M8 – MARGHERITA OTTO- A One Man Show With A Strong Vision

Alan and I have something in common, we are both American expats that fell in love with the Langhe area decades ago when it was much less discovered. One big difference is that Alan got to work with legendary Barolo wineries like Luciano Sandrone e Bartolo Mascarello. He is an expat that has completely integrated into the community here with great respect, something that is not always the case. After many years at Masacarello as their right hand man, doing everything from working in the vineyards, to cellar work and tastings with collectors etc., he decided to start his own label and winery in Monforte d’Alba, Margherita Otto.

It is named after his grandmother and grandfather. Even without tasting the wines I agreed to a small allocation because I knew that it was going to be outstanding knowing Alan’s experience and ambition. I am so glad I did because they are delicious and I consider his wine a rare gem. He has a clear vision to maintain traditional methods like the assemblaggio (co-fermenting from different plots) and make wines that express the vintage and area as a whole. At the moment he is only making a classic Barolo and Langhe Nebbiolo (along with a rosato made only for his wife and friends). You can read more about his personal story on his website: Alan’s Story

M8 – LANGHE NEBBIOLO

In our NEBBIOLO PACK – Spring ‘2025

Hand harvested, fermented and contact with the skins for a few weeks in concrete tanks with indigenous yeasts. The wine is then aged in large Austrian neutral barrels for a little over a year and is then bottled and released.

MGA Vignane and declassified grapes from various plots in Barolo.

Layered and complex Nebbiolo with ripe strawberry and raspberry and exciting floral notes of violets, roses and wisteria. On the palate you can feel the quality fruit from declassified Barolo sites throughout the Barolo area with its mouthwatering freshness and fine tannins.

M8 – BAROLO

In Our BAROLO & BARBARESCOPACK – Spring ’25

Continuous ferment (assemblaggio) from all vineyards including Monforte which usually ripens later than the sites in Serralunga, Barolo and Castiglione Falletto. This particular vintage everything was co-fermented as the picking gap was tighter. The wines are fermented in lined cement tanks with no temperature control and just by indigenous yeasts. Alan uses the cappello sommerso (submerged cap) technique for the maceration which ends up lasting for about 35-45 days.

The wine is pressed and the 100% press wine goes into the free run wine and is put in cement or stainless steel until malolactic fermentation is finished. It is racked into large Mittelberger French neutral casks for a neutral characteristic where it rests for about 32-34 months with only usually 1 racking per year. The wine is not filtered or fined and bottling is done all in one day for consistency.

Blend from very small plots in Ginestra MGA (Monforte), Sotto-Rionda (just below Vigna Rionda), Coste di Rose MGA (Barolo) & Vignane MGA (Barolo).

Aromas of orange peel, leather, spice are all present in this open and expressive wine. The persistence is long with perfectly balanced tannins.