2012 Barolo, Brunate, Marcarini, Piedmont, Italy

From further down the La Morra escarpment, Brunate is clearly more muscular than its sister La Serra, even in 2012. This is darker, brooding garnet-red, fuller and more menthol, with loganberry, balsam oil and liquorice aromas. To taste, it’s squarer, more tannic, more demanding and complex in youth, so will need at least 10 years to come round.


The Marcarini estate was established in the mid-1800s by Giuseppe Tarditi. Today, it is owned and managed by the utterly charming Manuel Marchetti, widower to Giuseppe's great, great, granddaughter, the late Luisa Bava. Their three children are slowly joining the family business, but Mexican-born Manuel is still very much in charge and running the domaine with wonderful passion and enthusiasm.