“At their best, the Marcarini Barolos offer solid quality and terrific overall value in a classic, old-school style.” – Antonio Galloni in Vinous

The bad news – We sold out of the 2019 Marcarini. But we’re not leaving you hanging! We managed to secure an allocation of their equally fabulous 2020!

With 95-points (and a couple 94’s), a Single Vineyard Barolo, from one of the region’s stalwarts of classicism, for under $60?!

If you would have asked us yesterday, we would have told you, “Doesn’t happen.”

BUT! Fans of bone-dry savory reds, Italian wine enthusiasts, and terroir geeks gather round. This wine is for you!

(Definitely check out their 94-point rarity from 150+ year-old vines, too!)

Marcarini may not be as famous as some of the flashier, more fashionable wineries in Barolo, but they are about as OG as it gets. It is easy to think of Barolo as something that has been around forever, one of the timeless kings of traditional Italian wines. BUT as we know it today, 100% Nebbiolo, aged to perfection before release, it actually dates to the mid nineteenth century. Founded in the 1850’s, they were there from the beginning!

Fast forward a hundred years, they were again on the forefront of embracing the regions unique terroir – they were among the very first to label single-vineyard wines in the 1950’s.

And this wine comes from one of the most highly regarded vineyards, the Cru of La Serra. The hallmark of La Serra is the powerful floral perfume on the nose, its herbal minty notes, and nervous, chalky, elegant tannins. The vineyard sits at about 1250 feet elevation, higher than most, with an open, southern exposure – ensuring long, slow ripening that leads to the wine’s notable complexity and elegance.

2020 was also a great year for Barolo, making approachable wines that show beautiful ripeness while maintaining age-ability. A warmer year than most, the wine is beautifully balanced, with ripe fruit, complex aromas, and softer tannins than the preceding 2019 vintage. Enjoyable now while still possessing significant aging potential, blending classic structure with immediate charm.

Still in the hands of its founding family, helmed by Manuel Marchetti and his three children, Marcarini continues to carefully farm their 49 acres and make wines in the classical style. In a region torn by ‘modernists’ and ‘traditionalists’, they are firmly the latter in technique – submerged cap extended maceration and aging in large neutral botti.

It is, in the best possible way, your grandfather’s Barolo. The type of Barolo that made us fall in love with the region many years ago. No flash, no pizazz, but deeply complex, contemplative, savory, nuanced, and crazy-long.

Whether you want to pop it now and enjoy its youthful red fruits and floral intensity or cellar it for the next fifteen years or beyond to develop deeply leathery, earthy nuance is up to you. But we recommend buying plenty NOW and doing both.

Because we don’t have much… And we don’t know when we’ll see a Barolo deal this good again!

95 Points – James Suckling “Pretty berry fruit like raspberries and hawthorn berries here, plus hazelnuts and orange rind. It’s bright and beautifully balanced with a medium to full body and an elegant frame of firm yet tight-knit tannins. Delicious finish. Best after 2027.”

94 Points – Wine Enthusiast “Rolling out of the glass like billowing clouds, the wine opens subtly with aromas of tart red fruits, herbs, leaf, and worn leather. Taut and well-structured with fine tannins, the throughline is sour cherries with hints of dried spices, crumbled leaves, and chalk. This very elegant wine is built for the long haul, with a drinking window spanning from 2026 to 2045.”

94 Points – Vinous “Deceptively understated, the 2020 Barolo La Serra is a nuanced wine that beautifully captures the essence of this site. Crushed flowers, mint, white pepper, sage and rose petal lend aromatic brilliance to a Barolo that impresses with its sculpted, chiseled personality. A whole range of floral and savory overtones reappears on the finish, adding brightness and lift. Drink 2024-2036.”