94pts Wine Spectator
Pretty cherry and currant aromas and flavors ply the dense texture in this lively, well-defined red, which shows excellent balance and energy, with floral, mineral and tobacco notes joining in and persisting on the complex finish. Best from 2024 through 2042.
94pts James Suckling
This is a generous and rather soft 2017 with berry, toffee, chocolate and walnut character. Full-bodied and round-textured with a flavorful finish. Drink in 2023, but already very attractive.
93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This wine draws its fruit from the Serradenari, Boiolo, Fossati and Roncaglie vineyards in La Morra. The M. Marengo 2017 Barolo achieves a level of immediate elegance and balance that was by no means easy to achieve in this challenging and hot vintage. The Marengo family has successfully harnessed the floral and more graceful side of the vintage fruit, with wild berry and powdered licorice. You do feel the youthful tannic tightness in this release, so give this wine a few extra years to unwind and soften.
Winemaker Notes
Marengo Barolo is a garnet red color. The nose is intense, elegant and fruity with red fruit aromas. Warm, balanced and integrated tannins on the palate with a persistent finish.
Marengo is one of the smallest estates in La Morra, but Marco Marengo has no inferiority complex. Marengo is privileged to be among the many more famous names who own vineyards in the “Brunate” cru, an immaculately positioned parcel of land that is considered to be one of the grand crus of the Langhe. The estate makes tiny quantities of modern-style Barolo from old vines in their tiny cellar on La Morra’s main street; in great years, these particularly well-balanced, ample, intense, tannic wines hint at truffles; they are perfectly rich and complete Baroli. 1999 is the third release of the Barolo "Bricco Viole", from a tiny cru in the Barolo township named for the violets that bloom there in springtime; the 1998 was rated 92 pts by the Wine Spectator. Elio Altare once told Marco that Marengo's vineyards were the "finest he had ever seen!" The slopes around Brunate are also particularly noted for superb Dolcetto.