08 Apr Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Marcarini Nebbiolo Delle Langhe “Lasarin” DOC 2018

Nebbiolo is the King of Piedmonte wines. The most famous areas for Nebbiolo are  Barolo and Barbaresco. But with this fame comes a hefty price tag. If the grapes come from outside the limits of these regions, they are called Langhe Nebbiolo. And Langhe Nebbiolo is typically a more affordable price. Additionally, Barolo and Barbaresco can take years of aging before they are ready to drink, and Langhe Nebbiolo is more approachable when younger. The Marcarini Nebbiolo Delle Langhe “Lasarin” DOC 2018 is a wine with all of the characteristics that I love about Nebbiolo but it is a young and drinkable wine and that is why it is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Marcarini was founded in the 1850s in the province of Cuneo in Piemonte. Today the sixth generation of the family runs the estate owned winery. And Marcarini was one of the very first estates in the area to designate single vineyards on its labels.

The Marcarini Nebbiolo Delle Langhe “Lasarin” DOC 2018 is produced from 19-year-old vines from vineyards in Barolo and Neviglie. The vineyards sit at altitudes more than 1000 feet above sea level and consist of calcareous clay soils. The Nebbiolo is hand-picked and fermented in stainless steel and concrete and then briefly aged the bottle before release. A light garnet red color, this wine has aromas of flowers, raspberries and blackberries. It is a balanced wine that is fresh with velvety tannins. If you have not been saving a bottle of Barolo or Barbaresco for decades in your cellar or do not have the budget to splurge on one in a restaurant, then seek out a Langhe Nebbiolo. At $25 per bottle, the Marcarini Nebbiolo Delle Langhe “Lasarin” DOC 2018 offers the aromatics and the acidity with more approachable tannins.