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Marengo, Mario

I have bought the Marengo wines now and again over the past three decades and have generally found them to be very pretty but too aky for my palate, until the oak integrates, which seems to take about 20 years. There is no doubt that these racy and lacy wines have a loyal following, for while they represent a distinctly modern style of barolo they remains well balanced, elegant, and fun to drink. Interestingly, for a modern producer their website is curiously absent!
1903 bought Brunate. 1974 started to add brunate to the label  also had Cerequio which he worked but never bottled, major part of the fruit was sold, 1997 was the first vintage for the Bricco delle Viole cru, previously had sold the fruit.  1993 was the turning point for the change in style here, Marco began helping in 1993 and took over production from his father in 2001. They have been in their new winery since 2011

“We Piedmontese have a great understanding of how to work the vineyards but so much less so the terroir.”

Certified as lotte integrate
Start fermentation with a pied de cuve since 2001, one each for Dolcetto, Barbera, and Nebbiolo

All Barolo undergoes a 10 day or so fermentation and then ages for two years in barrique, 20% of which is new


2015 Mario Marengo Barbera Vigna Pugnane 14.5%

5-6 days, malo in barrique, 8 months in wood, 15-20% new

Fairly smoky oak laced nose with spiced floral notes and black fruit layers under the carbon toasted notes. There is a lovely texture to this, fresh, with fine tannins, juicy and a bit dark, just a touch opaque though the acidity is terrific here and lends the dark fruit freshness, energy, and good drive to the quite ripe fruit on the finish with  decent length. Rather light bodied, it's certainly attractive though the aromas are a bit much as this has a bit of an exotic edge to the aromas, verging on exotic it's like raspberry and kumquat. 86pts


2015 Mario Marengo Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore 13.5%

Soft and totally red fruited on the nose, which spicy with a little Chinato tone and just the faintest hint of wood accenting the spiciness here. Light and fresh in style, all mineral and sandy on the palate, with a glassy feel though this turns a touch denser in the mouth with air.  This is pretty classic, has a little wood tannin in the mouth, that adds grip to the finish, and  air brings out more oak spice but this is generally well integrated with a  fresh finish, good length and focus to the lovely cherry fruit. 87pts

Blends two different fermentations. Racks  when babbo hits zero, 8-10 days, until then has a programmable cap shower, whole thing can last 12-14 days, another vessel is a roto which is used in vintages but it's used in a similar way, just to move the cap, to make a soft fermentation and avoid excessive mechanical impact on the must, used for vintages where everything is compressed in time so he can process what he has to


2013 Mario Marengo Barolo

A blend of four vineyards in La Morra.  Roncaglie, Serradenari, Boiola, and Fossati
12k bottles produced

Fermentation is similar to Nebbiolo,  24 months in wood, small barrels, 20% new, then until July in SS before bottling

A little pencil lead on the nose along with classic rose petal and macerated cherry fruit. A touch tight but pretty, with a little licorice on entry, a bit delicate but pure and vibrant with softish, sweet tannins, but again there are the wood tannins that make themselves known later on the palate. Gentle red fruit leads to an elegant finish with  good length. This gains some power and weight on the backend, and offers good depth with a tarry hint on the finale and  plenty of tannins. 90pts


2013 Mario Marengo Barolo Bricco delle Viole  14.5%

Vines are 50 years old more or less maybe even 60

The color is more vibrant here,

Spicy nose, the oak spice accents the cardamom and middle eastern spiciness of the nose that is joined by intense floral note, hints of jasmine and  leather. On the palate this has a really appealing combination of richness and finesse, the wood tannin seems more at home here, receding to reveal great cut on the finish and clarity through the finale where admittedly the wood again plays a somewhat prominent role. A bit tight and probably closing up but this has everything in balance with a deft touch. 92pts


2013 Mario Marengo Barolo Brunate 14.5%

Dark, earthy, meaty leathery and spicy on the nose,  a bit shy on detail and fruit today but has the dark character typical of the vineyard. There's a lot of hidden power here, enough to make one not notice the wood on the palate , which shows terrific mineral character before the wood tannin becomes more noticeable on the backend. Clean, elegant, and taut with decent length, real penetrating depth to the mineral laced red fruit on the palate, with a decidedly spicy finish. Retaining a certain delicacy, rich yet not chewy, this is chiseled. 93pts

Brunate has historically been known as the place for long aged wines

2011 Mario Marengo Barolo Riserva Brunate

70-80 year old vines
A selection, oldest plants, 800-1000 bottles per worthwhile vintage
​

Here the wood seems to play a prominent role, there's a bowl of mixed fruit in alcohol laying under the spicy wood top note. Showing  a lovely interplay of delicacy and caressing softness on the palate, this is already quite approachable. Juicy and rich with sweet fruit, laced with mineral and rosehip notes. A light coffee notes pops on the backend before this leads to a rather long, slightly creamy, and lusciously sweet, almost, red fruited finale. With tons of fruit yet retaining freshness, this is not great but delicious in the way 2011s can be.  Very transparent and long, this will be lovely soon, and last twenty years 92pts

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