96-Points by James Suckling.
This is linear and so racy with a structure and length and focused energy that takes you long and deep. It’s medium-bodied with dried strawberry, citrus and spice. Tight at the end. Classicism with transparency.
 
Vinification: Grapes handpicked in the month of October, de-stemmed and pressed. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel containers. Contact with the skins lasts approximately three to four weeks and includes the fermentation and successive post-fermentation maceration with the traditional submerged cap system. The malolactic fermentation takes place in steel containers.
 
Aging: Refining for approx. two years in oak barrels of 25 hl and 50 hl, followed by bottle refinement of approx. one year.
 
Label: Created in 1965 by Renato Ratti, the label pays homage to the history of Marcenasco, by carrying the coat of arms of the local noble family, showing a black hawk against a gilt backdrop. The Latin inscription “Probasti me et cogniusti me” means “You tried me, you knew me.”
 
Bottle: The Albeisa – from the name of the city of Alba – it is the iconic bottle created by Renato Ratti in 1973, desired as a way of identifying the uniqueness of a territory and its wines.
 
Notes and pairing: Noble and generous, a glory of Old Piedmont, it is a wine suited to very long aging. Barolo is the absolute master of the dining room. It conquers the palate with strength, harmony and fullness and maintains its power at length. A great wine for important dishes, red meats roasted on a spit or grilled, game, dishes of gourmet white and red meats and ripe cheeses. Garnet red. Fragrance with notes of licorice and tobacco. Full and elegant flavor
 
For 50+ years, the name Ratti is indissolubly tied to Barolo. Today, the Ratti Cellar at La Morra produces the classical wines of the Langhe district, in full respect of the philosophy established by the founder, Renato Ratti. Noble and generous, a glory of Old Piedmont, it is a wine suited to very long aging. Barolo is the absolute master of the dining room. It conquers the palate with strength, harmony and fullness and maintains its power at length. A great wine for important dishes, red meats roasted on a spit or grilled, game, dishes of gourmet white and red meats and ripe cheeses. Barolo Marcenasco has ancient origins. History bears witness to the existence of documents at the “Rigestum Comunis Albae” that mention the cultivation of Nebbiolo in the zone denominated “Marcenascum” already back in the XII Century. Ratti Barolo Marcenasco was first produced by Ratti in the 1965 vintage. Their Marcenasco is smooth, balanced, and elegant, reflecting the typical traits of the zone of La Morra. It is the wine that right from its inception represents the region's history and identity. Look for a garnet red color with a fragrance of red & black fruits, licorice and tobacco. Full and elegant flavor.