Marcarini

Marcarini sits on the southeast-facing slopes of Treiso at 260–350 metres altitude on Tortonian Sant’Agata Fossili marls. Like all Treiso MGAs, it benefits from high elevation and cooler temperatures that distinguish the commune from lower-lying Barbaresco village and Neive sites.

The Terroir The elevation and southeast exposure preserve freshness in all but the hottest vintages, giving Marcarini a consistency of character across diverse years. The Tortonian soils here are classic for the area: well-drained, mineral-rich, and expressive of the commune’s signature aromatic finesse. High elevation and a cool southeast face preserve bright acidity and floral lift even in warm years, giving Marcarini a consistency of character that lower, hotter sites cannot match.

The Critical Take The wines are characterised by their aromatic transparency: rose, wild strawberry, dried herbs, and iron, with fine-grained tannins and bright natural acidity that makes them among the more food-friendly Barbarescos. Less widely bottled as a single-vineyard wine than Pajorè, which adds to its relative obscurity — and its value when it does appear. Fragrant, fresh, and unusually food-friendly, Marcarini offers Treiso elegance at a friendly price — and, being rarely bottled as a single vineyard, a genuine insider’s find when it appears.

At the Table Marcarini’s bright acidity and fine tannin make it one of the most versatile Barbarescos at the table: it flatters tajarin al tartufo, agnolotti, roast poultry, veal, and vegetable-forward antipasti alike. A young bottle needs only a short hour’s decant; serve at 16 to 18 degrees in a Burgundy glass. Its transparency and freshness mean it drinks well from six to eight years yet holds a dozen in good vintages. For the drinker who prizes aromatics and acidity over sheer weight, Marcarini is Treiso at its most immediately charming. Its freshness and versatility make it a genuinely useful wine to keep by the case — the bottle to reach for when the meal is undecided or the guests are many, since it will find a happy match with almost anything on the table. And when you do stumble upon a rare single-vineyard bottling, buy it without hesitation: value like this, in a commune this good, does not stay secret forever.

Benchmark Producers Rizzi, Nada Fiorenzo.