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Marcarini Barolo Brunate Horizontal in 2014

Barolo, while experiencing the greatest explosion of interest in its history, remains a bit of an enigma to many winelovers. The greatest wines have percolated their way up to the top of most people’s lists, both in regards to pricing, and esteem, but top wines are never simply about their quality.  Top wines have always also been about their reputation, a reputation determined by those supposedly in the know.


There are a great number of fabulous producers of Barolo who have, for various reasons, not achieved the sort of reputation that makes you famous. The most obvious and egregious of these happens to be the wines of Cappellano. The previous owner Teobaldo Cappellano, who passed away in 2009 had requested that the wine media not reduce his wines to a mere number. As a result most contemporary critics have respectfully refrained from scoring the Cappellano wines, myself included. I have called the wines exceptional and extraordinary, but that’s not enough. Without the high scores to confirm for the wine buying public at large just how good these wines are, and let’s not beat around the bush they are among the very best  of barolo, the wines tend to languish on the shelves. Even today one can find these wines from the last half dozen vintages all at or very near release pricing, which is exceptionally fair I might add. I am talking specifically of the rupestris bottling as opposed to the rare and much more expensive Pie Franco bottling, but I digress.


Another producer whose wines have somehow continued to float under the radar have been those of marcarini in La Morra, though for a different reason as far as i can tell. Here the problem is not critical review, which has historically been quite favorable, but rather pricing. As far as I can tell the barolos of marcarini are just too inexpensive to be considered great by many collectors. Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but what other explanation is there? Today for the sake of argument I am speaking of the barolo Brunate, though in many vintages I am actually partial to their Barolo from the higher elevation La Serra  vineyard.


Here you have this wine, traditionally made by the experienced hands of Elvio Cogno for decades, born of the heart of the Brunate Cru in La Morra, one of Barolos grand Crus, though admittedly a portion of the vineyard, and a portion of the Marcarini holdings lay across the boundary in the commune of Barolo. It’s a winet  with a rather impressive track record and a history of constancy. And then you go to buy it and it’s $40. The fact that recent vintages seem to lack the spark of the past vintages also doesn’t help the image of Marcarini’s Barolo. But still, there have been enough tastings, and enough positive reviews to support the viewpoint that marcarini is solidly in the second tier of barolo producers.


Perhaps that’s better kept a secret after all. Because of the wine’s tendency to be undervalued I’ve been able to enjoy a Marcarini vertical of some sort almost every two years for the past eight years. Yesterday I enjoyed my fourth adventure down this path, and while the bottles showed mixed results, on the whole it was another great showing for Marcarini of yore. To be certain these wines are not the most profound wines of Piedmont, and perhaps show some signs of vines that were cropped rather heavily. And at this point in their lives even modest deviations from ideal storage over the year can have a distinct effect, as was the case with the wines of the 70s during this most recent tasting, but none the less these are fabulous wines.


Just for fun I’ve included my notes from the first Marcarini Vertical I put together, in March of 2007. Those wines all came from my own cellar. The tasting I attended last night was put together by the Rare Wine Company, though I did contribute the three youngest vintages. Seven years have separated the two events. I am as curious as you are to see how the wines stack up, though not every wines tasted last night was included in my tasting seven years ago, though there are enough to make this very interesting.


We tasted the wines youngest to oldest paired with a fabulous menu at Maialino here in NYC, a fabulous and remarkably wine friendly restaurant that should be on everyone’s list of places to visit when you come to NYC. The wine service was exemplary, as usual and it was a pleasure to be in their caring and knowledgeable hands. Without further ado let’s jump inot the wines.


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Flight 1  2014


1998 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


A touch shy on the nose though with building aromas of earth, old wood, rose petals and a faint hint of game accented with a top note of mint. On the palate this was a softer expression of Brunate, very much in line with the character of 1998. Stewy orange and strawberry fruit early on the palate gave way to lots of red cherry tones on the backend, all underpinned with good acids and rather soft, caressing tannins. A touch simple, though showing some orange peel and rose petals on the modest finish this has begun to drink well but lacks some depth and complexity. 88pts


1996 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Tight on the nose with faint undertones of dark, slightly jammy fruits topped with hnts f fennel and cocoa that gained lift from a hint of VA. This remains fairly tight on the palate though there is an innate sweetness here t hints at the core of fruit. The tannins are ripe, not quite soft, but supple and embedded in the core of savory dark fruit that leads to a tight, snappy if short finish. with air this gains length and begins to shed some reticence and take on earthy complexity. Another three years should let this wine reveal it’s true character though i remain positive about it’s potential for improvement. 90pts


1995 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Quite aromatic already this reveals perfumes of earth, tar, flowers and spice notes that are verging to tea. Air brings out a touch of rust and  huge white floral note. Warm and open on the palate, this shows off the slightly rustic tannins of the vintage, a little angular and drying, but there’s plenty of strawberry fruit here supported by bright acids to keep this quite engaging. Rose petals and just a hint of herb stem adds some complexity to the wine which gains a nice earthy note through the long finish. Perhaps not quite at peak this is drinking very well and both the flavors and texture hold ones attention. 88pts


1995 tasted in 2007

low key nose with good balance and complexity, sandy and limestone with a narrow band of black spice and faint dark cherry note on the nose which developed into a spicier, more typical profile with time. Round and sweet upfront with lovely integration though the tannins remained a bit astringent and the acids a touch high, they served to compliment the slightly musky, with grapy/ red berry fruit, still a touch young but a complete and successful Barolo 89pts


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Flight 2 - 2014


1989 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


A touch of oxidation greet those nose, all old bones, parchment,  and slightly sweet but air helps this immensely allowing the glass to fill with aromas of green nut meats, dried herbs, bright floral notes, fennel pollen and cherry pit fruit. Seamless on the palate, this shows the hallmarks of the great 1989 vintage with full, ripe tannins and fine acids that are superbly integrated but very supportive. I was expecting this to have a bit more flesh on its bones, though it was still quite rich and full with ripe red fruits and a hint of blood orange adding nuance on the palate. The tannins are a bit peppery today and the hint of oxidation has contributed a little nuttiness to the palate but this is still drinking quite well even if it was a perhaps a touch more evolved than it should be. 92pts


1989 Tasted in 2007

Double decanted for 3 hours.A jump up in aromatic intensity, this nose soars from the glass with great depth and such a layered quality. At first jammy notes of blackberry, nettles, again tarry and menthol then floral with rose and iris as well as a dusty limestone note. With time the nose closed up. A sweet and voluptuous entry, velvety, a beautiful mouthful at this point, vibrant and spicy though needs more time to develop nuance. While round and powerful this remains transparent and fills the mouth with bright red fruits. Still a baby but the long finish bodes well for exceptional development to come. 93pts


1982 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Stinky on the nose and fairly reeking of old seaweed on a hot seashore, though those aromas do fade with air being replaced by strong notes of lavender, leather, and herb stems. In the mouth this shows a different side of itself, elegant and silky with excellent balance. Gorgeous fruit, slightly jammy and reminiscent of dark frutti del bosco, fills the palate supported by tannins that are firm and savory. The nose is a bit of a downer but this shows off the brilliance of the 1982 vintage exquisitely. 91pts


1982 tasted in 2007

the color here is still very youthfull, dark and almost purple tinged. The nose starts out a bit tough with a decidedly leathery, nutty base over which are laid spicy and savory, soil driven notes with a top note of espresso foam, seems very youthful though then turns distinctly beef bouillon cube with particularly strong dehydrated vegetal notes, adds some incense, cigar ash and dried rose with time as well as a light nuance of menthol/licorice. Tougher in the mouth than the 78, minerally and riper though still transparent, finishes a bit short. Some obvious richness upfront with nice bright fruits through the mid-palate which tightens up with air before shutting down some on the finish which is crisp and long. This seems to need quite some time to reach it's peak but is an atypical bottle as others have shown significantly more evolved. 91pts

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Flight 3 2014


This flight showed an overarching sense of evolution that i would associate with less than ideal storage, but not abuse, somewhere along their life.


1978 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Slight seaweed notes greet the nose, which is high toned and rather lean with lots of aromas of dried citrus rinds, leather, and quite a bit of tomato and sun-dried tomato fruitiness. On entry this shows a little tired with a smooth, integrated mouthfeel thats silky but short. There’s still plenty of raspberry and strawberry fruit here and some richness and power on the finish, which gains length with air, but this is evolved with nuttty accents and mineral soil tones on the backend adding a spicy nuance and a suggestion of beef blood. 88pts


1978 tasted in 2007

dark pristine color showing some age but no sign of being old. Explosively aromatic, sweet and almost jammy at first, nettles, smoky, tarry, angelica root, rhubarb, apricot, and roasted blackberries, fresh pine nuts, salted capers, sandalwood, basil stems, the nose just evolves and expands. Tight in the mouth at first though layered and lush, lovely bitter, black mineral vein ties the entire experience together offering great contrast to the ripe fruit and keeping the wine lively in the mouth. With time the fruit turns a little wilder with spicy red tones. Great long finish, just at peak and a wine to drink over the next 10-15 years. 96pts


1974 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Musty and funky on the nose with a number of tasters calling TCA, though I don’t believe that to be the case. This had that musty, chlorine driven aromas that is not uncommon with Barolo of a certain age. It does seem like the wine is corked at first, but the issue diminishes with air, unlike actual TCA which almost always gets worse and more imposing with air. Under the mustiness there were hints of game meat, truffles, and minty on the nse, all fairly typical of ths wine, if not this vintage. A little lean on the palate, this shows nice depth to the seedy flavors that leads to subtle wild cherry and sandalwood tones in the mouth. There’s a hint of chlorine on the backend and some soy notes before this fades on the short yet balanced finish. On it’s own this would have held my interest but in this company this was a clunker. 84pts


1974 tasted in 2007

much more depth of color than the older wines, bright and youthful with a dark ruby core. quite profound nose with piercing menthol and wild cherry tones with an herbal top note, sweet licorice, a bit of smoke, dried rose, just a hint of funkiness, a great nose. Rich entry with a citrussy quality to the acidity, lacks a little depth at first and finishes very short, still a bit of astringency across the mid-palate, very 1974, really grows and fills out with time adding some upfront sweetness which eventually is able to compensate for the light astringent note, lovely, bright lingonberry fruit here leads to a long finish. Great bottle. 92pts


1971 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Dusty and autumnal on the nose then turning stoney with aromas of hot rocks, a bit meaty as well and then showing off layers of savory notes. All ginseng, lea & Perrins, and roasted root veggies layered over a core of seared cherry fruit with a hint of mint and a licorice nuance adding further detail. Remaining powerful and vibrant in the mouth this shrugs off an early edge of dry tannins, filling out on the mid-palate with great depth of earthy, leather, spicy seedy flavors that add detail to the core of dark, slightly jammy wild strawberry fruit. There’s an innate sweetness here that reveals itself on the relatively long, smooth, and dense finish which  retains darker black cherry fruit and hints of fennel, minty herbs, and seaweed. Still quite powerful but with flavors that are evolved. 92pts


1971 Tasted in 2007

great color, beautifully bright red. A penetrating nose with greater depth than the older wines, good base of spice and leather, a bit sweaty, lots of orange tinged sweet wild berry notes, turns extremely floral soap scented by nights end. Bright acidity, most tannins resolved, minty up front, lacks a bit of weight and depth, lovely fruit on the finish, a relative disappointment considering the vintage though a fine bottle at peak, perhaps just a touch past. 89pts


1970 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


Soy, soil and sweet spice greet the nose along with deeply macerated herb notes, bouillon, mushrooms and rust. In the mouth this is texturally intact but fully evolved. The flavors are all coffee and chinato with hints of dried orange peel, some peppery spice, and an earthy finish. The acid is quite vivid lending this good drive in the mouth but the tannins remains angular and a bit edgy and everything wraps up quickly on the short finish. 83pts


1970 tasted in 2007

slightly cloudy with less depth and delicacy than the 67. less VA on the nose which starts off with an intense pure pine balsam profile, sandy and spicy as well with a base of bouillon, less complex, lurking floral note never gets past the mint which turns wintergreen as the bouillon devolves into a more vegetal profile recalling turnips in a root cellar. Decidely softer and voluptuously round compared to the 67, very complete in the mouth with more nettle and spice than fruit, lovely feathered mouthfeel. Distinctly different that the other wines here though while considered on it's own merits a success. 87pts


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Flight 4 2014


1967 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


This was remarkably youthful in appearance when compared with all the other wines younger than the 1982 on the table.


A whiff of smoke greeted the nose followed by notes of oysershell, wild berry fruits, leather, sweet pipe tobacco, and BBQ sauce notes all intense and quite perfumes. In the mouth this was fruity with a sweet freshness to the flavors of wild berries and lingonberries that were nicely framed with hints of mushroom, tobacco, and mineral notes. the tannins were fading but intact and the acids well integrated and supporting the fruit on the moderately long finish. A lovely mature Barolo but one that was a bit of a fruity outlier. 89pts


1967 tasted in 2007

lovely bright color shows great gradation. volatile and high-toned nose starts with a strong enamel note, earthy, spicy, lurking fruit, campfire, bit of black licorice, with time develops sour note of bookbinders glue. Bright, acid driven red berries in the mouth, mostly resolved tannins though still some adding support, orange peel and green strawberry fruit throughout, nervous and a bit fading in the mouth intact and in fact with time the bright mouth adds the silkiness of old wine and retains a fine long finish. No doubt somewhat past peak but still a very fine bottle.  88pts


1967 Marcarini Barolo Brunate Riserva


Subtle and yet quite complex on the nose with layers of nutty aromas, crushed herbs, green herbs, middle eastern spices and subtle strawberry top fruit. Soft in the mouth, supple almost to the point of creaminess with round, small scaled fruit flavors framed by notes of smoke, earth, caraway seeds, and nuanced leather and dried mushroom notes. A lovely wine, though one that is quite subtle and should be enjoyed on its own in a quiet space with expansive views. 89pts


1964 Marcarini Barolo Brunate


This smelled strongly of bananas, vinegar, and VA. Off putting is an understatement and the mouth was no better featuring harsh acids and a touch feel though this was quite rich. Thankfully there was little finish. A defective bottle and one I will refrain from scoring. My experience with this vintage has been troubling with only one particularly noteworthy example to date, though each bottle has shown a variety of defects so I will not write off the vintage quite yet. NR


1964 Marcarini Barolo Brunate Riserva di Famiglia


Ethereal on the nose with subtle expressions of smoke, apricot, freshly cut blond tobacco mineral earth, and sweet herbs coming together seamlessly over an underlying orange scented mist. On the palate this exudes elegance with subtle red cherry fruit and bitter cherry notes flecked with slightly medicinal notes, hints of black tea, and moments of fennel seed and licorice spice. Long on the palate and showing engaging complexity and fine tannic heft even at this evolved stage, this is a gorgeous, subtle, refined example of Barolo that pays testament to the Cru, the producer, and the vintage. 93pts




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