2018 Vigneti Repetto ‘Evoluta’ Monleale Barbera
“Monleale” is the elite subzone designation for Barbera in the Colli Tortonesi, requiring longer aging and stricter yields. The 2018
Producer
Vigneti Repetto
I have reviewed four wines from Vigneti Repetto, from the 2018 to 2023 vintages, across Colli Tortonesi and Derthona. Scores range from 94 to 96, averaging 95; the highest is the 2023 Vigneti Repetto Timorasso Derthona DOC (96 points). Vigneti Repetto also features in two journal articles on this site.
Vigneti Repetto, in the Colli Tortonesi of southeastern Piedmont, is devoted to the renaissance of the native Timorasso grape. Gian Paolo Repetto was born into a farming family but left for a successful career in engineering; in 2013 he and his wife Marina returned home to found the estate. He is also president of the Timorasso consortium.
The motto is “Ancient Method, Modern Technology.” Gian Paolo uses his engineering background to protect purity rather than manipulate the wine: a device called VinoOxygen lets him vinify without racking, so the wines avoid needless oxidation and can be bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur, while using far less water. Fermentations are native, with an eye on structure and longevity.
The Derthona, 100% Timorasso from the Colli Tortonesi, shows why the grape is called the “white Barolo”: electric and saline in youth, as in the 2023, and broadening into honey, chamomile, dried apricot and flint with a few years in bottle, as in the 2021. The Barberas are taken just as seriously. Sfera is round, pure and crunchy, and Evoluta, from the Monleale subzone with its longer ageing and stricter yields, is a brooding, velvety wine of plum, leather and balsamic depth.
2021 Vigneti Repetto ‘Sfera’ Barbera Colli Tortonesi
The name “Sfera” speaks to the wine’s shape—round, pure, and unbroken by heavy oak. This is a wine of incredible,
2021 Vigneti Repetto ‘Sfera’ Barbera Colli Tortonesi Read Post »
2021 Vigneti Repetto Timorasso Derthona DOC
This 2021 proves exactly why collectors are cellar-aging this grape. With just a couple of years in the bottle, the
2023 Vigneti Repetto Timorasso Derthona DOC
This is Timorasso at its most athletic and high-tension. The 2023 is electric, racing out of the glass with aromas
Direct Import angle: Vigneti Repetto Arrives at K&L as a Direct Import
While the global spotlight constantly shines on the Langhe, some of the most electric, paradigm-shifting wines in Piedmont are being
Direct Import angle: Vigneti Repetto Arrives at K&L as a Direct Import Read Post »
Italy Report: Espresso, Barolo & Your Next Favorite Bottles
You have not really lived until you have tasted Barolo at 9am, had six espressos before noon, rush through Vinitaly
Italy Report: Espresso, Barolo & Your Next Favorite Bottles Read Post »