2017 Poderi Marcarini Del Comune di La Morra Barolo Piedmont 750 ml

“Now that’s an instant classic.”

You rarely hear that from Master Sommelier Sur Lucero, a Barolo savant who honed his palate at The French Laundry and directed the wine program at Napa’s Italian hotspot Oenotri. But after tasting the inaugural vintage of Marcarini’s crimson-tinted La Morra bottling, he couldn’t help it. 

Combining two of the most celebrated crus in the famed village of La Morra, this is one of Barolo’s most outstanding values. Just like last year’s debut bottling, this one earned a 95-point score from James Suckling—but that barely scratches the surface of its magnetism.  It’s a gorgeous and expansive exemplar of the old-school Barolo style from a producer that Antonio Galloni says represents “one of the best values in traditionally made, cellar-worthy Barolo.”

Marcarini, one of the first producers to bottle and market single-site Barolo, is located at the original entrance to the village, with their cellars directly underneath, and their longevity in the area gave them prime plots in the two world-class sites behind this bottle: Brunate and La Serra.

These sites bring different characteristics to the table. Brunate, located lower on the slope, gives brooding, dark fruit and slightly warmer tones. Higher up, La Serra is windier and yields aromatic, red-fruit-dominant Nebbiolo. After hand-harvesting the grapes, the Marcarini team vinifies them in stainless steel and concrete. The wine then ages for two years in Slavonian oak and then six more months in bottle—just like the prestigious cru bottlings from the same sites. 

This bottling bolsters Marcarini’s reputation as a first-class producer whose wines still pack a ton of value. We couldn’t wait to try it, and we were blown away. Now it’s your turn.