- Location
- London
We are currently staying in La Morra for a few days before heading down to Tuscany. This is the third year in a row we have stayed in the Langhe at this time of year, and the first two times I have failed to write anything up despite saying I would. Let’s see if I can do better this year...
We arrived on Tuesday evening and had a quick dinner at Per Bacco, delicious Pizza washed down with a lovely bottle of Marcarini Barbera 2017. A nice little wine, plenty of dark cherry fruit and quite mellow with enough acidity for freshness, this disappeared rather quickly. Weighing in at 13.5% in a hot vintage, this was an exercise in restraint (but not for me...).
Apartment view
Per Bacco
Giacomo Fenocchio
Wednesday morning we headed over to the heart of the Bussia vineyard to visit Claudio and Nicoletta at Giacomo Fenocchio. Nicoletta led us through the range on their newly glazed terrace (some of the best views of the Bussia and Cannubi sites). Claudio was busy working in the vineyard replanting a SE slope in Bussia from Barbera to Nebbiolo, where they are hoping to achieve authorisation for growing grapes for Barolo.
All their barolo undergo 40 days maceration (except for the riserva which is 90 days). All use natural yeasts and spontaneous fermentation. The 2015s were bottled in January 2019
As for the vintage profile, they see 15 as somewhere between 11 and 12 in terms of weather (i.e. a little cooler than 11).
Arneis 2018- 1 day maceration, 10-12 day fermentation. 6 months in inox. Big mineral and stone fruit driven nose. Palate is fresh and balanced, intense crushed rock and some stone fruit. I am not normally that fussed by Arneis but this was a good example. 13.5% abv.
Barbera Superior 2017- 10-12 days maceration. Savoury and red fruit nose. Classic. Balance is great (med high acidity and some tannin), mellow black cherry fruit. Good, classic Barbera. 14.5%
Langhe Nebbiolo 2017- 6 months inox, 6 months botti. Natural yeasts. Wonderful pure ruby colour. Potpurri and roses on the nose. Palate is chewy red fruit, liquorice on the end. Nice tannin. A bit brooding and quite savoury. 14.5%.
Castellero 2015. Very open nose, strongly rose scented with a touch of spice. Bright red fruit on the palate, open, with a savoury twist towards the end. Fine tannin. Good to very good. 14.5%.
Villero 2015. Lovely red fruit and crushed candy scented nose (I hate to use the word candy, but it seems to fit better than boiled sweet which seems too confected. It is a particular aroma that I associate with some Barolo, notably G Mascarello’s Perno), with some savoury characteristics. Palate is pure and clean with lovely bright red fruit. Very fine tannin which does clamp down end. Very good. 14.5%
Bussia 15. Fantastic classic Barolo nose. Roses, red fruit, some spices. Structured palate of cooler red fruit and iron. This is pure, clean and complete. Excellent. 14.5%.
Canubbi 2015 sold out at the winery already so was not on show, hoping to snag a six pack in the UK as the barrel sample on last years visit was excellent.
Bussia Riserva 2000. Great nose of roses, forest floor and some fading fruit, tobacco and perhaps a touch of mint. Touch of sandalwood and furniture polish. Complete palate, resolved red fruit, still fine tannin and good acidity. A very fine barolo at the start of a good drinking plateau. 14%.
Marcarini
I had not originally planned to visit Marcarini but, upon hearing of the changes they have made for 2015 to introduce a new blend (Commune del La Morra) and stricter selection on the two Crus, I thought I should pop by their tasting room in La Morra. I was warmly welcomed by Elena who was happy to talk me through the changes and their rationale.
Production is now down to 8-9k bottles per cru, with 22k bottles of the commune blend. The idea is to better represent the cru characteristics whilst also giving a new wine that can be enjoyed younger.
Commune del La Morra 2015- Quite light nose. Palate is open, light but crunchy red fruit. A little simple. High acidity and tannins quite fine - this is approachable now and can certainly be drank and enjoyed earlier than the more serious cru wines. 60% la serra, 40% brunate. Filtered as they believe this gives earlier accessibility. A good wine, which will drink early.
La Serra 2015- sweet floral nose. Lots of red fruit on balanced palate. Great acidity. Quite light and elegant but not without firm tannins. Good to very good.
Brunate 2015- bigger, deeper, denser, brooding nose. Palate is very big; cola, explosive red fruit and some blue fruit. Big tannins but in balance, medium grained rather than fine. Relatively cool fruited really, considering the vintage. Very good.
Brunate 2014- this was shown for comparison. More open nose, more candied. Fruit is cooler and certainly less concentrated. Good and potentially the best for drinking over the next few years.
Off to Guido Rivella, La Vedetta and Burlotto today. More notes and a bit of food porn to follow...
We arrived on Tuesday evening and had a quick dinner at Per Bacco, delicious Pizza washed down with a lovely bottle of Marcarini Barbera 2017. A nice little wine, plenty of dark cherry fruit and quite mellow with enough acidity for freshness, this disappeared rather quickly. Weighing in at 13.5% in a hot vintage, this was an exercise in restraint (but not for me...).

Apartment view

Per Bacco
Giacomo Fenocchio
Wednesday morning we headed over to the heart of the Bussia vineyard to visit Claudio and Nicoletta at Giacomo Fenocchio. Nicoletta led us through the range on their newly glazed terrace (some of the best views of the Bussia and Cannubi sites). Claudio was busy working in the vineyard replanting a SE slope in Bussia from Barbera to Nebbiolo, where they are hoping to achieve authorisation for growing grapes for Barolo.
All their barolo undergo 40 days maceration (except for the riserva which is 90 days). All use natural yeasts and spontaneous fermentation. The 2015s were bottled in January 2019
As for the vintage profile, they see 15 as somewhere between 11 and 12 in terms of weather (i.e. a little cooler than 11).
Arneis 2018- 1 day maceration, 10-12 day fermentation. 6 months in inox. Big mineral and stone fruit driven nose. Palate is fresh and balanced, intense crushed rock and some stone fruit. I am not normally that fussed by Arneis but this was a good example. 13.5% abv.
Barbera Superior 2017- 10-12 days maceration. Savoury and red fruit nose. Classic. Balance is great (med high acidity and some tannin), mellow black cherry fruit. Good, classic Barbera. 14.5%
Langhe Nebbiolo 2017- 6 months inox, 6 months botti. Natural yeasts. Wonderful pure ruby colour. Potpurri and roses on the nose. Palate is chewy red fruit, liquorice on the end. Nice tannin. A bit brooding and quite savoury. 14.5%.
Castellero 2015. Very open nose, strongly rose scented with a touch of spice. Bright red fruit on the palate, open, with a savoury twist towards the end. Fine tannin. Good to very good. 14.5%.
Villero 2015. Lovely red fruit and crushed candy scented nose (I hate to use the word candy, but it seems to fit better than boiled sweet which seems too confected. It is a particular aroma that I associate with some Barolo, notably G Mascarello’s Perno), with some savoury characteristics. Palate is pure and clean with lovely bright red fruit. Very fine tannin which does clamp down end. Very good. 14.5%
Bussia 15. Fantastic classic Barolo nose. Roses, red fruit, some spices. Structured palate of cooler red fruit and iron. This is pure, clean and complete. Excellent. 14.5%.
Canubbi 2015 sold out at the winery already so was not on show, hoping to snag a six pack in the UK as the barrel sample on last years visit was excellent.
Bussia Riserva 2000. Great nose of roses, forest floor and some fading fruit, tobacco and perhaps a touch of mint. Touch of sandalwood and furniture polish. Complete palate, resolved red fruit, still fine tannin and good acidity. A very fine barolo at the start of a good drinking plateau. 14%.

Marcarini
I had not originally planned to visit Marcarini but, upon hearing of the changes they have made for 2015 to introduce a new blend (Commune del La Morra) and stricter selection on the two Crus, I thought I should pop by their tasting room in La Morra. I was warmly welcomed by Elena who was happy to talk me through the changes and their rationale.
Production is now down to 8-9k bottles per cru, with 22k bottles of the commune blend. The idea is to better represent the cru characteristics whilst also giving a new wine that can be enjoyed younger.
Commune del La Morra 2015- Quite light nose. Palate is open, light but crunchy red fruit. A little simple. High acidity and tannins quite fine - this is approachable now and can certainly be drank and enjoyed earlier than the more serious cru wines. 60% la serra, 40% brunate. Filtered as they believe this gives earlier accessibility. A good wine, which will drink early.
La Serra 2015- sweet floral nose. Lots of red fruit on balanced palate. Great acidity. Quite light and elegant but not without firm tannins. Good to very good.
Brunate 2015- bigger, deeper, denser, brooding nose. Palate is very big; cola, explosive red fruit and some blue fruit. Big tannins but in balance, medium grained rather than fine. Relatively cool fruited really, considering the vintage. Very good.
Brunate 2014- this was shown for comparison. More open nose, more candied. Fruit is cooler and certainly less concentrated. Good and potentially the best for drinking over the next few years.

Off to Guido Rivella, La Vedetta and Burlotto today. More notes and a bit of food porn to follow...