Barolo Marcenasco (1985)

About this wine

This is a Nebbiolo from the historic Marcenasco site in La Morra bottled by Renato Ratti, the 1985 shows developed aromas of dried cherry, leather, tobacco and a hint of dried violet. The palate is medium to full bodied with concentrated red fruit, notes of fruit compote, almond and exotic spice, held together by persistent acidity and firm, textured tannins. The wine displays some mature oxidative and dried fruit notes from long bottle age while still keeping fresh savory elements and a long finish. Marcenasco is traditionally fermented on the skins and aged in large oak casks for an extended period, which contributes to the wine's structure and longevity. 1985 was widely rated an excellent vintage in Piedmont and bottles from this year can show very strong acidity and ageworthy tannin even after decades in bottle.

About the grape

The wine is made from Nebbiolo, a Piedmont native whose name refers to the fog that settles at harvest and whose cultivation in the Marcenasco area can be traced back to medieval records. Nebbiolo is a late ripening variety that thrives on the calcareous and sandy marls of La Morra where Marcenasco sits, producing highly aromatic, tannic fruit when trained to balance vigor and exposure. Renato Ratti established a single vineyard Marcenasco bottling in the 1960s and since then the estate has used careful hand harvesting, controlled stainless steel fermentation and extended aging in large oak casks to preserve Nebbiolo structure and perfume. In this bottling Nebbiolo is treated as a single cru variety, with attention to clonal selection and traditional training methods suited to the vineyard altitude and soils to highlight site specific character.

Quick facts

• 🏛️ Marcenasco was one of Renato Ratti’s very first single‑vineyard Barolos—he planted and vinified from the Abbazia site starting in 1965, so the 1985 is part of the original crus experiment.
• 🫙 Bottles from 1985 still wear Ratti’s pioneering Albeisa‑style identity that he helped popularize, giving older Marcenasco bottles a instantly recognizable shaped shoulder and label tradition.
• 📜 The Marcenasco site has documented Nebbiolo cultivation going back to medieval times, so the 1985 connects modern winemaking to a vine history recorded as early as the 12th century.
• 👃 1985 was made under Renato Ratti’s direct hand (he passed away in 1988), so a sealed bottle is a snapshot of his original winemaking choices—maceration, large‑cask aging, and the stylistic idea of Barolo cru identity.
• 🍂 Today a 1985 Marcenasco typically shows the charming tertiary profile collectors love—dried rose, tobacco, leather and forest floor—making it a classic example of long‑aged Barolo evolution rather than youthful fruitiness.

Palate profile

Producer

Renato Ratti, born in 1934, revolutionized Barolo winemaking by introducing single-vineyard (cru) vinification and creating the first detailed map of Barolo's historical crus in the 1970s. After studying enology in Alba and working in Brazil, he returned to Piedmont in 1965, establishing his winery in La Morra beneath the 14th-century Abbey of L'Annunziata. His innovative techniques, such as shorter fermentation periods and reduced oak aging, emphasized elegance and longevity in Barolo wines. Following his untimely death in 1988, his son Pietro continued his legacy, expanding the vineyards and modernizing the winery while respecting traditional methods.