Margherita Otto Barolo 2019

You’ve got to have strong beliefs to set out to make Barolo from nowhere. Years ago, when local vignerons were hard up, it would’ve been unthinkable for an outsider to want to do it.

Huge set-up costs notwithstanding, making Barolo is a long game: Nebbiolo can’t legally be classified as Barolo before 38 months of ageing and, if you’ve planted your own vines, you’ve got to wait seven years for the fruit to be eligible for inclusion.

But just as outsiders Cantina D’Arcy and Philine Isabelle were helped to life by Rinaldi, Margherita Otto comes from an esteemed traditionalist pedigree – winemaker Alan Manley has worked at the side of Maria Teresa Mascarello (daughter of Bartolo) for 11 years. 

A wine-loving ex-restaurateur, Manley gained experienced in the cellars of Elio Altare, Luciano Sandrone, and Alfio and Giuseppe Cavallotto before moving to Italy in 2012 and vinifying his debut vintage in the Mascarello winery.

A blend of three, tiny 75-year-old plots, the Margherita Otto Barolo layers the rich perfume of ‘Castiglione’, the power of ‘Monforte’, and the elegance of 'Serralunga’. Fleshy without heaviness and profoundly complex, these are some of the most exciting new wines in a generation.