At Dhall & Nash, one of our core values is that we respect those who create wonders by patiently loving, toiling and knowing their small piece of earth through the generations. So when we were researching a new wine that had come across our desks and we saw their ethos, our interest was definitely piqued… 

And thus, we are proud to introduce to our portfolio Enzo Bartoli.

Or rather, what is Enzo Bartoli? Because Enzo Bartoli is not a person.

In their own words, Enzo Bartoli is an identity that encapsulates the idea of style.

It is the signature that seals a collection of wines capable of telling, with minimalistic elegance, the sartorial soul of Piedmont.

Essentially, Enzo Bartoli is a brand rather than an individual winery. It’s an overarching operation that works with a number of selected – often smaller – growers and producers across Piedmont to present a thoughtfully curated collection that best represents the region. It’s a similar operation to a cooperative.

It’s this broad but careful sourcing that allows them to offer authentic Piedmontese wines at accessible price points. They use their market appeal and sizable brand positioning as the vehicle to allow these smaller operations to have their wines enjoyed across the world at a scale that they probably would have not experienced otherwise. They use their ‘Goliath’ to amplify the ‘Davids’ across the region.

Enzo Bartoli uses the concept of ‘Piemonte Couture’ as the overarching vehicle to present their curated selections.

Piemonte Couture blurs the line between wine and lifestyle. They are already intertwined concepts but Enzo Bartoli brings them a step closer. By implementing a minimalistic, refined and clean presentation it creates a signature look that doesn’t overstep and lets the wine itself shine.

Enzo Bartoli has created a selection that reflects the most authentic identity of the territory, read with stylistic rigor and attention to expressive recognizability.

Enzo Bartoli has borrowed the concept of Couture from the world of high-fashion, seeing a lot of parallels. Handmade, exclusive, and a serious statement, they say that “To drink Enzo Bartoli is to wear Piemonte on your sleeve.”

Piedmont (or Piemonte in Italian), is the north-western-most region in the country, sitting at the foot of the Alps and bordering Switzerland and France. The name quite literally means “foot of the mountain” deriving from “ped montes” or “piè di monte”.

The wines from Piedmont are among the most premium Italian offerings, with famous bottlings of Barolo & Barbaresco (both made from Nebbiolo), being the most renowned from the region. Interestingly, despite being the most famed, they only account for about 3% of the wine.

Italy was historically called ‘Oenotrua’ by the ancient Greeks, meaning “land of the vines”, as the native grape vines that grew there were so prolific, so it’s no surprise that winemaking is such an intrinsic part of the national culture, and Piedmont is no different in this sense.

Bordering France meant that Piedmont developed an interesting blended winemaking identity. It’s got the native Italian grapes and terroir, but the winemaking styles were influenced by French techniques, particularly from Burgundy, as is evidenced by a preference for unblended wines that showcase varietal styles.

The defining characteristic of Piedmont is its Alpine position. It’s situated to the northwest with a coastline along the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps along its border. It’s a hilly region that traps sea fog in Autumn and is phenomenally picturesque.

The terrain, due to the mountains and valleys, is somewhat rugged, leaving only around 30% of the region suitable for viticulture. The winemakers in the region are particular about what grapes are planted where, and the hillsides are cultivated with varietals that are the most suited.

Contrary to New Zealand where the northern aspects are the coveted warm, sunny ones, the southern aspects are where it’s at in this hemisphere. Southern facing vineyards are typically planted with Nebbiolo and Barbera while the northern ones are planted with varieties that can tolerate a bit more chill, like Dolcetto or Moscato.

The fog that settles over the rugged valleys and peaks is not just emblematic of the region, but is symbiotic with the native Nebbiolo grapes. The fog aids in its ripening and thus, its original name “Nebieu” comes from the Piedmontese word “nebia” meaning “fog”.

Piedmont (or Piemonte in Italian), is the north-western-most region in the country, sitting at the foot of the Alps and bordering Switzerland and France. The name quite literally means “foot of the mountain” deriving from “ped montes” or “piè di monte”.

The wines from Piedmont are among the most premium Italian offerings, with famous bottlings of Barolo & Barbaresco (both made from Nebbiolo), being the most renowned from the region. Interestingly, despite being the most famed, they only account for about 3% of the wine.

“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”.

“Powerful elegance has become Marchesi di Barolo’s trademark since its very first vintage.”

Decanter

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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