe fruit at the core, with excellent soil undertow and grip, ripe, firm tannins, excellent focus and balance and a long, pure and fairly powerful finish. This wine landed at a full fifteen percent octane in the hot summer of 2018 (though “cool” examples of Barbaresco are routinely 14.5 percent alcohol these days, so it is not a dramatic uptick in ripeness), but shows no signs whatsoever of heat on the backend. It is just a bit more powerful than most vintages as a result of the hot summer of 2018. Fine juice. 2037 – 2085.” - 93 Points, The Cellar

Producer: Rizzi

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Appellation: Barbaresco

Vintage: 2018

Size: 750ml