Marrone

Langhe Arneis Tre Fie – 2021

Region: italy - piedmont

Marrone

The origins of Agricola Marrone date back over a century and through four generations where the family has focused on cultivating local grape varietals with a passionate commitment and dedication to the land.

In 1978 ‘Gianpi’ took over full management of Marrone and began a phase of expansion in the vineyards and the cellar space. His wife Giovanna, affectionately known as “Mamma Gio,” orchestrates private hospitality and is the kitchen director. For Giovanna, food is “tradition and Italian values that go hand with our wines.”

When Pietro Marrone was born in 1887, his father Edoardo was already producing wines.  In 1910, at 23 years old, he asked his father to plant some vineyards. In the early 1920s/30s the winery began cultivating vineyards using techniques that were revolutionary at the time: reducing production yields to prioritize higher quality and avoiding sowing wheat between vine rows, a standard practice at the time. This decision was an early adoption of what eventually became known as modern cultivation practices widely used in the region today.

Since 2011 the winery has been run by “Tre Fie,” the three daughters of Gian Piero and Giovanna Marrone. Valentina is the winemaker, Serena runs marketing and business operations, and Denise is the hospitality heart and manager of the visitor programs and restaurant. The farm is run with minimal intervention in the vineyard, a philosophy that carries through from harvest to winemaking. The Marrone family pays careful attention to produce wines that are elegantly structured with the potential to evolve for decades.

The Wine

Vineyard Profile

Vineyards in Maddona di Como, Alba. Hills are of recent geologic formation.

  • Altitude: 410 meters
  • Exposure: Northeast
  • Soils: Mainly calcareous, with high quartz and sand concentration with very fine lime, alternating layers of compact grey sandstone
  • Vine Planted: 1975 on average
  • Vine Training System: Traditional Guyot
Harvest Notes
  • Hand harvested the  1st week of September
  • Softly pressed after 6-8 hours skin contact, under nitrogen cover to prevent oxidation
  • Fermented at 16º C for 20 days in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks
  • Light pressure (0.2 bar) during fermentation to preserve full aromatics
  • Aged sur lies with battonage for 5 months
  • Bottled under nitrogen cover
Winemaker's Notes

“Tre Fie” is three daughters in the Piedmontese dialect. Straw yellow color, the nose recalls intense aromas of acacia flowers, chamomile and white fruit, with pleasant citrus and mineral hints. In the mouth it is fresh, savory and satisfying. A perfect wine to accompany lunches and dinners with friends, thanks to its strong personality and excellent structure.

Wine Summary

100% Arneis; alcohol: 13.78%; Maddona di Como vineyards; vines planted 1975; altitude 410 meters; Northeast exposure; soils mainly calcareous with high quartz content, with sand, fine limestone and gray sandstone; hand harvested 1st week of September; soft pressing with 6-8 hours skin contact; fermented at 16°C for 20 days in temperature controlled steel tanks with light pressure to maintain full aromas; aged sur lies with batonnage for 5 months; bottled under nitrogen cover.

Technical Information
  • 100% Arneis
  • Alcohol: 13.78%
  • Total Acidity: 5.99 g/l
  • Extract: 19.3 g/l

Reviews

16.5 Points

Pineapple bonbons, fennel pollen on the nose. I started to write, ‘Sparkling with life and energy…’ and then stopped, because I thought that might be misleading. It’s not a sparkling wine. And yet, yet, the wine simply sparkles with a thousand scintillas of bright, sweet acidity; bright, sweet fruit. It’s joyous! There is an understory sweet-liquorice lick of fennel pollen and baby fennel fronds on the palate, the pop of baby-green coriander seeds, the grainy sweetness of pears, fresh pineapple, and the bzzzzzzz of yuzu and key lime. Dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg spices. Such fun! 2022 – 2025

JancisRobinson.com, August, 2022

90 Points

Aromas of white flowers, apricot stones, white pears and lemons. Medium-bodied, bright and crisp with fun white pepper undertones to the fruit. Drink now.

jamessuckling.com, August, 2022

93 Points

The 2021 Arneis “Tre Fie” bottling from the Marrone sisters is made from old vines, as these vines were planted circa 1975. The wine is beautifully precise and mineral in profile, offering up a complex bouquet of fresh lime, tart pear, green olive, salty minerality, raw almond and a touch of white flowers in the upper register. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied, focused and mineral-driven, with a superb core of fruit (from old vines), bright acids and exceptional focus and grip on the long, complex and seamlessly balanced finish. This is one of the best bottles of Arneis I have tasted since Bruno Giacosa retired! 2022-2035

View From The Cellar, November, 2022

General Info

Country Italy
Region Piedmont
Appellation(s) Barolo DOCG; Langhe DOC
Proprietors Gian Piero Marrone
Founded 1887
Winemaker Valentina Marrone
Annual Production 4600 9L cases
Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) Organic