Fall 2022 Offer #18: Scarzello

Scarzello - 2018 Barolo del Comune di Barolo

Bottom Line - Scarzello’s 2018 Barolo del Comune is a beautiful, stately red wine produced in the town of Barolo, in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The nebbiolo grapes for this wine are sourced from two prestigious vineyards, Sarmassa and Terlo, both located just to the west of the historic Barolo town center. In the glass, the medium-bodied, translucent nebbiolo fruit delivers a thrilling array of lingering layered flavors. It’s a Barolo that will make both seasoned wine geeks and newer enthusiasts swoon.

My notes: “Classic rose, tobacco, and raspberry, with mint and cedar; crisp, silky texture; bright fruit and acidity interwoven; no hint of oak; lovely soft tannins. So much length and finesse!”

Scarzello - 2019 Barbera d’Alba Superiore

Bottom Line - Scarzello’s 2019 Barbera d’Alba is a powerful, fleshy red wine that’s also harmonious and easy to drink. It shows big complex fruit, mouth-watering acidity, and a light, deft oak treatment, all in a sleek and generous package. The barbera fruit comes from two famous Barolo vineyards, Paiagallo and Sarmassa. It makes you wonder why more prime nebbiolo vineyards aren’t planted with barbera. The wine is that good. 

My notes: “Dark fruit, violet, balsamic notes, and a touch of vanilla; creamy and pleasing on the palate, but still refreshing; not round despite the big fruit; very persistent and focused. Prodigious Barbera.”

To order, just click the one of the links above and follow the prompts. Keep reading for more in-depth information on Scarzello and these two wines.

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Wine friends,

This is fall offer number 18 of 18. I think it’s fair to say we saved the best for last. 

There’s probably more wine value in this email than in any other offer during our fall season. Both of these wines are a screaming good deal for what you get.

Let’s start with the Barbera. Owner Federica Sterpone (Federico Scarzello’s wife) believes it was the 2019 vintage that took the overall quality of this wine to another level. In Piedmont, the 2019 wines have everything: good fruit, lively acidity, perfect tannins, relatively low alcohol. They are balanced wines built for the long haul, and that doesn’t just go for the nebbiolo-based wines. This Barbera d’Alba Superiore will be absolutely singing in 10-15 years. No need to wait though – it’s expressive and a joy to drink already.

As for the Barolo, the wine and the price are almost too good to be true. Prices for top-notch Barolo are through the roof – even for an insider producer like Scarzello.

In Piedmont, 2018 was not regarded as a top tier vintage, largely because production was down almost 50 percent. But as we know, the best producers make great wines even in more challenging vintages. In Barolo specifically, top producers crafted 2018 wines that show coiled potent fruit, super elegant tannins, and vibrant energy. That’s exactly what you get with Scarzello’s 2018 Barolo del Comune di Barolo.

Scarzello is perhaps the ultimate hidden gem producer in Italy. Piedmont wine expert Gregory dal Piaz says Scarzello flies slightly under the radar because Federico Scarzello releases his wines later than other Barolo producers, which results in less press acclaim. 

Above all else, Federico wants his wines to be ready to enjoy when they hit the market. The results speak for themselves. Scarzello gives us delicious wines that also offer great value. 

While you can find this Barolo at a few high-profile boutique retailers in the U.S., you will pay considerably more.

Scarzello’s cellars are located in the very heart of the town of Barolo (here on the map). It’s a family-owned and operated house that makes about 45K bottles of wine per year. The traditional production methods include extended maceration and large cask aging. 

I highly recommend checking out this video from Rimessa Roscioli’s visit to Scarzello last year.

Food pairing: 

My wife Sarah had this Barolo last night with a brasato di guancia di manzo con purea di patate (braised beef cheek with mashed potatoes). It was a spectacular pairing and, surprisingly, a much better match than my controfiletto alla griglia con funghi porcini (grilled sirloin steak with porcini mushrooms). For the vegetarians out there, this wine is also excellent with lenticchie con le carote stufate (stewed lentils and carrots).

As this is a weighty Barbera, I’d look to pair it with something hearty like lamb or tajarin al ragu alla langarola (tagliatelle-like pasta with meat sauce), a specialty from this part of Piedmont. It’s also wonderful with jamon iberico.

Scarzello - 2018 Barolo del Comune di Barolo

14.5% ABV

Scarzello - 2019 Barbera d’Alba Superiore

14.5% ABV

To order, just click the links above and follow the prompts.

Happy Tuesday,

Chris

If you have any questions or feedback, please email us: [email protected].  

How it works: 

After clicking one of the links above, you’ll be able to request 1-12 bottles. Actually, that’s all you have to do!

About a week later, when we close the offer, you’ll get an email confirming how many bottles we allocated to your account. We will charge you when the wines are allocated.

We’ll do our best to allocate all the bottles you request. But when there are more requests than bottles available, we’ll allocate one bottle to all requesting members before allocating a second bottle to anyone. We want as many members as possible to try these wines.

This is the 18th of 18 offers during the fall season. Through the first week of November, we are sending offers on Thursday and Sunday, and the Open Tuesday re-up on Tuesdays.

We ship in increments of 12. With 18 offers this season, there should be plenty of chances to get to 12, 24, or 36. If you don’t have an increment of 12 at the end of the fall season offers, we can hold your wines until the next offer season – spring 2023.

Wines offered in the fall will ship in late November-early December for $5 per bottle (if you have an increment of 12.) This is about the same as the price to ship coast-to-coast within the U.S. – but our wines come directly from Italy.

Once your payment method is on file, you can make future requests with just a few clicks from the offer email. If you don’t have a card on file, you can add one during your first order. Your personal financial information is protected by Stripe.

Chris MacLean

Rob Genova

Open Tuesday Wines S.r.l.s.

Via Augusto Anfossi 19, 20135 Milano - Italy