Barolo is one of those wines that you need to have patience with. Either you’re buying a new vintage for your cellar, or you’re taking an older vintage out of the cellar. These long-lived Nebbiolos are highly-tannic in their youth and often require a decade or more of maturation before they’re fully mature.
Finding a deal on an older, highly-rated Barolo from a prime producer isn’t something that usually comes with a discount; hence, we were taken aback when a stash of 2014 Marchesi di Barolo landed in our lap this week for a price that we couldn’t pass up.
Marchesi di Barolo is one of the appellation’s founding producers, named after the town from which the wine originates, and today is a protected Unesco World Heritage site. It’s truly the OG of Barolo and the wines have been heralded for more than a century. With over 430 acres of vines in the area, Marchesi di Barolo’s cellars are right in the center of town, and have been represented for years in the U.S. by Frederick Wildman & Sons, one of America’s top importers.
The Sarmassa is a single vineyard expression that is known to be the boldest and structured of the Marchesi’s top-tier Barolo trio. It truly needed time in the bottle to soften and—let us tell you—it was worth the wait. Upon popping the cork today you’ll be treated to a symphony of aromas: violets, tar, dark plum, and an earthiness that’s indicative of the varietal. The mouthfeel is plush, not from ripeness or oak, but from the one thing that modern winemaking cannot recreate: AGE!
But don’t just take our word for it! Check out the glowing reviews… then act fast!
2014 Marchesi di Barolo Sarmasa $79.99 (Elsewhere $120+)
92 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE - Of Marchesi di Barolo's three single-vineyard Barolo expressions, the 2014 Barolo Sarmassa is the wine that gives the most structured fruit and textural richness. The bouquet offers dark fruits with plum and blackberry. The mouthfeel is velvety and nicely layered with fine tannins and bright acidity. This cool vintage expression already shows the immediate qualities to pair it with meat dishes or oven-roasted pasta. The wine ages in both barrique and botte grande.
93 POINTS: JAMES SUCKLING - Mellow red cherries and earthy, lightly leathery nuances make a forward, complex nose, which leads to a palate with simple red strawberries. Acidity is salient. A nicely cut finish. Drink or hold.
92 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR - Rich, exhibiting black cherry, plum, spice and tar flavors, this red features a muscular structure. Balanced and long, echoing spice and tar notes on the aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2036. 3,333 cases made, 300 cases imported.