Paolo Manzone

The approach to this Serralunga d’Alba estate belongs to rural Barolo rather than polished wine tourism: vineyard slopes, a renovated Piedmont farmhouse, quiet courtyards, and the sense that the tasting room is an extension of agricultural work rather than a stage set. The impression is deliberately grounded, with the landscape doing more of the talking than any hospitality flourish. Paolo Manzone sits in the Meriame cru, and that matters. In Barolo, commune and site are not decorative details; they are the grammar of the wine, the framework through which structure, perfume, and aging potential are usually understood.

Serralunga d’Alba is associated with structured Nebbiolo built for patience, and this estate reads clearly within that tradition. The Barolo comes from south-facing hillside vineyards at roughly 250–300 meters, on mixed clay and calcareous soils, conditions that favor ripeness without stripping away grip. Those details are not just technical background; they help explain why the wines feel rooted in density and persistence rather than immediate softness. The result is a house identity tied less to modern gloss than to the darker, more muscular register of the commune: spice, rose, violet, tobacco, leather, and the slow unwinding of tannin over time.

Meriame gives the estate its center of gravity

In a region where single vineyards can become shorthand for style, Meriame is the anchor here. The vineyard sits at the entrance to the winery and gives its name to the estate’s signature Barolo, turning the property’s immediate surroundings into the core of the portfolio rather than a scenic backdrop. That closeness gives the visit a useful clarity: what is being poured is tied to the ground visible around the estate. That connection between cellar door and cru is the strongest reason to visit: the tasting is not abstract Barolo education, but a direct reading of Serralunga through one family’s land.

The production language reinforces that classical position. Barolo is matured without barriques, using large and mid-sized casks, while the Riserva spends a third year in amphora. The emphasis is on long development and proportion rather than the sweetening effect or polish often associated with smaller new oak. The Riserva comes from vines more than 65 years old in Meriame and has been produced since the late 1990s, which places it in a long-view category rather than the experimental fringe. Gambero Rosso awarded Tre Bicchieri to the 2011 and 2013 Barolo Riserva, a meaningful Italian wine signal for collectors who follow domestic critical recognition.

The range is broader than a single Nebbiolo story. Alongside Barolo, the estate works with Barbera, Dolcetto, Arneis, and a limited-production metodo classico sparkling wine from Pinot Noir. That breadth matters in a tasting because it frames Barolo within the wider drinking culture of the Langhe: white wine for the beginning of a meal, Barbera for acidity and food, Nebbiolo for structure, and aged Barolo for the long table. It also prevents the visit from becoming a one-note exercise in tannin; the supporting wines give context before the more serious, age-minded bottles come into focus.

Hospitality stays small, personal, and vineyard-led

Estate is run by Paolo Manzone and Luisella Manzone, who also lead the on-site agriturismo at Cascina Meriame. In practical terms, that makes the visit closer to a hosted farm-and-cellar encounter than a high-throughput tasting counter. The format includes seated tastings, winery tours with tasting, and vertical or flight tastings, with Italian and English available. The property is small in scale, around 14–15 hectares, producing roughly 75,000–80,000 bottles annually. Those numbers fit the overall feel: substantial enough to show a complete range, but still intimate enough that the estate’s own vineyards and cellar choices remain the main subject.

This is the kind of Piedmont stop that rewards visitors who care about soil, aging vessels, and the difference between commune-level Barolo and cru expression. A tasting here can sit neatly inside a Serralunga d’Alba wine day, especially for travelers mapping the area through producers rather than restaurant reservations alone. It is best approached with time for comparison and conversation, because the point is less spectacle than calibration: how Meriame, Serralunga, cask aging, and bottle age line up in the glass. For broader planning, EP Club’s local rails cover Serralunga d’Alba wineries, plus the city’s restaurants, hotels, bars, and experiences.

For nearby wine-focused reading within Serralunga d’Alba, see Azienda Agricola Cascina Cucco, Azienda Agricola Gabutti di Boasso Franco, Azienda Agricola Guido Porro, Azienda Agricola Luigi Pira, and Azienda Agricola Schiavenza. Wider winery coverage includes 3GP SRL in Treviso, 47 Anno Domini in Trebaseleghe, A Mano Wine in Noci, »der Steiner« Hans Steiner in Podersdorf am See, and & Handwein in Mannheim.