Renato Ratti, Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) 2010

This is the best rendition of the “Marcenasco” bottling from Pietro Ratti that I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve been following this house’s wines closely for years.  This features an arresting and distinctive menthol scent in the bouquet, but the freshness and energy of the fruit notes keep this in balance as an accent rather than a distraction.  The wine shows very good richness and depth of flavor, yet fine-grained tannins keep it from seeming heavy or overly aggressive.  This combination of power and elegance is very interesting, and the wine continues to show new facets and layers as it opens with aeration.  For reasons unknown to me, Ratti’s top wine from the La Morra cru of Rocche dell’ Annunziata wasn’t shown in the Nebbiolo Prima tastings, and one can only wonder how spectacular that wine must be in light of the strikingly success of this entry-level “Marcenasco.”