Federico Scarzello is the third generation of Scarzello to run the family cellar literally in the shadow of Barolo castle. Though the family’s first bottling from their now-organically farmed vines in the Sarmassa, Paiagallo and Terlo MGAs was in 1978, it wasn’t until Fede returned to the fold from enology school in Alba in 1998 that the Scarzello star began to ascend. Now considered one of the top winemakers in the region, he’s placed firmly in the traditionalist camp and brings an incredible amount of passion and skill to his work.
The best way to discover the Old-School classic style at this address is with this absolutely wonderful Langhe Nebbiolo. Like the Barolos made here, the maceration in cement tank is extended and the extraction gentle, but the aging in cask is only eight months and bottle aging only six longer before release. The just-arrived 2023 is made in an exceedingly pretty style with its pure cherry-inflected fruit front and center, while its beautiful aromatics of spicy camphor, cinnamon, tar and wild fennel add complexity and interest.
I would also be pleased to uncover a few bottles in the back of that cellar in eight or ten years too! Very highly recommended.
