Margherita Otto Barolo 2019

A wine-loving ex-restaurateur, Alan Manley first gained experience in the cellars of Altare, Sandrone, and Cavallotto before moving to Piedmont in 2012 and working at the right hand of Maria Teresa Mascarello (daughter of the late Bartolo). 

After patiently searching for the right Nebbiolo parcels for his own project, in 2015 Alan launched Cantina Margherita Otto, which he named after his grandparents.

Now Alan farms 3ha across tiny plots he has purchased in Monforte d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto, as well as a parcel which he rents on a long lease in Serraglunga d’Alba. He works his vines painstakingly by hand, weaving the long shoots into a cap instead of hedging them to protect the bunches from sunburn and hail.

Holding to the traditionalist belief that great Barolo can only be made by blending crus to capture the different qualities of each site, Alan co-ferments fruit from all his parcels together in one tank in a cellar beneath his house in Monforte d’Alba. Racked into a Slovenian oak botte and several demijohns, it spends at least three years in barrel before bottling.

Fleshy without heaviness and profoundly complex, Alan’s Barolo seamlessly layers the rich perfume of Castiglione with the power of Monforte and elegance of Serralunga. Made from vines in Vignane as well as declassified Barolo fruit, his Langhe Nebbiolo is intoxicatingly fragrant and well suited to younger drinking.

Alan’s remarkable, old-school wines underscore why Margherita Otto is one of the most exciting recent additions to Piedmont.

Dark berries, camphor, and liquorice – taut and refined with a seamless texture and finesse. “The best wine Manley has made since setting up shop.” 93 Points, Vinous