Marcarini remains one of the best values in traditionally made, cellar-worthy Barolo - Antonio Galloni

Marcarini is a family-run estate that has sat perched on the edge of La Morra since the 1850s. As you would expect from an estate of such age they have considerable holdings in La Morra's most famous crus: 4.5ha in Brunate; 5.5 of La Serra (the single largest holding). They were the first in the village to bottle and label their crus separately.

The first question from Barolo fans is always: But are they modernist or traditional? The answer is that they are resolutely traditional. This starts in the vineyard, where the vines are hard-pruned and only organic compost and traditional remedies are used. In the cellar, things are equally old school. There are no roto-fermenters here to seed fermentation along; just long, slow macerations to gently extract the best from those beautifully grown grapes.

Marcarini's 2010s are true to the vintage and their sites. They are brighter than the 2009s with the Brunate, as always, being richer and more savoury in style. So it requires longer to come round when compared to the higher altitude La Serra, which shows more delicate raspberry and roses. /EE 

Offered subject to confirmation for shipment 2014/15