Renato Ratti

The venerated history of Renato Ratti began in 1965 when he purchased the first plot of vineyard, of approximately 7,000 square metres, in the historic area of Marcenasco, in the hamlet of Annunziata, in the prestigious municipality of La Morra. This is how the first Barolo Marcenasco was labeled, exclusively produced from grapes coming from a single vineyard: for the time it was an absolute novelty, as the grapes were normally mixed, regardless of the various origins. In the same years, Renato's nephew, Massimo Martinelli, also an oenologist, joined the company: the aim was to study winemaking methods specifically suited to the estate's grapes. Another cornerstone of their production philosophy is to let the Barolos evolve for a long time in the bottle, rather than focusing on the different types of wood and barrels to be used for aging. Ratti's wines, also and above all thanks to these innovations, are increasingly appreciated, even at an international level; we are in the Eighties and this undoubtedly represents a golden period: Ratti is appointed both president of the Barolo Consortium and director of the Asti Consortium. The possibility of identifying the sub-area (the most suitable area, the Cru) and the obligation to indicate the vintage on the label become key points in the new specifications that the Consortia, led by Ratti, issue regarding the labeling of the great wines of the Langhe and the Asti area. The drafting of the map of the "historical sub-areas" of Barolo and Barbaresco became another point of reference, inside and outside the borders of the Langhe, and its use continues to this day. The Renato Ratti winery is today led by his son Pietro, who has inherited its legacy; It has 38 hectares of property, distributed between La Morra, Mango and Costigliole d'Asti and the most important reference labels are labelled. In 2002, the new cellar was renovated, equipped with a wonderful tasting room with breathtaking views of the surrounding Langhe: this is, undoubtedly, the worthy setting for tasting the superb wines of the Ratti cellar.