1934
Renato Ratti is born. After studying enology in Alba he "emigrates"
to Brazil where he is put in charge of the production of Vermouths and
sparkling wines for Cinzano of Sao Paolo. The experiences gained operating
in such a vast, and challenging country as Brazil will prove fundamental
in the development of an innovative outlook, one that will characterize
his later work
back in the hills of Piedmont's Langhe region.
1965
Renato Ratti returns to Piedmont and buys his first vineyard for the production
of Barolo: a small plot in the historical zone of Marcenasco, right below
the Abbey of L'Annunziata (14th century) at La Morra.
1965
In the ancient Abbey, Renato Ratti creates the Marcenasco. It’s
the first time that a single-vineyard (cru) has been produced in all Barolo
and Barbaresco area.
1968
The first winery is built near the Abbey of Annunziata.
1969
Massimo Martinelli, nephew of Renato Ratti, he too an enologist, joins
the company.
1971
Together, they perfect a technique of vinification, maturation and refinement
for their Marcenasco Barolo, with the declared aim of obtaining the elegance,
subtlety and longevity worthy of the variety's full potential. They shorten
the periods of fermentation and maceration and also reduce the oak barrel
aging to two years. In time, their completely innovative process of in-bottle
refinement becomes of primary importance in the evolution of all Marcenasco
Barolos. In the Seventies, the company develops additional Marcenasco
vineyards as well as new Conca and Rocche crus in and around the township
of La Morra. Meanwhile, they renew and restore the Dolcetto Colombè
vineyards at Mango and those of the family estate of Villa Pattono at
Costigliole d'Asti. They also start vinifcation of single-vineyard Barbera
and Nebbiolo Ochetti.
1971
Renato Ratti transforms the old Abbey of the "Annunziata" into
the "Ratti Museum of the Wines of Alba" an important destination
for a great many visitors keen on deepening their knowledge of Barolo
and the many other great wines of the Langhe region.
1980
Between the middle of the Seventies and the end of the Eighties, Renato
Ratti becomes an important point of reference for Langhe wines and Italian
wines in general. He is elected president of the Barolo Consortium and
subsequently General Director of the Asti Consortium. He directly participates
in the drafting of the rules and regulations governing the appellations
of Alba wines and is particularly active in those regarding the coveted
"DOCG" (guaranteed) label. He writes numerous books about the
wines of Piedmont and Italy. He invents the Albeisa bottle. For the Ratti
Museum, he produces, a guide to the Barolo vintages as well as one to
the historical Barolo and Barbaresco sub zones and crus, the result of
a painstaking field research effort throughout the myriad of relevant
territories. Topnotch enologist, writer, historian, communicator, Renato
Ratti becomes one of the prime movers of the cultural and technical revolution
that eventually brings the wines of Piedmont and Italy into the international
limelight.
1988
After Renato Ratti's untimely death, his son Pietro, fresh graduate of
Alba's renowned Enological School takes charge of the company. In the
'90's he carries on the work of expansion and restoration of the family
vineyards and furthers the ongoing research of the various unique sub
zonal varieties.
2002
Construction of the new Annunziata cellars begins, cellars structured
in a manner to guarantee the continuation of that mission of vinification
and refinement started by Renato Ratti in 1965, that of maintaining with
single-minded purpose the utmost respect for the grapes and vineyards
of origin.
"The uniqueness of origin of
a particular sub zone and
its relative delimitation, the
classification of the various
vintages, the refinement in
bottle to allow and maintain
smoothness, elegance and
longevity, are three crucial
moments to be lived in the
first person. They are three
concepts that I consider
both as matters of
substance and style."
Renato Ratti, 1971
"Quality,
research, passion,
respect for our history and
our land with a window ever
open on the future, are the
underlying principles of
our philosophy and the
expression of our wines."
Pietro Ratti, 2003
A little history of Barolo
In the past Barolo wine was simply called with the general name of Nebbiolo,
as the name of the vine it comes from. Even today in the Langhe area,
outside its place of origin, this wine is labeled Nebbiolo d’Alba
and Langhe Nebbiolo. It was only in the second half of last century that
the wine got its own name Barolo, from the name of the town where marchesa
Juliette Colbert Falletti had some property. It was just this noblewoman
who brought Barolo to the Savoy Court in Turin. However it was also thanks
to statesman Count Camillo Benso di Cavour who, in the Grinzane castle
with the help of the oenologist Oudart, first produced a drier Nebbiolo,
according to that time’s trends. That new kind of Nebbiolo won Turin’s,
then Italy’s favor. At the end of last century Barolo was already
considered the best Italian wine, even abroad and it started being exported,
especially to America.
Denomination of Origin
Founders of the Consortium for the Safeguard of Barolo and Barbaresco:
Davide Germano, Giovanni Gaja, Giuseppe Elampe, Don Giovanni Grasso. The
establishment of the Consortium in 1934 led to an official definition
of the origin area, the grapes, and the characteristics of the wine. After
a pause due to II World War, the Consortium was established again in 1947.
First it worked for the recognition of the Controlled Denomination of
Origin then, in recent years, for the Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination
of Origin taking the two greatest wines to get the maximum award provided
for Italian wines. Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) of 23rd April
1966.
Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin (DOCG) of July 1980.Each
bottle must bear the state countermark: a small violet band on the bottle
neck.
Good full red. Subtle aromas of cherry, raspberry,
rose petal, mocha and brown spices, with hints of tar and eucalyptus.
Juicy, bright and sharply delineated, with a powerful underlying
spine. Very fresh, classy Barolo with lovely restrained sweetness;
not at all dominated by its new oak. Less forthcoming today than
the 2000 example, but this is distinctly more primary. Finishes
with firm but rather suave tannins and very good grip. 91(+?) points
2001 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco
(the 2001 Barolos were bottled in July of 2004)
Good medium red. Raspberry, mint, spices, eucalyptus and a hint
of tomato on the nose. Fruit-driven, supple and fairly dense, in
a distinctly approachable style. Good red fruit flavors complicated
by herbs and spices. More intensely flavored than the 2000. There's
still a hint of greenness here, but the wine finishes with sweeter
tannins and very good length. 88 points
1934
1968
