2019 Margherita Otto Barolo

The upcoming spring release, the 2019 Barolo leads into the red-fruited range of the spectrum, with notes of red cherry, leather, and cedar. The wine has medium body and fantastic structure, with an attractive floral perfume that lingers through the finish. Though there is a consistent stylistic arch of fruit through the mid-palate, it propels forward with notes of dried apricot, mixed berries, and pressed flowers. Refreshing and balanced, with good concentration, this is an impressive effort. Drink 2025-2045. As a native New Yorker, Alan Emil Manley moved to Piedmont permanently in February of 2011 after having worked in and traveled to the region since the 1990s. Harboring a long-time love for Italian wines, Alan previously had owned and operated a restaurant in Colorado Springs called Primitivo, which he later sold. When he moved to the region, he worked for Luciano Sandrone along with several other great icons of the region, and Sandrone became his primary mentor. He also worked 11 years for Maria Teresa at Bartolo Mascarello in Barolo, and for his first two vintages in 2015 and 2016, he rented a single tank and a botti from Maria. He and his wife bought their home in Monforte d’Alba and registered their cellar in 2016, and it was ready for production in time for the 2017 vintage. Today his holdings include a small 0.25-hectare parcel on the border of Vigna Rionda in Serralunga D’Alba. Stylistically, he works more or less in the style of Mascarello, co-fermenting all his parcels together. For fermentation of the Barolo, he uses lined cement tanks without temperature control for fermentation. Maximum annual production for the winery is 12,000 bottles of Barolo and 12,000 bottles of Langhe Nebbiolo. The Langhe Nebbiolo is fermented in steel, and as soon as malolactic fermentation is completed, the juice is pulled off the skins to retain freshness. Each of the wines are raised in Mittelberger French oak casks, with neutral selections with fine grains from the small, artisanal cooperage in Bolzano. The wines are concentrated, clean, and pure and offer well-structured wines with sweet tannins and a lot of charm. These are certainly wines to keep an eye on and worth exploring now.