Marchesi di Barolo : Barolo della Tradizione 2021

Tasting characteristics and recommendations for Marchesi di Barolo’s Barolo della Tradizione 2021

Tasting

Color

Ruby red with garnet highlights, the color is bright and alluring.

Nose

The bouquet is expansive and ethereal, revealing floral notes of wild rose alongside fruity touches of wild strawberry. With aeration, aromas of cinnamon, absinthe, licorice, and Virginia tobacco emerge, joined by nuances of dried rose petals and forest floor. Altogether, it offers a generous, balsamic aromatic expression.

Palate

On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, enveloping, and elegant. The tannins, fine and silky, integrate harmoniously into a well-balanced structure. A pleasant acidity brings freshness, while the finish lingers at length on licorice notes.

Food and wine pairings

This Barolo della Tradizione 2021 is an ideal match for braised red meats, game, and beef stews. It also pairs beautifully with fresh egg pasta, meat-filled ravioli, as well as grilled red meats.

Serving and cellaring

This wine will benefit from decanting before serving to fully reveal its aromatic complexity.

An Italian Barolo expressing the diversity of Piedmont’s terroirs

The estate

Founded in 1929 by Pietro Abbona and his family, who acquired the historic cellars of the Marchesi di Barolo, the estate today covers around 130 hectares of vineyards in the Langhe, in the heart of Piedmont. Run by the Abbona family for six generations, it carries on the legacy of the Falletti marquises, creators of modern Barolo in the early 19th century. Official purveyor to the Royal House of Italy since 1933, Marchesi di Barolo stands out for its use of five restored centuries-old botti for Barolo aging and vinifies Nebbiolo from historic crus such as Cannubi, Coste di Rose, and Sarmassa.

The vineyard

Unlike single-cru Barolos, this Tradizione cuvée is produced from a blend of plots located in Verduno, La Morra, Barolo, and Grinzane Cavour. The vines grow on clay-limestone soils, partially covered with quartz sand. This diversity of terroirs gives the wine a substantial structure and a broad, expressive bouquet, offering an overall panorama of the entire appellation.

The vintage

The winter of 2021 was mild, with excellent water reserves thanks to snowfall and rain. Budbreak proceeded evenly, with a consistent crop load. Spring and summer enjoyed favorable weather conditions. The harvest yielded healthy clusters with optimal phenolic ripeness. The smaller berries developed a high polyphenol content, promising structured wines suitable for long aging.

Vinification and aging

The Barolo della Tradizione 2021 grapes are harvested by hand in late September, with rigorous selection of the bunches in the vineyard. After destemming and crushing, the grapes are transferred to stainless-steel tanks, where alcoholic fermentation takes place at controlled temperature. Maceration of around fifteen days on the skins, with pump-overs, extracts color, aromas, and tannins. The wine then matures for two years in Slavonian oak: the first year in 30- and 60-hectoliter casks, the second in large traditional casks. A rest of at least one year in bottle completes the aging.

Grape variety

100% Nebbiolo