RATTI
PIEDMONT, ITALY 2020
WHY BUY:
A 96-point Barolo Marcenasco from a glorious 2020 vintage (and at under $75, its score is higher than its cost), plus a remarkable values (a Barbera d'Asti 2023 for under $20) that performs like bottles twice its price. Ratti has a genius for expressing a wine’s terroir and character, while also delivering affordability and consistent quality. How they continue to do it, vintage after vintage, remains one of the great mysteries — and triumphs — in all of Italian wine.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
James Suckling extolled the Barolo Marcenasco 2020 for being "so racy with a structure and length and focused energy that takes you long and deep ... Classicism with transparency." The Barbera d’Asti, meanwhile, continues the estate's tradition of overdelivering on quality while remaining remarkably affordable.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
Renato Ratti remains impervious to the trends toward internationalization and homogeneity. These focused, terroir-driven, low-alcohol wines showcase the quality of their fruit, their clear and elegant structures, and a welcome acidity that makes them so companionable at the table. The Barolo is a case in point, a wine that is at once technically impeccable and soulfully expressed — a wine lover's wine, but also a wine for all occasions. The Barbera d'Asti drinks like more expensive wines: its delineation and energy left us shaking our heads at how Ratti has managed to deliver so much concentration and depth for so little cost.
THE STORY:
Renato Ratti is almost universally regarded as the father of modern Barolo, a reputation derived less from the excellent wines he produced at his high-elevation estate in La Morra in the '60s, '70s, and '80s and more from his work with other estates – the knowledge and methods he generously shared, so that Barolo could grow and spread and become the world-class varietal he envisioned. He was the first winemaker in the modern era to vinify Barolo from a single vineyard and the first, as well, to map – literally map – the historical Crus of Barolo. This revolutionary approach changed how we understand and appreciate Barolo's terroir today. Robert Parker declared him "one of the most influential voices in Piedmont," whose Barolos "have long been a model for the elegant, graceful, rich, supple style of Barolo that can be drunk when released," though, he added, they are just as "marvelous" after spending some time in the cellar.
THE METHOD:
The Ratti philosophy is predicated, above all, on a deep respect for terroir — or, as the late Ratti himself put it, a regard for "the uniqueness of a determined subzone" — and time. Renato died in 1988, leaving his estate in the hands of his son Pietro, who didn't just build on his father's work, but, in many ways, perfected it, modifying and sharpening the winery's practices in both the vineyard and the cellar. Among the notable changes: the longer fermentations the estate is now known for, which bring more color, structure, and intensity to the wines. These are wines that are steeped in tradition, and that exude character and soul, but that are also — as per the directive the elder Ratti set forth at the start -- eminently drinkable.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH:
The Barolo will make memorable matches with roast pork with sage; a pan-seared duck breast; and veal chops. For the Barbera d'Asti, think pasta Bolognese; charcuterie boards; rusticky terrines; and braised lamb.
OUR GUARANTEE:
We always buy and source direct, so rest assured: your wines will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2025. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK, TN, WI, or San Antonio & Austin, TX stores. This offer is valid for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Thursday, March 27th, 2025.