Marcarini
From an onsite visit march 2017
Long a standard bearer for both the commune of la Morra and traditional Barolo, Marcarini seems to be fixed in times passed. In the mid-aughts there seemed to be a dip in quality or consistency here, while the wines remained traditional they seemed to be offer less depth and detail. I had not visited Marcarini for several years but thought it was time to give them another look and I’m glad I did. The line-up today at Marcarini was as good as anything I have tried from this historic house! Traditional but clean, they remain one of the great values of the Langhe.
In 2014 they performed two green harvest dropping 30% of the fruit on the first pass and then another 20% of what remained before harvest.
Selected yeasts
Brunate was replanted in 1987, and is scheduled to be replanted again. Young vine fruit, up to 10 years of age, is bottled as nebbiolo.
2015 Marcarini Roero Arneis
From 2 ha slowly pieced together in Montaldo Roero
White flowers with waxy herbal notes and some light apricot notes pop from the glass. On entry this is bright, juicy and relatively well endowed with bitter almond notes early on the palate, leading to a fairly round midpalate rich with, white floral notes and salty, bitter, mineral notes on the backend with a hint of bitter citrus pith on the finish.This offers up good depth and complexity though it's a touch thick in the mouth 86pts
2015 Marcarini Dolcetto Fontanazza 12.5%
From vines planted in 2002, 16,000 bottles produced
Very floral on the nose and primary with high toned light purple fruit aromas. This is decidedly lively in the mouth, a nice tight sheen of slightly bitter plum skin fruit, wraps around pleasantly ripe, fine grained tannins leading to a juicy finish, driven by acidity. A touch chunky, but fresh and lively. 85pts
2014 Marcarini Dolcetto Boschi di Berri
Vines are roughly 120 years old, 2,000 vines per hectare, this has seen roughly two to three months in botti since the 1990 vintage.
Gorgeous nose with old vine depth, dried floral notes, hints of dried strawberry, and dried frutti del bosco come together with seductive intensity. While light on the palate, and lacking the sheen of fruit one finds in it’s younger sibling, this does show more depth and better definition on the palate with fine lacy structural elegance laid bare. A stunningly precise rendering of Dolcetto, long with fine strawberry and raspberry fruit on the fresh, clean finish with hints of violet on the finale. Lacks the depth and nuance of the best vintages but is a fabulous example nonetheless, particularly in light of the vintage. 91pts
2014 Marcarini Barbera d'Alba Ciabot Camerano
Nine months in inox and nine in the newer botte, 13%
Lovely aromatics, deep and earthy, a little leathery, a little smoky, a little floral but not particular distinctive, just lending the depth and complexity that keeps this particularly interesting to smell. Subtle and nuanced. This is lovely in the mouth, just a thin sheen of fruit again, baby fat paired with elegant, and so well balanced. Juicy and pure if turning a touch rich up front, a little chocolatey on the midpalate, then returning to finely textured and transparent on the moderately long, steely and acidically tense finish. Uncomplicated, but really well balanced and super drinkable. 87pts
2014 Marcarini Langhe Nebbiolo Lasarin
Only aged in inox
Big sandalwood nose, very perfumed, impressively aromatic with layers of red rose petals, wild cherry in alcohol, and waxy lipstick adding detail. There’s lots of acid here, paired with fine grained if crunchy tannin lending support to the sandalwood tinged rosehip and dusty fruit flavors. The nose is much more expressive than the mouth, though this has length and a little pickled watermelon rind on the palate with sour cherry on the finish. It might come together nicely but is a little raw today 85pts
2015 Marcarini Langhe Nebbiolo Lasarin 14%
Spicier than the 2014, but with similar sandalwood notes on the nose. This offers up riper fruit in alcohol and floral aromas but is decidedly more fruit driven with ripe raspberries and cherries in alcohol, licorice and cardamom all melding together in the glass. Open on the palate, juicy, transparent and fairly large scaled with big slightly spicy and slightly minty red berry fruit. A hint of watermelon graces the rather long and slightly stony, bracing finish. This has power with transparency, and is very complete and nuanced. 90pts
2013 Marcarini Barolo Brunate 14%
Dark, oily and earthy on the nose, air brings out hints of blackberry with dried orange peel, tobacco notes, and a hint of dates. A touch weighty on entry, rich yet remaining elegant with a tight core of fruit wrapped around ripe, rounded tannins. A classic iron fist in a velvet glove. This is classic perfumed Brunate, in need of time of course, but this has the stuffing, to age, already shows lovely ripe fruits and the lovely ripeness to the tannins lends this a harmony, and a certain openness already. 92pts
2013 Marcarini Barolo La Serra 14%
Spicy and floral on the nose, lovely and intense with a hint of sweetness, sweet cherry fruits, fine spice and spicy herb accents notes,really complexity and intensity Broad in the mouth for la Serra, with fine if slightly stemmy tannins supporting a juicy, herbal base topped with juicy citrusy notes on the palate, which is lightweight and driven more by acid than tannin. More open and obvious than the Brunate, as is typically the case. This is already showing hints of evolution, most notably on the moderately long finish with it's hints of chamomile, dried lemon rind, and tea aromas. Pleasant and complex if not rich and fruity, young but fairly open. 90pts
Long a standard bearer for both the commune of la Morra and traditional Barolo, Marcarini seems to be fixed in times passed. In the mid-aughts there seemed to be a dip in quality or consistency here, while the wines remained traditional they seemed to be offer less depth and detail. I had not visited Marcarini for several years but thought it was time to give them another look and I’m glad I did. The line-up today at Marcarini was as good as anything I have tried from this historic house! Traditional but clean, they remain one of the great values of the Langhe.
In 2014 they performed two green harvest dropping 30% of the fruit on the first pass and then another 20% of what remained before harvest.
Selected yeasts
Brunate was replanted in 1987, and is scheduled to be replanted again. Young vine fruit, up to 10 years of age, is bottled as nebbiolo.
2015 Marcarini Roero Arneis
From 2 ha slowly pieced together in Montaldo Roero
White flowers with waxy herbal notes and some light apricot notes pop from the glass. On entry this is bright, juicy and relatively well endowed with bitter almond notes early on the palate, leading to a fairly round midpalate rich with, white floral notes and salty, bitter, mineral notes on the backend with a hint of bitter citrus pith on the finish.This offers up good depth and complexity though it's a touch thick in the mouth 86pts
2015 Marcarini Dolcetto Fontanazza 12.5%
From vines planted in 2002, 16,000 bottles produced
Very floral on the nose and primary with high toned light purple fruit aromas. This is decidedly lively in the mouth, a nice tight sheen of slightly bitter plum skin fruit, wraps around pleasantly ripe, fine grained tannins leading to a juicy finish, driven by acidity. A touch chunky, but fresh and lively. 85pts
2014 Marcarini Dolcetto Boschi di Berri
Vines are roughly 120 years old, 2,000 vines per hectare, this has seen roughly two to three months in botti since the 1990 vintage.
Gorgeous nose with old vine depth, dried floral notes, hints of dried strawberry, and dried frutti del bosco come together with seductive intensity. While light on the palate, and lacking the sheen of fruit one finds in it’s younger sibling, this does show more depth and better definition on the palate with fine lacy structural elegance laid bare. A stunningly precise rendering of Dolcetto, long with fine strawberry and raspberry fruit on the fresh, clean finish with hints of violet on the finale. Lacks the depth and nuance of the best vintages but is a fabulous example nonetheless, particularly in light of the vintage. 91pts
2014 Marcarini Barbera d'Alba Ciabot Camerano
Nine months in inox and nine in the newer botte, 13%
Lovely aromatics, deep and earthy, a little leathery, a little smoky, a little floral but not particular distinctive, just lending the depth and complexity that keeps this particularly interesting to smell. Subtle and nuanced. This is lovely in the mouth, just a thin sheen of fruit again, baby fat paired with elegant, and so well balanced. Juicy and pure if turning a touch rich up front, a little chocolatey on the midpalate, then returning to finely textured and transparent on the moderately long, steely and acidically tense finish. Uncomplicated, but really well balanced and super drinkable. 87pts
2014 Marcarini Langhe Nebbiolo Lasarin
Only aged in inox
Big sandalwood nose, very perfumed, impressively aromatic with layers of red rose petals, wild cherry in alcohol, and waxy lipstick adding detail. There’s lots of acid here, paired with fine grained if crunchy tannin lending support to the sandalwood tinged rosehip and dusty fruit flavors. The nose is much more expressive than the mouth, though this has length and a little pickled watermelon rind on the palate with sour cherry on the finish. It might come together nicely but is a little raw today 85pts
2015 Marcarini Langhe Nebbiolo Lasarin 14%
Spicier than the 2014, but with similar sandalwood notes on the nose. This offers up riper fruit in alcohol and floral aromas but is decidedly more fruit driven with ripe raspberries and cherries in alcohol, licorice and cardamom all melding together in the glass. Open on the palate, juicy, transparent and fairly large scaled with big slightly spicy and slightly minty red berry fruit. A hint of watermelon graces the rather long and slightly stony, bracing finish. This has power with transparency, and is very complete and nuanced. 90pts
2013 Marcarini Barolo Brunate 14%
Dark, oily and earthy on the nose, air brings out hints of blackberry with dried orange peel, tobacco notes, and a hint of dates. A touch weighty on entry, rich yet remaining elegant with a tight core of fruit wrapped around ripe, rounded tannins. A classic iron fist in a velvet glove. This is classic perfumed Brunate, in need of time of course, but this has the stuffing, to age, already shows lovely ripe fruits and the lovely ripeness to the tannins lends this a harmony, and a certain openness already. 92pts
2013 Marcarini Barolo La Serra 14%
Spicy and floral on the nose, lovely and intense with a hint of sweetness, sweet cherry fruits, fine spice and spicy herb accents notes,really complexity and intensity Broad in the mouth for la Serra, with fine if slightly stemmy tannins supporting a juicy, herbal base topped with juicy citrusy notes on the palate, which is lightweight and driven more by acid than tannin. More open and obvious than the Brunate, as is typically the case. This is already showing hints of evolution, most notably on the moderately long finish with it's hints of chamomile, dried lemon rind, and tea aromas. Pleasant and complex if not rich and fruity, young but fairly open. 90pts