2021 Vietti Arneis Italy White

2021 Vietti Arneis

92 RP

Featured Review

Versatile, absolutely fresh and breezy, the Vietti 2021 Roero Arneis is a pleasure to drink. It delivers aromas of citrus, honeysuckle and fragrant pear with a hint of latex or whey (like you might taste in fresh mozzarella) that I adore. The wine ages on the fine lees to obtain its shiny texture. Try pairing this bottle with an insalata caprese made with heirloom tomatoes. An ample 45,000 bottles were made. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker | 92 RP

Type of Wine	Italy White
Varietal	Arneis : Sometimes the most difficult things in life can be the most rewarding. Such can be said of the white grape variety, Arneis, which translates to “little rascal” in the local, Italian dialect. This finicky grape was on the verge of extinction, but is rebounding in big ways in its native and homeland of Roero, where its truest and finest expressions can be found. The Arneis wine grape is thought to have originated in the hilly area of Roero; a sub-region of Piedmont in Northern Italy, located along the left bank of the River Tanaro, across from Langhe. Roero became a DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) in 1985 and was then upgraded to DOCG (Denomination of Controlled Origin Guaranteed) in 2005. The terroir in Roero is comprised of a soil mixture of sand, clay, silt and deposits of fossilized sea shells left behind from the area’s emergence during the Pliocene era. Though Roero lies within the continental climate zone of Piedmont, it is considered a semi-arid area. Its hills are almost totally dry due to the thin alternating marl and sand layers not retaining rainfall, but rather filter it quickly, offering only temporary water reserves. This is why the winegrowing landscape is spotted with typical reservoir tanks needed to collect rainwater or wells to draw water from the groundwater tables. Proven difficult in the vineyard for its struggle to retain acidity, low yields and high susceptibility to powdery mildew; the Arneis’ moniker of “little rascal” is quite befitting. Historically, Arneis has been used as a blending agent in not only white wines, but also the famous reds of Piedmont. Arneis had a softening effect on the famously tannic Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes. It was also planted alongside them in the vineyards as a means of protection: the aromatics of the Arneis grape attracted the attention of birds and bees away from the more prestigious grape varieties. However, in the past few decades, the varietal has seen a resurgence in popularity and demand. Single varietal Arneis wines are becoming increasingly popular among producers today. The Arneis grape is hard and thick with a greenish-yellow hue in its early stages, but when ripe the color exhibits an awe-inspiring assortment of hues ranging from deep yellow to gold with an orange reflection. The wines produced are pale gold in color with sweet-smelling floral aromas, such as honeysuckle and lavender. Arneis wines are medium to full body with flavors of pear, apricot, tangerine, hazelnut and almond. Typically, the wines are unoaked and vinified in stainless steel tanks for the classically refreshing styled wines of the area; however the Arneis grape is now being used in a myriad of ways, including the use of oak for a fuller body and creamy flavors, used in a sparkling wine, which must contain at least 97% Arneis and a limited amount of sweet wine is produced known as Arneis Passito which must contain at least 85% of the vareital. The emergence of Arneis Riserva, which must be aged for up to 14 months, has raised the quality and the standard for white wine production in the region. Despite its finicky nature and perhaps, underutilized methods for cultivation in the past, the Arneis grape variety has been brought from the verge of extinction to being a shining attribute to Roero and the Piedmont winegrowing region. It has rebounded from a mere few hectares remaining in the 1960’s to a little under 1,000 hectares today. In Italy it is cultivated in Langhe (Piedmont) where it shares similar climate and terroir to that of Roero, in Liguria and Sardinia. Outside of Italy, it has found some success in the US, in Sonoma County, California and in the Willamette Valley of Washington, as well as New Zealand and Australia.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Subregion	Roero