Description
“Federico Scarzello is the third generation to make wine at his family’s estate in Barolo, taking over in 2001. The family started selling in bulk after WWII and bottled their first Barolo in 1978. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, his respect for traditional winemaking combined with an utter dedication to quality has meant that his wines today are among the best in the region.
Winemaking at Scarzello is very much in the tradtional style. Fermentations are long – in some vintages over 50 days on the skins – and the wines are given extended ageing in large old oak casks and bottle. In practice, this means that Scarzello wines are released a year or so later than others. The wines display texture and finesse, and a subtle power that demands attention.
Scarzello Giorgio e Figli is a small gem of an estate housed right in the middle of Barolo. This diminutive, traditional, Barolo domaine owns a mere five and a half hectares, nearly half of which are in Sarmassa, one of the region’s top crus located between Cannubi and Cerequio. Sarmassa delivers wines that are aromatically enticing, bursting with juicy sweet red fruits and irresistible silky textures.
Federico and his father, Giorgio, took the bold decision to make a wholesale replanting in the late nineties. In 2001 Federico – after completing his studies in winemaking and agriculture at the Scuola Enologica (School of Enology) in Alba and the University of Turin – took over sole running of the estate and set about taking it to the next level, adjusting certain aspects of the winemaking whilst remaining greatly respectful to the family’s traditional ways.
Today the winery has five and a half hectares planted to Nebbiolo, including 2.5 hectares devoted to the production of Barolo, 2 hectares in the famed Sarmassa cru of Barolo, and another half hectare in Terlo and Paiagallo, both highly coveted sites.
About this wine: “This wine, quite unexpectedly, first came to my glass on a tasting tour in Bierzo, northwestern Spain. One evening, we enjoyed a fun blind tasting of wines from all over the world with dinner. This wine immediately captivated me and all the winemaker friends at the table. It was the winner of the evening, even though its complexity initially took me on a rocket ride around the wine world. Was it a top wine from Abruzzo or perhaps a Burgundy?! The wild array of aromas only brought me to Barolo via a detour. The small Scarzello winery is located directly behind the Bartolo Mascarello winery, right in the heart of Barolo. The property comprises a total of eight hectares of vineyards. In this Comune di Barolo, the grapes from the approximately 25-year-old vines grow on a two-hectare plot of the Cru Lage Sarmassa (made famous by Roberto Voerzio) at an altitude of 250 meters and a 0.5-hectare plot of the Terlo vineyard at 350 meters. All of this is harvested by hand. The soils are primarily calcareous clay with a little more sand in Terlo. Fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts, the skins macerate for 30 to 50 days before pressing. This is followed by 20 months of aging, primarily in large 2,500- and 3,000-liter wooden barrels and a few 500-liter tonneaux. This is followed by 12 months of bottle aging before the wine is released. Neighbouring Maria Teresa Mascarello seems to be a stylistic role model, as here we have a phenomenal miracle of finesse in the glass. A multifaceted chameleon! Fragrant wild berry fruit, sour cherries, raspberries, potpourri and rose petals, mahogany, tar, and a hint of vanilla. I tasted the young wine over several hours. With each new tasting, it transformed dramatically. At Scarzello, you’ll probably find the epitome of Barolo fascination in the glass! At first, it floats along delicately, but with every hour it develops more depth, more of that infinitely hedonistic, gripping, spicy Barolo experience. In the mouth, the wine also displays a striking freshness. Precise sour cherries, cranberries, white licorice, autumn forest aromas, iodine, blood, and the chalky-salty minerality dance with the grippy, ripe tannins. The wine has plenty of tannins, but they’re barely the size of powdered sugar. These are discoveries of this kind that—even if you’re always on the lookout for the best wines—occur only a few times a year. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Scarzello winery becomes the new Barolo superstar in a few years. 95/100 Heiner Lobenberg – gute-weine.de
RRP $ 238 Our Special Price $209.99 – Limited stock
