Vite Colte Barolo Riserva Essenze 2015 Review: Eleven Years On, the Tannins Still Have Something to Say
Age does not automatically make Barolo more elegant. Some bottles develop extraordinary perfume while retaining a stubborn, almost confrontational structure. Vite Colte’s Essenze Riserva 2015 is one of them: a mature Nebbiolo with considerable aromatic depth, dark savoury notes and tannins that have not entirely surrendered to time.
The wine comes from a warm, successful vintage and combines selected parcels from across the Barolo denomination. Long maceration and three years of oak maturation have given it substance, but the result is not uniformly polished. Dried roses, liquorice, tobacco and a slightly tarry character make for a compelling bouquet; on the palate, the fruit is generous, although the tannins retain a rather demanding edge.
At around €50, Essenze offers the concentration and maturity expected of a serious Barolo Riserva. Whether it delivers enough finesse to justify the price is a more interesting question.
The Basics
- Producer: Vite Colte
- Wine: Essenze Riserva
- Vintage: 2015
- Appellation: Barolo DOCG Riserva
- Region: Piedmont, Italy
- Production area: Barolo denomination, Langhe
- Grape: 100% Nebbiolo
- Style: Blend of selected vineyard parcels
- Production: Reserved for particularly favourable vintages
- Maceration: Approximately 25 days, using the submerged-cap method
- Malolactic fermentation: Stainless steel
- Ageing: Up to 36 months in oak barrels, followed by extended bottle maturation
- Alcohol: 14.5% ABV
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- Serving temperature: 16–18°C
Vite Colte: When a Cooperative Takes Barolo Seriously
There is a persistent assumption that the best Barolo must come from a small family estate, preferably with a celebrated vineyard name and a correspondingly intimidating price. Vite Colte challenges that idea through a cooperative model built around selected growers and shared winemaking expertise.
Based in Barolo, the winery works with vineyards across Piedmont, combining the resources of a larger organisation with an emphasis on grape selection and consistency. Its wines range from approachable regional bottlings to more ambitious expressions of the Langhe.
Essenze Riserva belongs firmly to the latter category. Unlike a single-vineyard Barolo, it is assembled from different parcels chosen for their quality and complementary characteristics. The wine is produced only in vintages the winery considers sufficiently promising.
Blending is not necessarily a compromise. In a denomination as geographically varied as Barolo, combining fruit from different sites can produce an attractive balance between aromatic finesse, concentration and tannic structure.
The difficulty lies in preserving a recognisable identity. A wine assembled for power alone can become impressive but anonymous, particularly when generous extraction and oak ageing obscure the subtleties of Nebbiolo.
Essenze avoids complete anonymity, although its muscular character makes it a less delicate interpretation of the grape than some traditionalists might prefer.
The 2015 Vintage: Ripeness with a Firm Backbone
The 2015 growing season was notably warm across Piedmont, with a hot summer following a relatively favourable spring. Nebbiolo reached good maturity, producing wines with generous fruit, considerable body and substantial tannins.
In Barolo, however, warmth does not necessarily eliminate austerity. Nebbiolo retains an unusually pronounced tannic structure even when the grapes achieve impressive ripeness. The challenge is to extract enough substance without making those tannins excessively hard.
This becomes particularly important in a Riserva, where producers select wines intended to develop over a longer period.
Essenze 2015 reflects both sides of the vintage. Its ripe fruit gives the opening a welcoming richness, while its more demanding structure suggests that maturation has softened the wine without completely resolving every rough edge.
The contrast is characteristic of Nebbiolo, but it is especially pronounced here.
The vineyards and villages of the Barolo region offer a remarkable variety of expressions, from fragrant, relatively supple wines to bottles whose tannins seem capable of surviving several generations. Essenze draws on that diversity, favouring a substantial, traditional interpretation rather than an immediately silky one.
How It’s Made
Vite Colte uses an extended maceration of approximately 25 days, employing the submerged-cap technique.
During fermentation, the grape skins form a cap above the liquid. Keeping that cap submerged increases contact between the skins and the developing wine, encouraging the extraction of tannins and other compounds while reducing the need for aggressive mechanical handling.
For Nebbiolo, the technique requires considerable care. The grape contains abundant tannins but comparatively modest amounts of colour, so prolonged extraction can produce a wine that is structurally powerful without necessarily becoming darker or more concentrated in flavour.
After fermentation, malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel. The wine then matures in oak barrels for up to 36 months before the different components are blended and bottled.
Further bottle ageing completes the production process.
The extended maturation has an evident influence on Essenze 2015. Its youthful fruit has acquired more complex savoury notes, while the oak contributes spice and a darker, roasted dimension.
Yet time in wood is not a guarantee of refinement. Some tannic firmness remains, and the barrel influence occasionally competes with the wine’s more delicate floral character.
That tension is central to the final assessment.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Garnet red with a translucent ruby centre and developing brick-coloured reflections at the rim. An attractive, mature appearance that remains recognisably Nebbiolo.
Bouquet: Dried rose petals introduce a complex, somewhat brooding nose. There are darker impressions of tobacco, liquorice and leather, followed by a faint tarry note that gives the wine a distinctly traditional Barolo character.
With air, a little ripe fruit emerges alongside clove, roasted nuts and a restrained earthy suggestion. The aromatic development is interesting, moving between the elegance of dried flowers and the more forceful influence of age and oak.
The bouquet is not entirely seamless. A slightly roasted character occasionally pushes forward, but the underlying perfume has enough complexity to remain engaging.
Palate: Full-bodied, dry and firmly structured. The opening offers generous fruit and a pleasing sense of maturity, but the tannins quickly take command.
They are substantial, with a grainy texture that becomes more noticeable through the middle of the palate. Acidity prevents the wine from feeling heavy, providing a welcome contrast to the warmth and density of the fruit.
Liquorice, spice and a faintly tarry bitterness develop as the wine opens. The oak is more evident here than on the nose, introducing a slightly drying, roasted quality.
There is plenty of concentration, although the balance is not quite as graceful as the aromatic complexity promises. The tannins remain assertive, and the fruit occasionally struggles to provide enough softness to counter their grip.
A wine of genuine substance, certainly, but one that still asks something of the drinker.
Finish: Long, savoury and distinctly tannic, with lingering liquorice, tobacco and a slightly bitter oak note. The persistence is impressive, although the closing sensation is more severe than seductive.
Our Verdict
Vite Colte Essenze Riserva 2015 is a compelling but imperfect Barolo. Its greatest achievement is aromatic maturity: dried flowers, leather and savoury complexity give it the character expected of a wine that has spent more than a decade developing.
The palate tells a more complicated story. There is concentration, acidity and impressive persistence, but the tannins remain firm, and the oak introduces a dryness that occasionally interrupts the wine’s natural elegance.
This is not merely a question of needing more time. After eleven years, the wine has already developed considerable maturity, and further cellaring will not necessarily make its structural imbalance disappear.
A well-stored bottle should still have several years ahead of it, although the present drinking window is particularly interesting. Decanting carefully to separate any sediment, followed by a little time in the glass, should help reveal its more delicate qualities.
Anyone interested in the broader ageing behaviour of Nebbiolo will find useful context in our guide to the Langhe, where the relationship between grape, territory and maturation takes many different forms.
At approximately €50, Essenze 2015 offers genuine Riserva character without the extravagant pricing of celebrated single-vineyard Barolos. Its value is respectable, though the experience is not without reservations.
Worth buying for its maturity and complexity, but not for flawless elegance. The bouquet is the star; the tannins have the final word.
Price
€50.
Food Pairings
Paella, vitello tonnato, chicken curry, pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
