Ca' Rome house spotlight
Giuseppe Marengo, winemaker at Ca' Rome, is on camera in Volti di Barbaresco's A Vintage in Barbaresco, a feature of this house and this Langhe vintage. Rio Sordo is the estate's Barbaresco cru.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2020 Ca'Rome Romano Marengo 'Rio Sordo' Barbaresco DOCG, Italy across the open market. Their published U.S. low is $50.18 and the average is $69.99. Our slash is $49.00.
2020 Ca'Rome Romano Marengo 'Rio Sordo' Barbaresco DOCG, Italy
Giuseppe Marengo's Rio Sordo Barbaresco, 47-year Michet vines on white marl, a 2020 you can open at fifty dollars.
The 2020 is Nebbiolo Michet from the sunny side of Rio Sordo: rose, violet, cherry, iron, and mint after traditional aging, now $49.
A Rio Sordo cru Barbaresco that still drinks like a family wine
Rio Sordo is the sunny side, sori in Piedmontese, 1.5 estate hectares of Nebbiolo Michet at 289 to 320 meters on white marl of Saint Agatha. Giuseppe Marengo bottles it as one of the family's finest efforts. James Suckling 93: roses, violets, redcurrant, pomegranate, dusty tannin, best from 2026. Wine Spectator 93: cherry, earth, iron, mint, rosemary, best from 2027 through 2045, 325 cases imported. This is the bottle that argues traditional Barbaresco still belongs on a dinner table.
The house
Romano Marengo founded Ca' Rome in 1980. Giuseppe leads the cellar. Paola leads operations. Five hectares, about 25,000 bottles.
The wine
Nebbiolo Michet from Rio Sordo. South and southwest light, 5,000 vines per hectare, 1.3 kg per vine. Traditional Barbaresco aging.
The scores
James Suckling 93. Wine Spectator 93. Wine Enthusiast 93. Jeb Dunnuck 92. Vinous 92. Decanter 92.
The drinker
Rose and iron first. Stand the bottle. Decant 60 minutes. Serve 60 to 64 F. Truffle risotto or a long braise.
Rose and cherry, then iron and dusty tannin
The importer sheet writes wild roses, violets, and licorice on a silky, mouth-filling palate. Wine Spectator found cherry, earth, and iron with mint and rosemary, firmly built. Wine Enthusiast: crushed cherries, raspberry, orange peel, roses, then forest fruit, wild thyme, and camphor. Drink 2025 to 2040.
A classic Langhe year with slow ripening and aromatic range. Rio Sordo took the afternoon sun on southwest slopes and kept the tannin firm enough to want 2026 and beyond.
Rose, violet, crushed cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, orange peel, mint, rosemary, licorice.
Medium to full, dusty extracted tannin, crisp acidity, silky then firm.
Iron, earth, fresh cherry. Decant 60 minutes. Serve 60 to 64 F. Better from 2026.
Michet on white marl, then traditional Barbaresco time
Ca' Rome farms 1.5 hectares on the sunny side of Rio Sordo, Nebbiolo Michet at 5,000 vines per hectare and a very low 1.3 kilograms per vine. The soils are white marl of Saint Agatha, Tortonian-Messinian. Giuseppe Marengo keeps the cellar traditional so rose, iron, and dusty tannin stay in front of the oak. That is cru Barbaresco architecture, not a new-oak costume.
The family calls it one of their finest efforts, already rewarding after a year in bottle and more exciting at 3 to 15 years in outstanding vintages.
Stand the bottle. Decant about an hour. Serve 60 to 64 F. The tannins are ripe. They still want food.
House of Romano, still a family scale
Ca' Rome is five hectares and about 25,000 bottles, split between Barbaresco and Serralunga d'Alba.
Romano Marengo founded the winery in 1980 after 30 years in the trade. Giuseppe, known as Pino, took the technical lead. Paola runs operations.
The Barbaresco sites are Chiaramanti, Rio Sordo, and Maria di Brun. Serralunga holdings include Cerretta and Rapet.
Rio Sordo is the sunny-side cru: Michet, white marl, a long runway.
Truffle, collagen, and a slow Italian braise
Nebbiolo this structured wants truffle risotto or a long-cooked oxtail. Floral lift keeps the plate from turning heavy.
Two plates. One truffle risotto. One coda alla vaccinara. Both make Rio Sordo feel more generous.
Best from 2026. If opening now, decant 60 minutes and pour beside the meal. Serve 60 to 64 F.
Fresh Truffle Risotto (Risotto al Tartufo)
Butter, rice, and shaved truffle. Barbaresco's most persuasive white-tablecloth plate.
Why it works: Umami and fat soften dusty tannin. Earth and floral lift echo rose, tar, and iron.
View Recipe for fresh truffle risotto (opens in a new tab)
Coda alla Vaccinara
A Roman oxtail braise, tomato, celery, and spice. Collagen for Nebbiolo.
Why it works: Slow-cooked beef meets the wine's iron and tannin. Spice in the pot mirrors rosemary and orange peel.
View Recipe for coda alla vaccinara (opens in a new tab)Put this Rio Sordo in the cart
James Suckling 93. Wine Spectator 93. Forty-seven-year Michet vines. Fifty dollars against a $125 typical retail.
Put it in the cart. This is the Ca' Rome bottle for a table that wants real Barbaresco, not flash.
