Margherita Otto, Barolo, 2016

Margherita Otto is a modern-day Barolo visionary—founded in 2015 by Alan Manley, an American restaurateur turned Piemontese winemaker managing just three hectares in Monforte d'Alba. Organic farming and traditional capello sommerso fermentation (45 days skin contact) yield mineral-driven Nebbiolo with remarkable structure and age-worthiness. The 2016 shows Alan's commitment to letting terroir express itself: elegant, driving tannins, fresh acidity, and a mineral core that promises 15-20 years of evolution. This is serious, thoughtfully-made Barolo from a producer who deliberately scaled small to maintain quality.