Meet the Marengo Family
Marengo: Geek or nerd, in the modern, positive, definition of the words. The same way Bill Gates is often referred to as a nerd, an expert and enthusiast, and obsessed with intellectual pursuit of winemaking.
Jenny and Marco Marengo are warm and generous people, who are very passionate about their wines. Their son, Stefano, recently joined the winery full time, and the three of them work enthusiastically together in the pursuit of excellent winemaking.
Wines
Cantina Marengo has about 6 hectares of vineyard in total, and the majority is used for nebbiolo for barolo. They make about 35,000 bottles of wine per year, which is spread out over the 6 (or 7) different wines they make. Both the Brunate and Bricco delle Viole vinyeards have belonged to the family for 5 generations.
Winemaking
Marengo uses the “modern” winemaking method, which means the wine ages in either steel tanks or small barrique. Most of the work is done in the vineyards, as naturally as possible. The wines typically go through fermentation and maceration for an average of 5-6 days, and then age in small oak casks. The dolcetto is the only wine that only wine that doesn’t pass through any wood.
Fun fact
The vineyard in Valmaggiore belonged to Jenny’s family, and they recently expanded it. So soon there will be even more Valmaggiore Nebbiolo to drink!
Fun fact II
Marco’s son, Stefano, is often referred to as Marenghino. Or Claudio. Don’t ask. It has to do with some fotball player named Claudio.
Marengo Wines
Wines available in:
Norway (at vinmonopolet)
Italy
USA
Barolo Brunate Riserva
The first vintage of Marengo Brunate was 1974.
Product name: Barolo Brunate Riserva
Grape: nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 1,000
Color: garnet red
Fragrance: fruity, black cherry, spicy notes
Taste: full body, silky tannins, persistent
Food pairing: braised and roast meat, cheese
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: maceration on the skins for about 10 days. Natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. No yeast or bacteria added.
Ageing: 24 months in french oak barriques (15% new)
Minimum aging in bottle: about 6 months
VINEYARD
Soil: mixed clay and silt tending to calcarous
Exposure: south
Year of plantation: 1940
Date of harvest: September/October
Barolo Brunate
Product name:
Grape:
Classification:
Number of bottles produced: 5,200
Color: ruby red with garnet tendencies
Fragrance: small red berries, balasmic notes of sage andmint, floral and flint notes.
Taste: silky and well integrated tannins
Food pairing: red meat & seasoned cheese
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: maceration on the skins for about 10 days. Natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. No yeast or bacteria added.
Ageing: 24 months in french oak barriques (15% new)
Minimum aging in bottle: about 6 months
VINEYARD
Soil: mixed clay and silt tending to calcarous
Exposure: South/South-East
Year of plantation: 1947 & 1957
Date of harvest: September/October
Barolo Bricco Delle Viole
About the wine The first vintage of Bricco Delle Viole was 1997. The grapes come from 4 different plots: Boiolo, Serradenari, Roncaglie and Fossati.
Product name: Barolo Bricco Delle Viole
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 5,000
Color: ruby red with orange reflections
Fragrance: cherry, sweet spices,
Taste: elegant, full body, balances, persistent
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: maceration with the skins for about 10 days. Natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.
Ageing: 24 months in french oak barriques (15% new)
Minimum aging in bottle: about 6 months
VINEYARD
Soil: calcarpus without rocks in the subsoil
Exposure: south
Year of plantation/age of plants: 1955
Date of harvest: September/October
Barolo
The grapes come from 4 different plots: Boiolo, Serradenari, Roncaglie and Fossati.
Product name: Barolo
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 12,000
Color: ruby red
Fragrance: red fruit and spices
Taste: silky tannins, with good structure
Food pairing: red meat, cheese
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: maceration on the skins for about 10 days. Natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. No yeast or bacteria added.
Ageing: 24 months in french oak barriques (15% new)
Minimum aging in bottle: about 6 months
VINEYARD
% of Grape/Cépage:
Soil: various soil types
Exposure: various exposures
Year of plantation: 1999 & 2000
Date of harvest: September/October
Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore
Marengo recently expanded their vineyard in Valmaggiore and will soon make even more bottles of this incredible wine.
Product name: Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 5,000
Color: intense ruby red
Fragrance: fresh, fruity, red berries
Taste: sweet tannins, fresh, persistent
Food pairing:
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: vinification in steel with temperature control
Ageing: french oak barrique from 12-15 months (15% new oak)
Minimum aging in bottle:
VINEYARD
Soil: loamy-clayey tending to calcarous
Exposure: south
Year of plantation: 1965 & 2019
Date of harvest: September/October
Barbera d’Alba
Product name: Barbera d’Alba Vigna Pugnane
Grape: Barbera
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 3,200
Color: intense ruby red
Fragrance: red fruit
Taste: full bodied, warm, fruity
Food pairing:
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: fermentation and maceration with the skins for 5-6 days.
Ageing: 10 months in french oak barriques (15% new oak)
Minimum aging in bottle: 4 months
VINEYARD
Date of harvest: September/October
Dolcetto d’Alba
Product name: Dolcetto d’Alba
Grape: Dolcetto
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 3,500
Color: ruby red
Fragrance: fruity
Taste: fruity with aftertaste of almonds
Food pairing:
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks with temperature control.
Ageing: 10 months in stainless steel tanks
Minimum aging in bottle:
VINEYARD
Soil: mixed clay and silt
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation: 2000 & 1997
Date of harvest: September/October
