2008 Barolo Marcenasco
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Tasting notes
Winemaker Pietro Ratti. The vineyards are situated near the 15th-century Abbey of Annunziata in La Morra and were historically denominated Marcenasco. They are planted in Tortonian (bluish marl) soils and trained in classic Guyot style at an altitude of 780m with a south-easterly and south-westerly exposure. There are approximately 5,000 vines per hectare with an average yield of 45hl/ha. The grapes were destemmed and crushed, followed by a thermo-controlled fermentation at 30ºC and macerated for seven days. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks in October. The wine was aged part in 25-hl Slovenian oak casks and part in old barrels and then bottled during summer 2011. Quite heady and appealing with sweetness but real flattering fruit plus the odd hint of rose petals. Dry finish but a hint of Edinburgh rock too. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
La Morra. Quite deep ruby up to the rim with orange reflexes. Balsamic, savoury, perhaps a bit herbaceous even. Sweet, ripe fruit and surprisingly low in acidity. Stalky tannin delivers the contrast here. Very good length, but not built for eternity. (WS)
The 2008 Barolo Marcenasco is a pretty, up-front Barolo that is best enjoyed for its exuberant, open personality. It shows lovely delineation in its dark red fruit, smoke, licorice and spices. Today the French oak is a bit intrusive, suggesting the wine may not have quite enough stuffing to go the distance. That probably won't matter much, as most wines will long have been enjoyed by the time that becomes an issue. The juicy, fleshy style should remain appealing for at least a handful of years. With time in the glass the wine shows signs of increasing finesse, but I would still suggest drinking it sooner rather than later.
The 2008 Barolo Marcenasco is a pretty, up-front Barolo that is best enjoyed for its exuberant, open personality. It shows lovely delineation in its dark red fruit, smoke, licorice and spices. Today the French oak is a bit intrusive, suggesting the wine may not have quite enough stuffing to go the distance. That probably won’t matter much, as most bottles will long have been enjoyed by the time that becomes an issue. The juicy, fleshy style should remain appealing for at least a handful of years. With time in the glass the wine shows signs of increasing finesse, but I would still suggest drinking it sooner rather than later. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2018. This is a beautiful set of 2008s from Pietro Ratti. While his 2007s were quite extroverted, Ratti’s 2008s return to a cool, inward style that is both classic and also typical of the year. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770