100% Nebbiolo. The Brunate cru, in the communes of La Morra and Barolo, is one of the most famous in the Barolo region and expresses the elegance of La Morra to perfection. This austere, majestic wine is from a single-vineyard. In fact, Marcarini's Brunate was the very first in the area to specify its vineyard name on the actual labels, as early as 1958.

Vines (planted in 1980/1986) are Guyot-trained at a density of 4,000 per hectare (approximately 1,600 per acre), an altitude of around 300 meters above sea level, and south/southwestern exposure. Terrain is calcareous, clayey, characterized by a high concentration of magnesium, and now covers 4.5 hectares (approximately 11 acres). The grapes are severely selected (the wine's ideal balance of acidity and tannins is a precise indication of perfectly ripened fruit), then fermented at a temperature of 28-30° Celsius. Maceration on the skins lasts 3 to 4 weeks, and the wine is aged for at least two years in medium-sized oak barrels (between 2,000 and 4,000 liters in capacity). It is successively bottled (in the classic bottle format of the Alba appellation, Albeisa) and stored horizontally, in an area especially set aside for it in the most ancient section of the cellars.

The wine is aged 2 years in 20/40-hl. barrels of Slovenian oak previous to 1 year's bottle age.

Marcarini is at its fifth generation and busily preparing the sixth: three little ones who will surely fall in love with fine winemaking just as soon as they’re done with Lego and Barbie. Their task-juggling parents, Luisa & Manuel Marchetti, have been in charge of Luisa’s family winery since 1990, with Manuel responsible for sales & promotions, Luisa orchestrating the wines with consultant oenologist Armando Cordero. Founded by Luisa’s great-great-great-grandfather, the estate was the very first in the area to designate single vineyards on its labels (as early as the 1950s). In fact, one of Marcarini’s superb, historical crus is 150-year-old Boschi di Berri, whose Dolcetto vines are the oldest in Italy — the only ones to have survived phylloxera and maintained indigenous rootstock.

The Marchettis’ varietal map (with the sole exception of Shiraz) is almost exclusively native: grape types born and bred in this breathtaking sea of vine-veined hills called Langhe. The Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo are grown within the estate’s original nucleus, high on the rolling terroir of La Morra: two celebrated, contiguous crus, Brunate and La Serra, close to the Marcarini home and winery.

The building itself — adjoining a medieval tower — goes back to the 1700s: the cool, ancient underground cellars and their protective shade provide an ideal ambience for the King of Wines’ classic elevage. Classic, in fact, is a key word in the Marcarini philosophy, ideally poised between traditional and modern: the wines are characterized by both a voluptuous, embracing style (even the young Barolo is seductive, surprisingly drinkable in its earliest days), and the superb longevity and blockbuster structure of Piedmont’s best. Full respect for their noble heritage goes hand in hand with respect for the soil. The exceptional vineyards — all estate-owned — are the true heart of the winery. Their names alone speak volumes: “Brunate” and “La Serra” at La Morra; “Sargentin” at Neviglie, quintessence of Moscato country; “Muschiavino” and a second “La Serra” vineyard at Montaldo Roero. The superb locations, steepness of the slopes and nature of the terrain, exposure to the sunlight, exceptional microclimate, are not only conducive to top wines, but to non-aggressive, natural vineyard management. The vineyards themselves cover 42 acres of the estate’s total 62.