Barolo (1961)

About this wine

This is a 1961 Barolo made from Nebbiolo grown in the Barolo zone of Piedmont, produced by Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo. On the nose it shows mature red fruit notes of stewed cherry and plum, layered with leather, tobacco and a floral lift. The palate is medium in body with bright natural acidity that keeps the wine lively, softening tannins and a texture that feels smooth yet structured. Flavors echo the aromatics with dried fruit, cedar and a lingering saline spice. The wine was made and aged in the historic Marchesi di Barolo cellars where large oak casks have been used historically for maturation, a practice that helped shape the classic Barolo style of this estate.

About the grape

Nebbiolo is an ancient Piedmontese grape first documented in the 13th century and long associated with the great wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, where it was traditionally prized for late ripening and its sensitivity to site. The variety is cultivated on the calcareous marl and sandstone soils of the Langhe, often on steep, well drained slopes and historically trained with pergola or simple guyot systems to manage its long growing season, traits that producers at Marchesi di Barolo worked with throughout the 20th century. In a 1961 Barolo from the Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo, pure Nebbiolo from the estate parcels was used to express the specific crus and soils of the Barolo zone, with long macerations and extended aging practiced at the historic cellars to stabilize and concentrate the wine for long term maturation.

Quick facts

• 🏰 The 1961 Marchesi di Barolo comes from the same historic cellars where Marchesa Giulia helped invent modern Barolo in the early 1800s, so a bottle is a sip of Barolo history.
• 🌟 1961 is remembered as one of Piedmonts superstar vintages, so a 1961 Barolo often shares company with some of the most celebrated Italian bottles of the 20th century.
• 🪙 Many 1961 bottles of Marchesi di Barolo appear at online auctions for surprisingly modest sums, meaning you can own a 60 plus year old Barolo without a superstar price tag.
• 🌹 Because it is 100 percent Nebbiolo from the village of Barolo, the 1961 often shows classic aged Nebbiolo notes like dried rose and stewed dark fruit that fans love to seek out.
• 🪵 The estate still cares for centuries old oak casks in the original cellars, so a 1961 bottle was likely aged in a cellar and vessels that date back generations.

Palate profile

Producer

Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo traces its origins to the early 19th century when Marchesa Giulia Falletti established the cellars in Barolo and helped create the modern style of Barolo wine. The historic cellars, still housing five large oak casks from that era, became part of the Abbona family estate when they acquired the property at the end of the 19th century. The Abbona family formally organised their wine business as Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo in the 20th century and have managed the estate across multiple generations, focusing on Nebbiolo and other Piedmontese varieties. Today the winery farms about 200 hectares across the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, and combines historic preservation with modern winemaking and estate bottling at its Barolo headquarters.