2018 Marchesi Di Gresy Barbaresco 'Martinenga'
‘Considering the antiquity of this sizeable estate - it has been in the hands of the Marchesi di Gresy for over 200 years - and the excellence of their vineyard sites, wines of greater impressiveness have been expected by some than have been delivered. Perhaps the disappointed tasters have been overlooking subtlety and grace in their wish for power and intensity, a common enough tendency in our time.’ Nicolas Belfrage MW, Barolo to Valpolicella
The wines of the Marchesi di Gresy are some of the most beautiful you will experience. The Nebbiolo of their famed Monopole Matinenga, produces wines of incredible colour, perfumes, intensity and elegance. The di Gresy family have been in Barbaresco for centuries. They record taking ownership of the Monte Aribaldo property in Treiso comune in 1650 and in 1797 they were gifted Martinenga itself, site of the first Roman settlement in the area, known then as Villa Martis. Yet the family only started to vinify from this famous property, for themselves, into the 1970’s.
From the outskirts of Barbaresco township you can look down onto the magical natural amphitheatre of 12 ha of Martinenga. The soil here is the classic Tortonian blue-grey limestone marl that constitutes most of the Barbaresco zone. While there is bit of Barbera, Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon planted, the main game is Nebbiolo, which provides all the material for the beautiful Langhe Nebbiolo and for the three separate Barbaresco bottlings.
Fermented for 8-10 days, 20 to 30 days of maceration on skins. The Martinenga Barbaresco is aged in French barriques for 12 months and 12 months in Slavonian oak.
In their seminal book ‘Italy’s Noble Red Wines’ (1985) - a must-have text - Sheldon and Pauline Wasserman rated Martinenga as the greatest of Barbaresco vineyards, one step higher even than Rabaja and Asili, or the Santo Stefano of Albesani. This was based mainly on their summary of the opinions of local experts and producers, rather than anything official or codified.
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‘The 2018 Barbaresco Martinenga is already quite expressive, it’s very recent bottling notwithstanding. Crushed flowers, mint, star anise, orange peel and spice are all laced together in a Barbaresco that is all about transparency and nuance. The light to medium-bodied style is classic 2018 and classic Martinenga’ - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
‘Mid ruby. A fabulous nose of raspberry fruit with tingling notes of crushed black pepper, Moroccan leather and cigar box. Raspberry, cranberry and cherry fruit on the palate with plentiful yet tied-in acidity and fine, crunchy tannins. Elegant and long but ideally should not be touched for a while. Hard to resist though. Shows purity, as well as generosity, without sacrificing elegance.’ - Walter Spelling
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Region - Barbaresco DOCG
Comune - Barbaresco
MGA/Vineyard/Cru - Martinenga
Variety - Nebbiolo
‘Considering the antiquity of this sizeable estate - it has been in the hands of the Marchesi di Gresy for over 200 years - and the excellence of their vineyard sites, wines of greater impressiveness have been expected by some than have been delivered. Perhaps the disappointed tasters have been overlooking subtlety and grace in their wish for power and intensity, a common enough tendency in our time.’ Nicolas Belfrage MW, Barolo to Valpolicella
The wines of the Marchesi di Gresy are some of the most beautiful you will experience. The Nebbiolo of their famed Monopole Matinenga, produces wines of incredible colour, perfumes, intensity and elegance. The di Gresy family have been in Barbaresco for centuries. They record taking ownership of the Monte Aribaldo property in Treiso comune in 1650 and in 1797 they were gifted Martinenga itself, site of the first Roman settlement in the area, known then as Villa Martis. Yet the family only started to vinify from this famous property, for themselves, into the 1970’s.
From the outskirts of Barbaresco township you can look down onto the magical natural amphitheatre of 12 ha of Martinenga. The soil here is the classic Tortonian blue-grey limestone marl that constitutes most of the Barbaresco zone. While there is bit of Barbera, Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon planted, the main game is Nebbiolo, which provides all the material for the beautiful Langhe Nebbiolo and for the three separate Barbaresco bottlings.
Fermented for 8-10 days, 20 to 30 days of maceration on skins. The Martinenga Barbaresco is aged in French barriques for 12 months and 12 months in Slavonian oak.
In their seminal book ‘Italy’s Noble Red Wines’ (1985) - a must-have text - Sheldon and Pauline Wasserman rated Martinenga as the greatest of Barbaresco vineyards, one step higher even than Rabaja and Asili, or the Santo Stefano of Albesani. This was based mainly on their summary of the opinions of local experts and producers, rather than anything official or codified.
-
‘The 2018 Barbaresco Martinenga is already quite expressive, it’s very recent bottling notwithstanding. Crushed flowers, mint, star anise, orange peel and spice are all laced together in a Barbaresco that is all about transparency and nuance. The light to medium-bodied style is classic 2018 and classic Martinenga’ - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
‘Mid ruby. A fabulous nose of raspberry fruit with tingling notes of crushed black pepper, Moroccan leather and cigar box. Raspberry, cranberry and cherry fruit on the palate with plentiful yet tied-in acidity and fine, crunchy tannins. Elegant and long but ideally should not be touched for a while. Hard to resist though. Shows purity, as well as generosity, without sacrificing elegance.’ - Walter Spelling
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Region - Barbaresco DOCG
Comune - Barbaresco
MGA/Vineyard/Cru - Martinenga
Variety - Nebbiolo
‘Considering the antiquity of this sizeable estate - it has been in the hands of the Marchesi di Gresy for over 200 years - and the excellence of their vineyard sites, wines of greater impressiveness have been expected by some than have been delivered. Perhaps the disappointed tasters have been overlooking subtlety and grace in their wish for power and intensity, a common enough tendency in our time.’ Nicolas Belfrage MW, Barolo to Valpolicella
The wines of the Marchesi di Gresy are some of the most beautiful you will experience. The Nebbiolo of their famed Monopole Matinenga, produces wines of incredible colour, perfumes, intensity and elegance. The di Gresy family have been in Barbaresco for centuries. They record taking ownership of the Monte Aribaldo property in Treiso comune in 1650 and in 1797 they were gifted Martinenga itself, site of the first Roman settlement in the area, known then as Villa Martis. Yet the family only started to vinify from this famous property, for themselves, into the 1970’s.
From the outskirts of Barbaresco township you can look down onto the magical natural amphitheatre of 12 ha of Martinenga. The soil here is the classic Tortonian blue-grey limestone marl that constitutes most of the Barbaresco zone. While there is bit of Barbera, Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon planted, the main game is Nebbiolo, which provides all the material for the beautiful Langhe Nebbiolo and for the three separate Barbaresco bottlings.
Fermented for 8-10 days, 20 to 30 days of maceration on skins. The Martinenga Barbaresco is aged in French barriques for 12 months and 12 months in Slavonian oak.
In their seminal book ‘Italy’s Noble Red Wines’ (1985) - a must-have text - Sheldon and Pauline Wasserman rated Martinenga as the greatest of Barbaresco vineyards, one step higher even than Rabaja and Asili, or the Santo Stefano of Albesani. This was based mainly on their summary of the opinions of local experts and producers, rather than anything official or codified.
-
‘The 2018 Barbaresco Martinenga is already quite expressive, it’s very recent bottling notwithstanding. Crushed flowers, mint, star anise, orange peel and spice are all laced together in a Barbaresco that is all about transparency and nuance. The light to medium-bodied style is classic 2018 and classic Martinenga’ - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
‘Mid ruby. A fabulous nose of raspberry fruit with tingling notes of crushed black pepper, Moroccan leather and cigar box. Raspberry, cranberry and cherry fruit on the palate with plentiful yet tied-in acidity and fine, crunchy tannins. Elegant and long but ideally should not be touched for a while. Hard to resist though. Shows purity, as well as generosity, without sacrificing elegance.’ - Walter Spelling
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Region - Barbaresco DOCG
Comune - Barbaresco
MGA/Vineyard/Cru - Martinenga
Variety - Nebbiolo