When I visited the Langhe in June 2011, the Marcarini 2007s were the only Barolos I liked. Many others seemed overripe and sort of diffuse – lacking a middle.
I haven’t checked in on these in a while, but the 07 Marcarini La Serra is showing very nicely with some air. At first, there was a marked oxidized note, along with well-cooked cherries. I was worried this was over the hill. (I decanted half the bottle only a half hour ahead of starting because I returned home much later than expected.)
The cooked fruit and oxidized note never entirely disappear but, with air, the wine fills out, and has come into balance. And there is no hollowness here, just elegant La Morra Barolo. The La Serra never has the punch of Marcarini’s Brunate, but this holds its own.
Three hours on, the aromas are dominated by classic nebbiolo elements: sour cherry and rose hip. The cooked cherry thread is still there in the shadows, with just a trace of some oxidized fruit. (The fading away of oxidative aromas is a bit puzzling. I’ve experienced this in the past with various wines, including much older Barolo and Barbaresco. It squares with Jasper Morris’s thesis that, while there is oxidation in many white Burgundy, sometimes there is just some kind of pseudo-oxidation that blows off.)
I still haven’t come around to Bill Klapp’s positive view of the 07 vintage (the Burlotto Monvigliero was disappointing a couple of years ago), but this is doing well. Notwithstanding those very ripe spikes on the nose and that tired note on first opening, this looks like it’s got a future. I’m comfortable holding my last bottle for another five years at least. I’d say 92.7+ points now.
Really great with spaghetti and an improvised ragu to use up some chanterelles, with ground pork, bacon and a bit of tomato paste.
Day 2, the back 40% of the bottle, undecanted, put in the fridge overnight…
This really filled out in a nice way. Bigger around the middle (something many of us can relate to) than yesterday. Lots of fruit – red plums, dried strawberries plus rose hips – but all in balance. Nothing hollow about this! And no alcohol sticking its ugly snout out.
Oh, and no trace whatsoever of oxidation or caramelization. All very fresh.
It lacks a little precision, and it’s not super complex – due to the ripeness, I think – but it is very, very satisfying.
Frankly, I’m surprised that, 24 hours after I posted that note, he hasn’t e-mailed to say, “I told you so.” Something must be wrong with the bot that monitors WB for him.
Ive been tasting 07s over the past few days, I pulled 6 bottles from offsite. I will probably post when I taste the final bottle. All of the wines have been good but 4/5 I’ve tasted thus far I would say are clearly marked by the vintage. The one exception is the 2007 Vietti Rocche which is an incredible wine, with some more richness than usual but all the complexity and freshness of cooler years as well.
The general takeaway seems to be more richness and a velvety texture in the wines, but a clear trade off of aromatic and flavor complexity. It does seem to me the wines need more time, all the ones I’ve tasted still very primary.
Thanks for the note, John. I have a few bottles and will have to dig them out of long-term storage if they are close. I used to always prefer Brunate in the old days, but since 2007 I’ve mostly been buying La Serra. Maybe the elegance appeals to me more now?
Thanks for posting the note, I skipped 07 largely, though now regret those decisions…
I’d been buying brunate about 2x in relation to la serra, but recent 04s of each has me questioning the thought process. I’d agree with the general sentiment that the serra is more elegant, and the brunate more rustic/powerful.
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