MAURO VEGLIO BAROLO
PIEDMONT, ITALY 2019
Budget and Barolo aren't two words you expect to find together — not when some premium producers are asking for upwards of $300 a bottle.
But there are some winemakers in the Piedmont who value affordability as much as terroir, and one of them, the great Mauro Veglio, just so happens to be one of our favorites in the region, period.
Veglio, who has been managing the winery since 1986, helped to usher in the more modern style of Barolo that we've seen take root and bloom over the past three decades, distancing itself from the dark, heavy, and often ham-handed wines of the past. His wines aren't just affordable, but also approachable — as he told Forbes, his goal is to make wines that "you don’t have to wait years to develop, wines that you can drink when we release them." That means Barolos with softer tannins, and a profile, he noted, that is "more like the Grand Crus of Burgundy, not Bordeaux."
No herbicides or pesticides are ever used (pheromones are deployed instead, to confuse the mating habits of insects), grapes are exposed to natural wild yeasts, and aging is only done in small, French barriques.
Having recently tasted through their portfolio, we've brought you six that moved us, five from 2019 and one from 2018, and all showing off Veglio’s terroir-driven focus:
- their 95-point Barolo Paiagallo 2018, which Wine Advocate praised: “It wraps smoothly and completely over the palate, imparting sweet fruit, wild rose, blood orange and grilled herb along the way"
- their 94-point Barolo Arborina 2019, a "mid-weight, gracious Barolo," in the words of Vinous, that is "super-classy and refined"
- their 93+-point Barolo Castelletto 2019, which, per Vinous, is "redolent of spice, menthol, licorice, sage and lavender," with "bright acids" and "drive"
- their 93-point Barolo Gattera 2019; Vinous declared it a "powerful, broad wine," a "decidedly dark expression of La Morra" in which all the elements comes together "effortlessly"
- their 92-point Barolo del Comune di Serralunga D'Alba 2019, a "gorgeous Barolo," wrote Vinous, "a wine full of intrigue that will enjoy a fine evolution in bottle for at least a decade or so"
- their 91-point Barolo 2019, which Vinous deemed "an absolute delight," a "beautifully understated" wine "that just gets better with time in the glass"
There you have it, folks. Six keepers, expressive and minding of the details, and for pretty much any occasion.
We might hold off just a bit longer on opening the Gattera, but all the others are ready to go right now, and will offer you many deep and rewarding hours of drinking pleasure.
And at Veglio's already excellent prices, combined with our Concierge Family discount, you really should be thinking about multiple bottles and, for those special occasions just down the road, probably cases. But Italian anything flies out the door around here, so act now to secure yours!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2023. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in CT, KY, MI, NY, or TN This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Sunday, February 26th, 2023.
*Due to limited storage space for pre-ordered product, we can only hold orders for 30 days from the first notification that your order is ready for pickup. If you are unable to pick up your order within 30 days, please contact Concierge Sales at (855) 841-2752 or conciergesales@totalwine.com to make an arrangement. A store associate may reach out periodically to notify you of your order. Unfortunately, if no arrangements have been made, after 30 days, the order will need to be cancelled and we will provide a full refund. No orders will be cancelled without multiple communication attempts.
