Vineyards at La Morra include Cerequio (small barn in center), Brunate (right of Cerequio) and La ... [+]
Of the eleven communes in the Barolo production zone, La Morra is the largest in terms of vineyards planted to Nebbiolo. There are 39 MGA (the name given to the delimited areas of production) and more than 60 Barolo producers in this commune. The list of the estates located here reads like a who’s who of Barolo producers, such as Roberto Voerzio, Renato Ratti, Rocche Costamagna, Poderi Oddero, Elio Altare and Mauro Molino, to name only a few. Then there are some of the most important vineyards in all of the Barolo zone that are located in La Morra, including Cerequio, Rocche dell’Annunziata and Brunate, each considered among the royalty of Barolo’s finest sites.
The other important factor about Barolo from La Morra is the style. We tend to think of Barolo as a powerful wine that can age for more than 20 or 30 years from the finest vintages, and while this is true for every commune in the zone, the wines vary from one area to another. To experience the most rugged style, the wines with the most intense tannins when young, try a Barolo from Monforte d’Alba or Serralunga d’Alba. It’s not that these wines are undrinkable upon release, rather it’s that their profile is one that rewards at least a decade of aging to experience the best characteristics of these wines.
La Morra, on the other hand, is known for its more elegant qualities, especially when the wines are released. Some of this is due to the soils found here, the younger ones of the Barolo zone known as Tortonian; these soils result in wines with more gentle tannins, as the roots of the vines do not have to go as deep as those in vineyards with older soils. These wines can be enjoyed sooner than a typical Barolo from Serralunga or Monforte (this is a generalization, of course, as this depends on the particular vineyard and producer; one vintner from La Morra will craft his Barolos to be more powerful, and needing more time than those of another vintner).
A typical La Morra Barolo from a great site such as Brunate or La Serra, is a wine that can age for 15-25 years in the finest vintages, yet offers a more approachable style than many other examples of Barolo. Many of these wines also display more floral perfumes - roses, red poppies - than the more intense examples. It is this aromatic profile that make the Barolos from La Morra so inviting, wonderful choices for earlier consumption.
Let’s look at some of the most famous Barolo producers in La Morra today, focusing on the top single vineyard wines they produce, as well as their production style.
Roberto Voerzio, one of the most renowned producers of Barolo
Roberto Voerzio - Roberto Voerzio began working in the vineyards in La Morra when he was 15, and today, 50 years later, he is respected as one of the most accomplished of all Barolo producers. He produces Barolo from several of this commune’s most famous vineyards, including Rocche dell’Annunziata, Cerequio and La Serra, and his trademark is tiny yields in the vineyards, as much as 50% less than the maximum yields allowed. This results in full-bodied wines of tremendous depth and complexity.
While there are some that characterize Voerzio as a producer that crafts his Barolo in an international style, this is not true. He produces as many as six single vineyard Barolos in most vintages and the aging vessels are different for certain wines; he uses only barriques (new and used) to age his Sarmassa and Torriglione Barolos, while for most of his other Barolos, he uses a combination of used barrique and 15 or 20 hectoliter casks.
Regardless of the maturation of the various Roberto Voerzio Barolos, each wine offers outstanding complexity and richness on the palate. They offer superb sense of place, so they are ideal examples of La Morra Barolo, but they definitely need time in the bottle before they display their finest characteristics. Whether you prefer his style or not, there is no doubting that a Roberto Voerzio Barolo is a significant wine, one that other producers look to for a reference point. - Top Barolos: La Serra, Cerequio, Rocche dell’Annunziata, Sarmassa, Brunate
Renato Ratti winery, Annunziata, La Morra
Renato Ratti - Renato Ratti was one of Barolo’s greatest vintners in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, both for the quality of his wines, as well as his work detailing the Barolo zone with a detailed map of the finest vineyards that is still today, more than 40 years later, recognized as a seminal work of Barolo classification. Ratti’s son Pietro took over the management of the winery after his father’s passing in 1988, and today the younger Ratti oversees one of the most modern wineries in all of the Barolo zone.
The winery is located in the Annunziata district of La Morra; south of the town of La Morra, and situated at a lower elevation, Annunziata is home to Barolos that are, in Ratti’s words, “extremely elegant.” He produces three Barolos from here: Marcenasco, a blend of local vineyards, and two MGA, Conca and Rocche dell’Annunziata. Marcenasco, aged only in large casks, is the most approachable of the Ratti Barolos, while the Conca and Rocche dell’Annunziata are structured more the long haul, with the Conca offering a bit more “wild” character, with a distinct meatiness and more pronounced minerality, while the Rocche dell’Annunziata is a more elegant, supple wine with a more complex flavor profile. Both wines age maginficently; I tasted a 1989 Conca in 2014 that was one of the greatest examples of Barolo I have ever enjoyed! All three of these wines are textbook La Morra Barolo (or Annunziata, if you will) style and are classics. - Top Barolos: Marcenasco, Conca, Rocche dell’Annunziata
La Serra vineyard in La Morra
Marcarini - If you are a lover of traditional Barolo (like me), you will appreciate the wines from Marcarini. Established in the 1850s, the winery today, situated at the entrance to the town of La Morra at the top of the hill, is managed by Manuel Marchetti, a true gentleman and one of the kindest people I have ever met.
There are only two examples of Barolo from Marcarini: La Serra and Brunate. Both vineyards are located on the same large hill below the town; La Serra, at an elevation of 1200 feet is situated slightly higher than Brunate (La Serra, meaning “greenhouse” in Italian, was given its name due to its elevation, as it sits so high, it receives extra sunlight). Both wines are aged for 24 months in traditional Slavonian oak casks, and are truly Piemontese in style, with dried floral aromatics, delicate color and distinct earthiness. These are never overripe or flashy wines, but more understated, with sublime balance and sense of place; they are not based upon power, but instead are built on a foundation of structure and varietal character, with readily identifiable balsamic notes. The wines truly reflect Marchetti’s respect for heritage and the principles of the local vintners who came before him. If you respect this philosophy, the Barolos from Marcarini are wines you must try! Top Barolos: La Serra, Brunate
Mauro and Daniela Veglio
Mauro Veglio - Here is one of the most underrated Barolo producers of La Morra; it’s an estate that simply continues to produce first-rate Barolo, yet there isn’t as much press devoted to these wines as there should be.
The origins of the winery were established by Angelo Veglio in 1979, when he acquired a small farmhouse called Cascina Nuova in Annunziata. His son Mauro took over management of the business in 1986 at the age of 25, and the first wines were produced from the new winery next to Cascina Nuova in 1992.
Today, Veglio produces a classic blended Barolo along with four single vineyard Barolo: Gattera, Rocche dell’Annunziata and Arborina from La Morra, and Castelletto from Monforte d’Alba. The wines are matured in barriques, yet maintain excellent varietal character and a sense of place. The 2015 Gattera, with its Oriental spice and sour cherry aromas is typical of the complexity and style of the Barolos from Mauro Veglio. Top Barolos: Arborina, Gattera, Rocche dell’Annunziata, Castelletto (from Monforte), and a classic Barolo.
Coming soon: Part two of my look at La Morra Barolo will feature other distinguished producers such as Rocche Costmagna, Poderi e Cantine Oddero, Cordero di Montezemolo and Mauro Molino.
2019-11-18 13:00:02Z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomhyland/2019/11/18/the-la-morra-style-guidebarolo-sophistication-part-one/
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