1995 Barolo La Serra

According to director Manuel Marchetti, the 1997 vintage produced less floral, less penetrating Barolos than '96 but wines with impressive glyceral richness thanks to their high levels of alcohol. Maceration times were even longer than normal, and the conversion of sugar to alcohol was more efficient than usual, he adds. That is, grapes with potential alcohol of 14% finished their fermentations with very close to 14%. Interestingly, Marchetti says the '97s have healthier acids than the '95s (Marcarini began the harvest very late in '95, on October 27!). I asked Marchetti to describe the typical differences between his two Barolos, which come from two adjacent vineyards at the southern edge of La Morra. "La Serra is more floral," Marchetti explains. "Even though it develops truffle and leather and licorice notes with age, it will always retain its floral character. Brunate is spicier, and grows more ethereal and complex with bottle aging." x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D Nebbiolo lovers without the patience to age Barolo should check out Marcarini 1995 basic nebbiolo bottling, which sees no wood and offers quintessential varietal character and perfume. Plain nebbiolo is Barolo in blue jeans, Marchetti points out, but there much less of it these days because nebbiolo prices have gotten so expensive.