Massimo Martinelli’s relationship with Barolo is not simply professional—it's deeply personal and quite frankly, foundational to the modern identity of the region. Joining Renato Ratti in 1969 when he was only 15 years old, Martinelli spent the following 4+ decades refining the vinification and élevage of Ratti's Barolo Marcenasco while contributing to some of the earliest serious attempts to map Barolo’s crus and vintage variation. Ratti himself credited Martinelli with creating one of the first Barolo vintage charts and an early framework for the subzones of Barolo and Barbaresco—work that would later inform official classifications.

In "Bricco Mollea", the deeply personal estate he runs with Angioletta De Giorgis, Martinelli distills a lifetime of study, craft, and reflection into wines that feel as much intellectual as they are sensory. The vineyard itself is a pursuit of harmony—carefully tended, intimately understood, and part of a broader estate that blends agriculture, art, and hospitality. Located in La Morra, where Nebbiolo finds one of its most perfumed and articulate expressions. Tortonian soils—rich in calcareous marl with sandier elements—lend aromatic lift and finely etched tannins over sheer density, yielding a style often described as ethereal. In Martinelli’s hands, the wine channels that signature grace: rose petal, wild strawberry (fragola di bosco), licorice, laurel, iron, and forest floor, all framed by structure that is firm yet measured. This is Barolo as a lived experience, shaped by one of the region’s true scholars.

Why You’ll Love It

• Crafted by a Barolo insider whose work helped define modern understanding of crus and vintages

• A quintessential La Morra expression—perfumed, lifted, and intricately detailed rather than forceful

• Layers of classic Nebbiolo character: red fruit, florals, savory earth, and mineral tension

How To Serve It

• Decant 1–2 hours to allow the aromatics to fully unfurl

• Serve at 60–65°F in large Burgundy stems to highlight perfume and texture

• Pair with tajarin with ragù, porcini dishes, or braised veal to echo its savory depth