Marchesi di Barolo:
Pitch-perfect Barolo from a Legendary Estate
“You would expect some pretty special examples of Barolo with this name, and the winery delivers…”
Forbes.com, ‘The 25 Best Producers of Barolo’, 2018
You know at D&N we love great, traditionally made Nebbiolo from prized terroirs, and we adore small-production wines made by talented, hard-working families. Oh, and of course we love excellent quality-to-value ratios. So, when you get all this from one winery, we consider it a true grand slam.
Dhall & Nash is honoured to announce the arrival to our stable of Marchesi di Barolo.
Every wine region needs its legends. Marchesi di Barolo is a legend of Piedmont. One that both defies our expectations of what Barolo can be and affirms its greatness. These are undoubtedly magical wines from one of Barolo’s greatest producers – they truly exude a sense of refinement and regalness.
This is a winery of serious intention, prestige and deep history, from a terroir right in the beating heart of blue chip DOCG Barolo. Marchesi di Barolo gives a master class in varietal character, soil character, and measured elegant winemaking.
“The [Marchesi di Barolo] winery has defined a unique lineage of quality, elegance and complexity, by interpreting the many nuances of Nebbiolo and the potential of each terroir.”
Decanter
With its unrivalled power, nuance, and longevity, Barolo is known as the “King of Wines”—but this so-called king actually exists thanks to a visionary “queen”.
It was due to Giulia Falletti, the original Marchesa of Barolo, that Barolo was crafted more than two centuries ago, from a sweet spritzy wine into the complex red wine we know it as today.
Her vision lives on at Marchesi di Barolo winery with the Abbona family at the helm astutely guided by mother and daughter duo, Anna and Valentina Abbona – the modern day queens of Barolo.
“Powerful elegance has become Marchesi di Barolo’s trademark since its very first vintage.”
Decanter
Prestigious Pedigree
The braided history of Marchesi di Barolo is a love story that has been going on for more than 200 years. It began in 1807, when the Marchese di Barolo, Carlo Tancredi Falletti, fell in love with the French aristocrat Juliette (Giulia) Colbert de Maulévrier. After her marriage to the Marchese di Barolo, Juliette Colbert de Maulévrier fell in love again – but her husband had no reason to be jealous, as the object of her passion was the Nebbiolo vine.
It was Juliette Colbert de Maulévrier with her deep love of grand French wines, who recognised the potential of these local vines on the soils of lime, clay, marl and tufa in the Piedmont microclimate.
She was the first to vinify Nebbiolo in a dry style, set up the wine cellar and named the wine after its place of origin, Barolo, according to the French tradition. She thus brought Italy’s most prestigious wine to the world – Barolo.
The wine from their estate soon became known as “the wine from Barolo”, served at important diplomatic and royal functions, even in France. The Marchesi had no children and following the death of the couple, the Marchesi di Barolo dynasty was left without an heir.
Per the wishes of Marchesa Giulia, a great philanthropist, the family assets were donated to charity and a non-profit foundation was created in their name, “Opera Pia Barolo”, helping the neediest of nearby Torino. The sales of wine from their Barolo vineyards continue to fund the charity, which still exists today.
It was in 1929, a local winemaker, Pietro Abbona with his siblings, purchased the cellars formerly owned by the Marchesi and eventually acquired all their vineyard holdings as well.
His arrival not only brought a new lustre to the famous producer, but it also ushered in a new era for Barolo. For proven Barolo-specialists, Pietro Abbona is the first of the pioneers of Barolo. He succeeded in spreading the reputation of Barolo far beyond its Piedmont home. He dealt reverently with the legacy that he was able to continue. His great respect for the creators of Barolo is especially evident in the cellar. Pietro Abbona kept and cherished the wine barrels in which Marchesa Giulia created Barolo from Nebbiolo grapes. This legacy has been preserved to this day.
Marchesi di Barolo remains a family business. The love of Barolo has been passed on within the Abbona family from one generation to the next. Since 2006, the estate has been under the direction of Pietro’s great-grandson and fifth-generation winemaker, Ernesto Abbona and his wife Anna, and their children Valentina and Davide. They have inherited an extraordinary winemaking tradition and remain faithful interpreters of the rich diversity of these places, vineyards, and varieties. The Abbonas are proud of their heritage and the fact that the wines of Marchesi di Barolo are still among the best examples from the region and are highly sought after around the world.
“Knowledge and respect are the core values that define Marchesi di Barolo’s philosophy and working methods – knowledge of the grapes, the vineyard and the specific vintage conditions; respect for the character they bring to the wine and that must be preserved through mindful winemaking. This ultimately defines the unique character and strength of all of the estate’s bottlings.”
Decanter
As great-great grandfather Pietro Abbona was, the sixth generation is committed to the traditional methods but, at the same time, they want to present Barolo in a contemporary way. The family motto is to combine tradition and evolution.
“Elegant, Balanced, Powerful and Nuanced – there’s nothing quite like Barolo in its capacity for soul stirring complexity.”
GT Wines
Amongst the Vines
The Marchesi di Barolo estate encompasses approximately 430 acres of vineyards in the Langhe, some of the finest in Piedmont, including the celebrated Cannubi cru. The cellars are located in the village of Barolo, overlooking the Renaissance castle of the Marchesi Falletti di Barolo. They have been making wine and aging it in the ancient cellars of Marchesi di Barolo for six generations. The Abbonas remain faithful interpreters of native varietals and their locations, carefully preserving the qualities and peculiarities of each vineyard.
Marchesi di Barolo being an eminent family estate represents the great wine traditions of Piedmont, controlling 430 acres of UNESCO World Heritage vineyards, including holdings in the exclusive Barolo crus of Cannubi, Sarmassa and Coste di Rose. The Cannubi cru is Barolo’s oldest and most prestigious vineyard and a jewel in Marchesi di Barolo’s crown.
The winery is surrounded by high hills that protect the estate from inclement weather. These favourable conditions make the Nebbiolo grapes sweet, tannic, and lively.
The hills of the Langhe were formed from seabeds that emerged millions of years ago. The Barolo area is made up of Serravallian soil and Tortonian soil whose properties lend distinct characteristics to Barolo wines. The Serravallian soil produces robust, full-bodied, structured, and long-lived wines, and the Tortonian soils impart the fragrance, and elegant notes to balance against the power structure of the wine.
The family’s bond with Barolo starts amongst the vines. The aim is to promote the biodiversity of the vineyard. It is an ongoing challenge for the vintner to transfer the uniqueness of historic cru sites into the wine. This requires a close familiarity with the land and a lot of flexibility in the cellar in order to be able to respond to each of the crus – and Marchesi di Barolo boasts some of the most prestigious crus in the Barolo area. Cannubi is a site characterised by lime, which is protected from extreme weather conditions by the surrounding hills. Coste di Rose is a very steep site with a high quartzite content. Sarmassa faces south-east and has very stony soil.
The wines originating from these sites have an extremely long life. The family is especially proud of this longevity of their Barolo. Here too, the family is maintaining its traditional heritage. A unique asset of Marchesi di Barolo is its ancient wine cellars, home to a rare and private collection of over 30,000 bottles of Barolo that ranges from rare nineteenth century vintages to recent ones.
“You would expect some pretty special examples of Barolo with this name, and the winery delivers; especially noteworthy are the Cannubi and the Coste di Rose… Somewhat modern in their approach, the Barolos here also pay tribute to the winemaking heritage of this territory; the wines offer excellent ripeness and harmony.”
Forbes.com, ‘The 25 Best Producers of Barolo’, November 2018
Marchesi di Barolo wines are classic but clean, polished but soulful…in short, everything one could possibly ask for in a Barolo/Nebbiolo. These latest releases should be in both your glass and your cellar as soon as possible, right alongside your favourite Burgundies, Bordeaux, Napa Cabernets…whatever you consider collectible. And, believe us, this is as collectible as they come with at least 20 years of graceful maturation ahead of them. From a price/quality perspective, it leaves so many more-expensive wines completely in the dust. Elite-level Barolo like this remains the best “value investment” in wine. It’s only going up, up, up!
“A legacy of character and strength, inside each bottle of Marchesi di Barolo’s Barolo”
Decanter
Our 2025 Allocation
Nebbiolo is definitely having a moment, but very few can match what Marchesi di Barolo accomplish – a wine that has the full spectrum of aromatics, depth, and complexity yet is also extraordinarily drinkable right now. Of course, this wine can age, but it’s not mandatory. It is so effortlessly enjoyable and since it is a humble “Nebbiolo,” the value is outstanding.
2021 Marchesi di Barolo Nebbiolo d’Alba Michet DOC
- Nebbiolo d’Alba is a very eclectic variety. It extracts unique characteristics from the terroir: from clay and limestone hills of medium consistency, it derives plenty of trace elements that enrich its structure; from ground rich in quartz sands and silt, it takes fragrant and fruity scents. The presence of the Michet grape variety, characterised by small and sparse bunches, enriches the colour and extract of the wine. This blend creates a wine of great completeness and harmony, that can fully and immediately express its bouquet.
- SOILS: From clay and limestone hills of medium consistency, it extracts plenty of trace elements that enrich its structure; from grounds rich in quartz sands and silt, it takes fragrant and fruity scents.
- FERMENTATION: Decanted into vitrified concrete vats; it maintains the post-fermentation temperature of around 22°C for a long time. In this way the malolactic fermentation starts and ends spontaneously in a short time.
- MATURATION: The refinement, carried out 60% in large 60 hl Slavonian oak barrels and the remaining 40% in steel, is aimed at maintaining the typical traits of freshness and florality of the Michet clone
- SENSORY: The colour is ruby, veering towards garnet red. The aroma combines the fruity scents of raspberry with the ethereal, spicy notes of violet and vanilla. This wine has a wide range of flavours, and the taste is harmonious and balanced, with graceful, never- too-prominent tannins and delicate woody notes.
2019 Marchesi di Barolo Tradizione DOCG
- SOILS: The grapes used to make this wine grow in vineyards situated on hills with a good slope, composed of clay and limestone soils, alternated with firm layers of sandstone and covered by quartz sands and very fine silt. This creates a structured wine, rich in trace elements, that has a vigorous but balanced character and can fully express its bouquet.
- FERMENTATION: With maceration of the skins, takes place at controlled temperature. In this phase, periodic soft pumping over is carried out, so as to allow the must to gently extract the trace elements, the color and the noble tannins. The racking takes place only when fermentation is complete. The wine is moved into vitrified concrete vats, specially made with cork insulation, so as to maintain a temperature suitable for a prompt start of the malolactic fermentation.
- MATURATION: At least 18 months in oak barrels of different capacities. It completes its ageing in the bottle before being put on the market.
- SENSORY: The colour is garnet red with ruby reflections. The aroma is intense and persistent with distinct traces of spices, cinnamon, absinthe, tobacco and wild rose. The taste is full and elegant, with soft tannins. The spice and the woody aromas blend perfectly. Drink 2024 – 2035.
- 95 Points – The Real Review: “Medium cherry red colour. Blood plum, rose and pastrami aromas. Dark cherry fruits on entry, they build intensity as flowing across the palate. Has a wonderful silken glide to the flow early, acidity tickles at the edges, then well integrated tannins take over the back half. As it runs to a superbly long finish, we see some dark meaty savoury characters build.” (Stuart Knox, Jan 2025) Drink 2025–2040
2018 Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi DOCG
There isn’t a wine in the world that more vividly evokes its place of origin than Barolo.
The 2018 Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi is off the charts! It’s certainly a blue-chip collector gem that deserves to be tucked away in the cellar. It displays immense structure with a harmonious combination of power and elegance which is one of the hallmarks of the “Cannubi” vineyard.
- VINEYARD: Cannubi: the long, gradually rising hill in the centre of the Barolo area. 300m elevation with an average vine age of 55 years. Surrounded by higher hills that protect it from bad weather and excessive flow of air, Cannubi enjoys a very special, unique microclimate.
- SOILS: Serravallian and Tortonian soils meet and merge, creating bluish-gray marls rich in magnesium and manganese carbonates, clays mixed with very fine sands, impregnated with a strong limestone content. Their technical name is “Sant’Agata fossil marls”, but they are commonly called Toû.
- WINEMAKING: The grapes are rigorously harvested by hand and a selection of the best bunches is made already in the vineyard. Once it arrives in the cellar, it is selectively destemmed and delicately pressed.
- FERMENTATION: Takes place at a controlled temperature: a range of 24-26°C is maintained to preserve all the aromatic potential characteristic of the specific terroir. Through repeated delestage and pumping over, they proceed with a maceration of 15-18 days aimed at the gradual and maximum extraction of the noble polyphenolic part of the skins.
- MATURATION: After racking, the wine begins a period of clarification and rest in vitrified concrete tanks, before continuing maturation in wood. The evolution lasts about two years. During the first year the wine matures in small French oak barrels, with the aim of fixing the colour and increasing the aging potential; the percentage of new woods is perfectly balanced to maintain the identifying characteristics of this Cru unchanged. The second year the wine ages in large Slavonian oak barrels in which the characteristics of finesse and elegance are enhanced. The complete expression of the wine is obtained after a period of at least 1 year of rest in the bottle.
- SENSORY: The colour is ruby with garnet red hues. The aroma is intense, with clear scents of rose, vanilla, spices and roasted nuts and a vague hint of absinthe. It is a robust wine, with good body, full and elegant taste, soft and enveloping tannins. Pleasant spicy and woody notes that merge perfectly together. Drink 2024 – 2045
- 96 Points – Decanter World Wine Awards: “Showing great depth of character with aromas of dried fruits, oak- layered cherries, attractive orange peel accents, and a touch of sweet onion relish. The palate is broad and solid with muscular tannins and a crunchy fresh fruit character. Shows great potential.”
The Mystique of Cannubi
For Piedmont and Barolo insiders, the “Cannubi” vineyard is considered one of the greatest cru sites in the Langhe as well as in the world. It’s a mere 37 acres!
If Barolo is the “King of Wines,” then Cannubi is its rightful throne. Perhaps the most celebrated hill in Italy’s wine landscape and undoubtedly among the most historic vineyards – with archival research tracing the first documented mention back to 1752, the year it appeared on a label for the first time – It is believed the name Cannubi comes from the Latin, connubio (marriage). This could be because it is where the two sides of the Barolo area meet.
Cannubi is a perfect blend of soil and climactic factors that create wines symbolizing the finest expressions of the region. For a Barolo lover, tasting and collecting Cannubi is a must!
However, this prized cru is not without some ongoing controversy: Here we are referring to the hill of Cannubi. There are actually specific sub-zones of Cannubi including: Cannubi San Lorenzo, Cannubi Muscatel, Cannubi Valletta, Cannubi Boschis and just Cannubi which can be either specified or generally written as Cannubi on the label. It pays to know your producer.
The soils of Cannubi are mostly compositions of sand, silt and a bit of clay. Towards the bottom of the hill, there are sandier soils which give the Barolos elegance, a characteristic of Cannubi wines. According to many locals, this is where the key flavour of licorice comes from. Position is everything!
Cannubi’s Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva (MGA) occupies a central position on a ridge, lower than the surrounding hills, shaped like a wedge that rises just before reaching Barolo. The tip of this wedge faces northeast, toward Alba, while the base extends southwest, ending at the edge of the village. This geographical setup provides the vineyards with optimal exposure, shielding them from cold winds and creating ideal climate conditions. Most of Cannubi is facing towards Southeast. This is considered a fantastic exposure because you have the bright and softer morning sun, and the grapes have time to cool off during the night as the sun sets in the west.
Cannubi is also a transitional zone between the two main geological areas of Barolo. On one side are the compact, deep soils of the Helvetian slope, and on the other, the softer soils of the Tortonian side. This unique soil mix, composed of sand and marl with significant limestone presence – the renowned Marne di Sant’Agata Fossili – creates a perfect blend of the different nuances of Barolo: the robustness and structure of the Helvetian sector meet the elegance and distinctive aromas of the Marne di Sant’Agata Fossili.
These are soulful Piedmonte reds from one of the variety’s greatest champions, Marchesi di Barolo. This is world-class wine of unique, and sublime distinction. So go ahead, it’s time to find out what the heart and soul of Barolo really tastes like! Superlatives are exhausted every time we taste one. If you don’t have some of this now-iconic red in your cellar, you are missing out.
A Bit of Geek Talk
Piedmont is serious wine business. Of the 20 Italian regions, it ranks the sixth highest in production volume and boasts more DOCG designated wines than any other (19!). In fact, there’s a growing consensus amongst wine geeks that we should give the endless gushing over Tuscany a rest, because this northern region–bordering France and Switzerland, situated between the Alps in the north and the Ligurian Apennines to the south–is truly where it’s at.
And the most noble grape that has definitely contributed the most to this region’s esteemed reputation is nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is named for the fog (“nebbia”) that settles in the foothills during the late October harvest. This highly tannic grape produces wines with a tar-and-roses bouquet that are often considered a more cost-effective alternative to Burgundy, the two most famous of which are Barolo and Barbaresco. It is believed to have been cultivated in the Langhe district before the fourteenth century and has spread to well-defined areas in Piedmont and Lombardy, creating very noble wines, named after their growing areas (Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme).
The Allure of Barolo
Barolo is an enigma. Liked by many, unlike any other and understood by few. Traditional Barolo is austere, we could say it is very “introverted”. Although often deep and impenetrable it is worth the patience of cellaring. Like any star, Barolo does know how to tease a crowd. However, there are some reviewers that have become enamoured with Barolo who are puzzled when they taste a traditional Barolo, perhaps because they are looking for a wine with more flash and sizzle, something that was not a style favoured by the original Barolo winemakers.
The Barolo DOCG encompasses 11 different communes and more than 1200 growers in the region. The “Big Five” — Monforte d’Alba (Josetta Saffirio’s commune), La Morra, Castiglione Faletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and of course, Barolo — have the advantage of altitude and soil, producing nearly 90 percent of all Barolo, while the remaining six — Diano d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Novello, Cherasco, Roddi, and Verduno — round out the rest.
Barolo is an accurate expression of terroir – it is a powerhouse, tannic wine in some communes, Serralunga, Monforte and Castiglione for example, but also more perfumed and delicate in others like La Morra. The Central Valley Barolos are known for softer, fruitier expressions of the region. Recent technological and viticultural advances are remaking Barolo into a wine that is more consistently balanced and approachable. Producers are careful not to change the flavour or feel of their wines, only to improve, and eliminate poor winemaking methods.
Interestingly, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo could be brothers from another mother. Both are globally revered and sought after for their elegance, intensity, and age worthiness. And just as Pinot Noir is notoriously unstable genetically, available in many different shades, subvarieties, and clones, so is Nebbiolo. Both are thin skinned, high in acid and tannins. Both are exceptionally finicky about where they will happily grow and ripen. However, Nebbiolo has not travelled well as far as finding terroir to call home as opposed to Pinot’s internationally successful plantings.
Further, the one thing that sets Nebbiolo/Barolo apart is the tannin levels. These are bold tactile textures, yet Barolo has this ability to deliver tannins to a level of intensity and refinement that no other wine style can match.
Modern Barolo winemakers’ experience and understanding of ripeness, managing tannins and curating extraction is nowadays at a point never before reached. Clearly, Marchesi di Barolo have expressively built their wines in a way that elaborates the full majestic power, depth and nuance of Nebbiolo. So, if tannin worship is your thing…roll out your prayer mat now!
“[Barolo is] an absolute symbol of Italian wine, created by many families who have invested in quality, making the great red of Langa a must among enthusiasts and collectors, and the vineyards, cru in the lead, among the most precious in Italy and in the world.”
Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consorzio del Barolo
