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Renato Ratti, Barolo Rocche Marcenasco, 1996

Red Wine from Piedmont, Italy
$119.99
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Renato Ratti drew the first map of Barolo's historical subzones, and Rocche was one of the sites he placed in his top category - so this is the cru bottling of the man who taught everyone else to think in crus. Ratti bought vineyards at Marcenasco in La Morra in 1965 and set up in the old Abbazia dell'Annunziata; Marcenasco is the historic La Morra zone whose name once rode on the cru labels, and this wine is bottled today as Rocche dell'Annunziata. The site sits around 300 meters facing southeast on blue marl shot through with veins of sand, soils that push perfume and finesse rather than bulk, and the wine is fermented in stainless with a submerged cap before roughly two years in large oak casks and a further year in bottle - no small new barrels. 1996 was a classic, late, firmly structured Piedmont vintage built on acidity and tannin, exactly the kind that takes decades. Thirty years on it is mature. Stand it upright for a day or two, decant gently off a good deal of sediment, and drink it over the evening.

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Antonio Galloni

90 points

"Full red. Wild aromas of cherry, plum, roasted game, truffle and smoky oak. Sweeter, firmer and fresher than the Marcenasco, and a bit more primary. Nicely delineated flavors show a lovely restrained sweetness. Possesses the concentration and persistence of fruit to support its chewy, grainy, toothcoating tannins." —Stephen Tanzer

Robert Parker

91 points

"The 1996 Barolo Marcenasco Rocche exhibits an impressively endowed ruby/purple color, and an aggressive nose of roasted herbs, spices, and black cherry and berry fruit. Full-bodied, with subtle oak in the background, this dense, full-bodied, concentrated, highly-extracted wine is a classic." —Robert M. Parker, Jr.

More about Renato Ratti

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Nebbiolo

  • Vintage

    1996

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Sustainable

  • Style

    Elegant

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Full Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Braised beef in Barolo, agnolotti del plin in butter and sage, or risotto with white truffle if the season allows. Aged Castelmagno or Parmigiano is the simplest good answer.

Tasting Profile

Dried rose, tar, licorice, dried cherry, leather and forest floor. Medium-bodied and perfumed, with high acidity and fine, resolved tannins, finishing long and savory. Dry.