Founded
1939
Farming
Traditional
Altitude
270m
Hectares
5
Estate story
As Traditional of a Barolo as One Can Enjoy
Scarzello is a small, family-run estate in the historic commune of Barolo, producing classically-styled wines from some of the appellation’s most historic vineyard sites. Though modest in scale, the winery has earned a strong reputation among traditional Barolo devotees for wines that combine structure, elegance, and a clear sense of place. Long macerations, spontaneous fermentations, large-cask aging, and late releases define the house style. These are Barolos built less for immediacy than for patience, depth, and longevity.
Langhe
Barolo
Barolo is one of Italy’s most revered appellations, located in the Langhe hills of Piedmont and devoted exclusively to Nebbiolo. Often called the “King of Wines,” Barolo is defined by its combination of aromatic delicacy and formidable structure, with notes of red fruit, rose, tar, spice, and earth developing over long aging. The appellation spans a small group of villages around Barolo, where variations in exposure, altitude, and soil produce wines of remarkable nuance and site expression. Traditional examples are built for patience, gaining complexity, finesse, and depth over many years in bottle.
Soil
Sandy to varied. Sant'Agata fossil marl with a high percentage of stones.
Exposure
Sarmassa is on the hillsides west of Barolo facing east, Terlo and Paiagallo just outside central Barolo to west and south.
Grapes
Nebbiolo, Nebbiolo, Barbera d'Alba, and more Nebbiolo.
Cellar
Long macerations, minimal intervention, aging in large oak casks followed by further aging in bottle.
Estate details
Careful selection, authentic workmanship
Producing Nebbiolo's of exceptional depth and structure
Producers
Third-generation Barolo producer
The Scarzello family began producing wine after World War II under Sabino Scarzello, selling mostly in bulk to locals in and around Barolo and to other producers. In 1978, under Giuseppe Scarzello, the estate bottled its first Barolo DOCG, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the family winery. Since 1998, Federico Scarzello has led production, carrying forward the estate’s traditional identity while refining its precision and quality. A graduate of the Oenological School of Alba, Federico has been described by wine journalist Gregory Dal Piaz as an “emerging star of traditional Barolo.”
Cellar philosophy
Minimal intervention and all about aging
Scarzello’s cellar philosophy is firmly traditional, built on spontaneous fermentations, long macerations, minimal intervention, and aging in large oak casks. Federico was among the early Barolo producers to embrace spontaneous fermentation, allowing native yeasts to guide the wines’ development. Macerations can run 30 to 50 days, followed by extended aging in large barrels, Slavonian casks, and, for some wines, further refinement in bottle before release. The goal is not early polish, but depth, aromatic complexity, and the kind of structure that allows the wines to evolve gracefully over time.
Historic Barolo Vineyards
Sarmassa and Terlo Crus in the Heart of Barolo
The estate farms a small collection of vineyards in and around Barolo, including holdings in Sarmassa, Terlo, and Paiagallo. Sarmassa, the historic heart of the domaine, lies on the hillsides west of Barolo and is prized for its combination of warmth, structure, and finesse. Terlo and Paiagallo sit just outside central Barolo, to the west and south, contributing additional nuance and complexity to the estate’s wines. The soils are sandy to varied, with Sant’Agata fossil marl and a high percentage of stones, and the vineyards are worked with low yields and a strong respect for site expression.
Wines from Scarzello
Nebbiolo's and Barbera's from the heart of Barolo
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Scarzello - Barolo Sarmassa
Regular price $65.00Regular price -
Scarzello - Barolo del Comune di Barolo
Regular price $33.00Regular price -
Scarzello - Langhe Nebbiolo
Regular price $20.75Regular price -
Scarzello - Barbera d'Alba Superiore
Regular price $18.25Regular price
