Marcellino Ristorante
Scottsdale's Serious Italian Wine Room
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk in expecting another Scottsdale scene restaurant and find something else entirely — a focused, Italy-only list with actual conviction behind it. The warm dining room sets the tone: this place takes the food seriously, and the wine list follows suit. A Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 isn't a vanity trophy here; it's a signal.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 150-250 bottles and doesn't waste space on detours — it's Italy, start to finish, and that discipline pays off. Piedmont anchors the serious end with Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa in the Barolo section, while Biondi-Santi and Banfi hold down Brunello di Montalcino. Tuscany's greatest hits are accounted for — Sassicaia and Tignanello for the Super Tuscan crowd, solid Chianti Classico Riserva for the more classically minded. Allegrini and Masi cover Amarone della Valpolicella, rounding out a list that reads like a well-edited tour through the peninsula's heavyweights.
By the Glass
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a respectable spread for a focused Italian program, and sommelier Allen Maulsby keeps quality high rather than defaulting to volume pours of forgettable juice. Don't expect a rotating natural wine experiment — this is classic Italian territory, which is exactly what it should be given the context.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino — $90
Banfi is Montalcino's most consistent large-scale producer — serious wine at the more accessible end of the Brunello spectrum. Next to Biondi-Santi on the same list, it looks like a bargain and drinks accordingly.
Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables zero in on the Barolo and Brunello, which means the Amarone section gets overlooked. Allegrini makes one of the more approachable, food-forward Amarones in the game — dense and rich without being a complete commitment to a nap afterward.
Sassicaia
It's a legend, no argument there, but Sassicaia at a restaurant in Scottsdale means you're paying a serious premium on top of an already expensive bottle. The markup on trophy wines like this rarely makes sense when there are legitimate Barolo producers on the same list for less.
Bruno Giacosa Barolo + Osso Buco
Bruno Giacosa's Barolo brings enough tannin and acidity to cut through the richness of braised veal shank without bulldozing it — the earthy, tar-and-rose character in the wine mirrors the slow-cooked depth in the dish. Classic for a reason.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Marcellino is doing something genuinely uncommon in Scottsdale — a disciplined, Italy-first wine program with real producers and a sommelier who clearly cares. Markups tip steep on the prestige bottles, but the depth of the list earns it a spot on your list if Italian wine is your thing.
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