2013 Attilio Ghisolfi Barolo Bricco Visette DOCG 750 ml

Here in Napa, you’ll find deep and genuine pride for the region and its wines. You’d be hard pressed to find a vintner or industry vet who wouldn’t tout the Valley’s offerings over the rest of the world...in public. In private, the pride remains, but the truth is we do like to drink from the rest of the world as well. Especially the Old World. 

We first enjoyed this stunning 2013 Barolo amongst a cadre of Napa winemaker friends at a dinner party in Coombsville, and the bright red fruit etched with leather and clove wrapped in silky, fine-grained tannins simply bowled us over. 

Dinner was grilled tomahawk Wagyu steak with risotto, a heavenly combo in and of itself, but next to the mouthwatering Bricco Visette the meal came alive like an opera by Puccini. From start to finish the Barolo was the center of attention, impressing with its elegance, class, and complexity. 

Of course, it was no surprise. Ghisolfi is renowned for its beautifully contoured, wonderfully floral Barolos and the 2013 Bricco Visette has already acquired a wealth of critical acclaim. Wine Enthusiast awarded it 94 points and named it a Cellar Selection, while James Suckling called it “A rich and powerful wine.” Our own Master Sommelier, Sur Lucero (who’s constantly drinking cru Barolo), labeled it “one of the most complex and over-delivering Barolos I’ve had in a long time.”

Make no mistake: This is an incredible opportunity to cellar a case of world-class Barolo from one of Piedmont’s best. 

In 1985, when vineyard land in Barolo cost a small fraction of what it does today, Carlo Ghisolfi purchased 9 acres in the Bussia cru, a rugged hillside parcel perched beneath the fortified village of Monforte d’Alba. Two years later, Gianmarco Ghisolfi joined his great-grandfather Carlo and his father Attilio in the vines and cantina. Little by little, this dynamic multi-generational team reworked the vines, completely eschewing chemical pesticides or fertilizer. With neighbors including Elio Grasso and Giacomo Conterno—arguably the two greatest producers of Barolo—the Ghisolfis have steadily raised the bar. In 2013, with the help of Mother Nature, everything clicked. 

Antonio Galloni titled his 2013 Barolo report “Sublime Finesse & Elegance,” writing that “many 2013s have acquired a level of textural finesse and grace that is truly remarkable. In many cases, the 2013s remind me of the 2008s, but with more depth, better balance and more consistency. If that sounds appealing, well, it is. Overall, the 2013s are Barolos that speak to finesse above all else.” 

That finesse was achieved with the help of a long growing season marked by diurnal shifts that allowed Nebbiolo to ripen slowly and evenly. At the Ghisolfi estate the family hand-harvested its original nine-acre plot—known as Bricco Visette—where the Nebbiolo vines are up to 50 years old. The family then fermented the grapes using only native yeasts, then aged the wine in oak barriques and smaller barrels for 30 months. 

After an additional 10 months in bottle, the results were stunning. In their 94-point review, Wine Enthusiast heaped high praise on the 2013 Bricco Visette: “Tightly wound and vibrant, the taut, elegantly structured palate delivers Marasca cherry, black raspberry, cinnamon and clove framed in firm fine-grained tannins and bright acidity.” 

At our winemaker dinner overlooking one of Coombsville’s finest vineyards, we couldn’t help but be delighted by this classic Barolo. It opened up marvelously over the course of the evening, suggesting a long life ahead in bottle. Luckily, today’s price makes it easy to lock in some for now and some for later.