2009 Barbaresco, Manuel Marinacci, Piedmont, Italy
Critics reviews
Unlike many of his fortunate neighbours Manuel Marinacci started with nothing, not even a vine! However, having studied at Alba’s fine Umberto 1 Enological School, Manuel felt his vocation to be that of a winemaker. He began making wine in 2002, the year the heavens opened. Undeterred he has continued to vinify the wine alone, helped only by his faithful hand Tino.
Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com, 9 Sep 2013
About this WINE
Manuel Marinacci, Piedmont
Manuel Marinacci’s artisanal cantina is hidden in the village of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. The estate covers only four hectares, lying within the Rocche Massalupo vineyard on the western edge of the region. Since he began in 2004 and until the ’17 vintage, Manuel never referenced the vineyard on his label; today, with growing interest in these local identifiers, it now features.
The vineyard itself is of friable marl, with layered clay and limestone, but less sandstone than other sites. Manuel’s slopes are steep and south-facing but near the foot of the hill, always well ventilated by the breeze that scuds along the nearby stream. Winemaking is simple and unfussy: fermentation in cement or fibre glass, and two years’ ageing in large Slavonian botte. Manuel does like to give his wines an extra year in botte, so these are usually Riserva in stature, although not always declared as such. Only about 500 cases of Barbaresco are made each year.
Barbaresco
The Piedmontese DOCG zone of Barbaresco is responsible for producing some of Italy’s finest wines. It occupies the same region and uses the same grape (Nebbiolo) as its bigger brother Barolo, but is a third of the size (only 640 hectares versus Barolo’s 1,700 hectares). It is also 50 years younger than Barolo, having produced wine labelled Barbaresco since 1890.
Barbaresco earned its DOCG after Barolo in 1980, largely thanks to the efforts of Angelo Gaja. The soils are lighter here than in Barolo – both in colour and weight – and more calcareous. The slopes are also less favourably situated and (relatively speaking) yield earlier-maturing yet extremely elegant wines that require less oak ageing (normally one year in oak plus six months in bottle). The appellation’s key districts are Barbaresco, Treiso, Neive and Alba.
Recommended producers: Cigliuti, Gaja, Marchesi di Gresy
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.
A notoriously pernickety grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well-drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.
Langhe Nebbiolo is effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo & Barbarescos. This DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style. Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15% other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto.
Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so a long hang time, producing high levels of sugar, acidity and tannins; the challenge being to harvest the fruit with these three elements ripe and in balance. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are perfumed with aromas of tar, rose, mint, chocolate, liquorice and truffles. They age brilliantly and the very best need ten years to show at their best.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Such was the vintage that Manuel macerated his single vineyard fruit for longer in 2009, between 25-30days in cement, giving his Barbaresco an extracted Barolo-esque stature to the wine. It’s certainly fuller and richer than the delicate 2008, with forest fruit notes, more spice and leather. It’s more potente (powerful) too; sunny, warm-hearted and generous (like Manuel!). Needs time to unravel. Drinking 2014 - 2020.
David Berry Green
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