Masterful Massolino Offer
Massolino presented a glorious set of new releases, one of the finest ranges I can recall tasting in more than twenty years of visiting the estate. ANTONIO GALLONI - on this release!
There are many great things to write about Massolino, a family winery based in Serralunga d'Alba. As I reflect on these wines, I am struck by the harmony and perfection of the overall portfolio: the clear identity of each product and its placement within the Massolino quality pyramid MONICA LARNER
Massolino's cellarmaster Giovanni Angeli summed it up best when he said that if you didn't make delicious wines in 2020, something went very wrong! "It was a great harvest," - "Definitely one of the few positive things we'll remember from this Covid-affected year!"
The Massolino family has been making Barolo from the iron-rich soils of Serralunga for over a century. Today, it is fair to say that they have been helping to set the pace for quality within the region for some time now. These are modern-classics; the result of employing technology in the initial vinification and then maturation in large Slovenian oak. They highlight the site through a lens of purity, perfectly pitched fruit, and sophisticated winemaking.
They farm 16 hectares in the premier crus of the "appellation" of Margheria, Parafada, and the big daddy of them all, Vigna Rionda; a vineyard almost synonymous with the Massolinos. In more recent times they have also added a holding in Parussi vineyard in neighbouring Castigilone Falletto.
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Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda 2017The 2017 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is flat out stunning. All the purest essence of Rionda comes through in a captivating Barolo that dazzles. Sweet red cherry fruit, kirsch, rose petal, licorice and blood orange are some of the many aromas and flavors that lift from the glass. Exotic and racy, the 2017 is a flat-out stunner. Now, for the million dollar question. Is it better than the 2016? Right now, I give an edge to the 2017 for its greater finesse and total sense of exotic beauty. But time will be the judge. I do look forward to tasting the 2016 and 2017 side by side! ANTONIO GALLONI
Bright red cherry, mint, potpourri, new leather, liquorice root. So fragrant. Fresh, very fine, tannin has a succulence, and they sit so well within the wine, melting through its core. Red fruits (strawberry in particular), tea and blood orange, and a superb long finish of precision and freshness. A beautiful expression of Vigna Rionda, and one that belies the heat of the vintage. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2017NebbioloItaly457$500.00 As low as $450.00 -
Massolino Barolo Margheria 2020The 2020 Barolo Margheria is a very pretty wine that shows the gentler side of the year. Dried herbs, menthol, incense, new leather and licorice all take shape in the glass. The 2020 is a soft, uncharacteristically open-knit Margheria that will drink well with only minimal cellaring. ANTONIO GALLONI
I like the freshness and vivid red-fruited character. Medium-bodied with firm, slightly chewy tannins. It’s compact and structured with a tense and lively aftertaste. Vivid and bright with hibiscus undertones to the orange and berry character. Try from 2027, but already very pretty. JAMES SUCKLING2020NebbioloItaly457$235.00 As low as $211.50 -
Massolino Langhe Riesling 2022Screwcap. Massolino planted three clones of Riesling in 2014 in a cool and windswept parcel in Monforte d’Alba. This rocky and limestone-rich plot sits at the hill’s apex at 450-500 metres, just outside the Barolo appellation boundary. After a few years of experimenting with amphora, steel and various types and sizes of oak, the wine today ferments exclusively in a 5,000-litre cement tank, where it rests on lees for nine months.
The use of concrete is hardly commonplace when vinifying Riesling, yet Massolino feels the wine’s brightness and energy merits this approach. It’s hard to disagree, given the coiled energy and purity. It’s a lovely vintage for this wine, with bell-clear apple blossom and white flower flavours allied to the intensity of palate-coating fruitiness and a crunchy lemon and lemongrass close.
2022RieslingItaly457$79.00 As low as $71.10 -
Massolino Barolo Parussi 2020Vivid red fruit with subtle floral and citrusy notes and hints of crushed stones. Medium-bodied with firm tannins. Structured and focused with a lingering, expanding aftertaste. Impressive density. Try after two to three years. JAMES SUCKLING
The 2020 Barolo Parussi is a classy, nuanced wine. It shows lovely textural depth and resonance, but in the mid-weight style of the year. Dark red cherry, lavender, rose petal, mint and spice all build nicely, filling out the layers effortlessly. The 2020 is weightless and elegant, with the understated textural depth that is such a signature of this vintage. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous2020NebbioloItaly457$240.00 As low as $216.00 -
Massolino Barolo Parafada 2020Notes of dried raspberries, cherries, dried orange peel and ground spices. Some tar. Medium-bodied, structured and firm, with polished tannins. I like the energy and length here. Round and refined with a bright finish. So well done. Drink after 2027. JAMES SUCKLING
The 2020 Barolo Parafada is a delicate, focused wine. Bright red fruit, mint white pepper and crushed herbs are all nicely delineated. This mid-weight, nervy Barolo is all class and very approachable now, but it needs time to be at its finest. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
Parafada is a small MGA in a basin with full south, east and west exposures. Massolino's interpretation is surgical: super-zesty with earthy strawberry, liquorice, fresh violet and a Pinot-like elegance. The palate shows a richness with juicy, brilliant acidity, silky tannins and an amazing finish with blood orange vibrancy. Graceful, with good strength for ageing. ALDO FORDELLI, Decanter
2020NebbioloItaly457$265.00 As low as $238.50