2020 Scarzello Sarmassa Vigna Merenda Barolo DOCG Piemonte 6pk 6x750ml

Scarzello is a family-run Barolo estate based just below the castle in the village itself, with roots stretching back to 1947. What began as Giorgio Scarzello selling bulk Dolcetto in demijohns became something more serious in the 1970s with their first bottling experiments — immediate success with neighbors and international buyers in Germany, Switzerland, and the States. When Federico took exclusive control in 2001 after finishing his studies at the Alba School of Enology and the University of Turin, he brought new thinking without abandoning the family's long-standing methods. The result: wines with individual character that fully express the winery and the local terroir.

Vigna Merenda sits in the heart of the Sarmassa Cru — one of the family's favorite holdings, where they farm 2 hectares. This is the pride of the winery. Only the best-performing parcels are selected each vintage. The wine is 100% Nebbiolo from clay, limestone, and blue marl soils at 250 meters above sea level. Sarmassa is classic Barolo territory — the kind of site that gives Nebbiolo everything it needs to build structure without losing elegance.

Fermentation happens in temperature-controlled steel tanks with a 30- to 40-day maceration on skins — long enough to coax structure without hardness. Aging runs 30 months in 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels, followed by an additional 24 months in bottle before release. This is traditional Langhe winemaking: long macerations, gentle extraction, large oak casks, and the patience to let the wine become what it wants to be.

The wine is elegant and expressive on the nose — classic aromas of red berries, rose petals, and ripe red fruit, enriched by a delicate touch of menthol. Wild strawberries, chinotto, dark spices. Fascinatingly herbal, savory, and mineral in character. Soft yet structured on the palate with a generous core of fruit and long, finely woven tannins. The 2020 is hitting its stride now and will continue to open through the next decade.