Description

50/50 Sarmassa/Terlo, 50%
Federico does not release his wines to the beat of the drum and so we have been waiting for this 2016 and you have been asking about it for some time – well here it is – the Sarmassa Vigna Merenda could be released next year, or the year after, who knows..

Barolo. Approximately 35 days on the skins. Bottled 15 September 2019.
Mid ruby. Deep, dark and intriguing nose of cherry and balsamic notes with a hint of fire log. Needs to take a deep breath. Intense and stylish with great depth, length, freshness and tannic bite.  17+/20 Walter Speller (Jancis Robinson)

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.

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

Federico uses spontaneous fermentation, traditional long maceration and large cask aging (he even has a few from Stockinger) — the hallmarks of traditional-style Barolo — to make these elegant and long-lived wines. The estate’s top label, the Barolo Sarmassa Vigna Merenda, can spend up to 30 months in 25-30 hectoliter Slavonian cask