Marcarini 2018 Barolo La Serra DOCG La Morra Piedmont Italy 750ml

There is a view from Marcarini's terrace in La Morra that Berry Bros. & Rudd Wine Director Mark Pardoe MW describes as one of the finest in all of Barolo — encompassing most of the region's communes and vineyards, looking south-east across the modest cradle of vineyards between the Italian Alps. The estate that commands that view has been in the same family since the 19th century, when it was founded by Luisa Marchetti's great-grandfather. Luisa and her husband Manuel have run it since 1990 — she overseeing winemaking with consultant Armando Cordero, he managing sales — maintaining the traditional philosophy that has defined Marcarini as one of La Morra's most respected producers for five generations.

The La Serra vineyard sits high on the La Morra ridge — the word "Serra" means ridge in the local dialect — a little to the south of the hilltop town, on calcareous argillaceous soils rich in mineral salts and microelements at 380 metres above sea level, with a south-southwest exposure that moderates through the altitude's increased exposure to cooling winds. The result, as the estate itself has described for generations, is a Barolo whose soil produces "good color, structure, and flavorful but never excessive tannins" alongside a microclimate that develops ripening "a bit later than in the Brunate area, resulting in very elegant and apparently less structured wines, but always generous and rich with intense, ethereal bouquets."

The 2018 is precisely that: bright, focused, and very nicely balanced — Berry Bros. & Rudd's Pardoe MW found "all the energy of this La Morra cru in a mid-weight, nervy Barolo that is full of character." Macerated cherry, spice, mint, blood orange, and incense layered beneath heady rose and lavender aromatics, with graceful sandy tannins providing structure without weight. Wine Enthusiast described "floral aromas of rose and violet along with whiffs of dark spice and menthol — linear and elegant, the taut medium-bodied palate offers red cherry, crushed raspberry and star anise alongside bright acidity." This is the La Serra house character at its most completely expressed: grace over power, elegance over extraction, the perfume of the La Morra hillside in a glass.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Marcarini was founded in the 19th century as a family wine estate in La Morra — the hilltop commune in the southwestern Barolo zone whose calcareous Helvetian soils, relatively early ripening, and accessible tannin profile produce the most aromatic, most immediately approachable, and most floral expressions of Nebbiolo in the entire Barolo DOCG. La Morra Barolo is consistently distinguished from the more austere and more tannic expressions of Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto by the specific mineral quality of its blue-grey clay soils and by the commune's relatively warmer, breezier microclimate.

The La Serra MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) is one of La Morra's most historic and most consistently celebrated single vineyard designations — a south-southwest facing slope at 380 metres altitude on the ridge immediately south of the town, whose calcareous argillaceous soils with elevated magnesium content produce Nebbiolo of a specific mineral saltiness and aromatic ethereality that the Brunate MGA — Marcarini's second single vineyard — approaches differently. Where Brunate is more powerful and more structured, La Serra is more elegant, more restrained, and more precisely poised — a distinction that every description of the vineyard from every source confirms across every vintage.

The winemaking is entirely traditional. Fermentation and maceration follow the classic extended approach — approximately 15 days of skin contact at controlled temperatures — before the wine enters large Slavonian oak barrels of 50 to 100 hectoliters for the full Barolo DOCG aging program. The large format traditional vessels produce a gentle, slow oxidative development that integrates the tannins and develops the aromatic complexity without the direct wood flavor or accelerated evolution that smaller barriques would introduce. The 2018 rests in these traditional casks for the regulated minimum period before bottling and additional bottle aging before release. The production from La Serra is limited — the single vineyard's specific boundaries ensuring a naturally restricted output.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast — 2018 La Serra (Kerin O'Keefe, blind tasting) 92 Points: "Floral aromas of rose and violet waft out of the glass along with whiffs of dark spice and menthol. Linear and elegant, the taut, medium-bodied palate offers red cherry, crushed raspberry and star anise alongside bright acidity. Tightly wound, fine-grained tannins leave a lasting impression."

Note: The specific Wine Enthusiast point score for the 2018 La Serra is behind a paywall and has not been independently confirmed for this description. Please verify before publishing.

Berry Bros. & Rudd — Mark Pardoe MW (2018): "The 2018 Barolo La Serra is bright, focused and very nicely balanced. All of the energy of this La Morra cru comes through in a mid-weight, nervy Barolo that is full of character. Macerated cherry, spice, mint, blood orange and incense all run through this layered, super-classic Barolo from Marcarini. There is detail in the structure of the '18, alongside heady notes of lavender and rose, and graceful sandy tannins. Drink 2023–2038."

Wine.com editorial: "Marcarini Barolo La Serra DOCG is garnet in color with slight orange reflections — the bouquet is typical of the La Serra cru, floral (rose and violet petals, mountain flowers), ethereal, appealing and intense; dry, full and sturdy on the palate, austere yet velvety, extremely well balanced. This is very tight with lots of walnut oil to the red fruit on the nose and palate. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine, rather laid-back tannins and fresher red berries on the finish. A finely wrought, graceful wine that promises more complexity with a couple of years of aging."

CellarTracker community — 2018 La Serra: 91.3 points average (5 reviews) "Bright and elegant nose — light road tar/menthol, red liquorice. Intensity kicks up on the palate — pomegranate and crunchy red cherry. Tannins are firmly there on the finish but pretty approachable now. A good example of fairly approachable 2018s that could be enjoyed in the short term."

Tasting Profile

Nose Garnet with slight orange reflections — the classic La Morra color profile, lighter-hued than the more structured Serralunga expressions and perfectly indicative of the commune's elegant, accessible style. The nose is immediately beautiful and entirely characteristic of La Serra: rose petals and violet lead with the lifted, perfumed floral quality that is Marcarini's most consistently celebrated aromatic signature. Dark spice and menthol add aromatic complexity alongside a light road tar note — the classic Nebbiolo "tar and roses" character present but lighter and more ethereal than in more heavily extracted Barolo expressions. Lavender threads through alongside mountain flowers. Walnut oil adds a slightly earthy, slightly nutty depth. Blood orange and incense appear with air. The nose is ethereal, fresh, and elegant — exactly as the estate has described La Serra across every vintage.

Palate Linear, elegant, and medium-bodied — the La Serra terroir's most immediately distinctive palate quality in a mid-weight, nervy expression that places aromatic precision above power or extraction. Red cherry and macerated cherry arrive at entry with crunchy freshness alongside crushed raspberry and star anise. Bright acidity threads through from start to finish — the La Serra calcareous soils' most important structural contribution, providing the freshness and energy that Berry Bros. & Rudd identified as the cru's defining quality. Pomegranate and blood orange add vivid fruit brightness. Tightly wound, fine-grained tannins frame the palate with precision rather than weight — present, building, and entirely supportive of the fruit rather than dominating it. Mint, spice, and a subtle incense quality deepen through the center. The palate's most impressive quality is the layered complexity within a deceptively accessible mid-weight structure: the wine rewards attention rather than simply delivering immediate pleasure.

Finish Long, balanced, and minerally fresh. Fine-grained tannins leave a lasting impression alongside bright acidity and red cherry fruit — the combination that makes La Morra Barolo the most food-versatile expression in the denomination. A final whisper of lavender and dried flowers persists at the very end. The 2023–2038 drinking window that Pardoe MW identified is confirmed by the tannic structure and acidity: the wine is genuinely approachable now, genuinely age-worthy through 2038, and entirely honest about both qualities.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Serve at 16–17°C in a Burgundy-style bowl or standard Barolo glass. Decanting 30–45 minutes will deepen the fruit and allow the full aromatic complexity of the rose, lavender, and menthol character to fully develop. The 2018's approachability — multiple reviewers confirming accessibility now — means this is the Barolo to open at tonight's dinner rather than consign to another decade of cellaring. Outstanding alongside roasted veal, rabbit braised in Barolo, tajarin with white truffle, risotto with Barolo, grilled lamb chops, and any Piedmontese preparation where the wine's aromatic grace and bright acidity complement the food rather than competing with it.