Description
Founded in 1896, Massolino Winery, is based in and around the town of Serralunga, one of the prime sub-zones of the Barolo DOC.
The Massolino family’s greatest asset is of course their 23 hectares of (mostly) Serralunga vineyards, including choice parcels of such famous sites as; Margheria, Parafada and the legendary Vigna Rionda. We say ‘mostly’ as the Massolino clan also own a slice of the Parussi cru in Castiglione Falletto. Serrralunga, on the eastern edge of the Barolo DOCG, produces some of most profound and long lived Barolo. It is the home of great names such as Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa’s Falletto vineyard. The wines often have an extra stuffing of intense Nebbiolo fruit as well as a remarkable minerality that plays on both the freshness of the tannins and gives the wines a certain ferrous edge when young.
It is fair to say that Massolino holds the most remarkable collection of vineyards in Serralunga, amongst the smaller, quality focused producers anyway. The quality strides at this estate over the last 10-15 years have been remarkable with significant advances made, particularly in the vineyards. Certainly there has also been refinements in the cellars, firstly by Franco Massolino and then by current winemaker Giovanni Angeli (ex Vajra) who has been working with Franco since the 2005 harvest. As always however, it has been the work in the vineyards and the search for expressive and perfectly ripe fruit that has driven the rise in quality at this estate. The resultant improvement here has been very good news for both the commune and Barolo in general. Today the wines of Massolino sit comfortably among the finest of the region – they are wines of wonderful purity and elegance. They are exclusively aged in large casks, so they are ‘traditional’ and yet they offer the best of the “old” and “new” worlds: pure, aromatic, textural, deeply flavoured wines that are at the same time precise, vibrant and distinctly regional. These are wines that score extremely highly on our deliciousness scale. Equally important, these wines are remarkably well priced when compared to the other top producers of the area.
About this wine: Massolino’s two hectares of Barbera, planted across their limestone-rich Serralunga vineyards, are now complemented by fruit from Monforte d’Alba. This bright, delicious, drink-now style of Barbera was fermented for 10 to 12 days in stainless steel and cement tanks. It was then raised in the same vessels for a short period before bottling and release. As always, meticulous selection, impressive vineyards and low yields form the blueprint. It’s bright and refreshing, with gorgeous bitter cherry and amaro-like, macerated orange rind notes woven through the perfumed and sparklingly pure palate. The 2024 season was a wet one that brought more delicate wines, and this is a superb example, with the mouthwatering finish bringing a saline edge, and just the right twist of refreshing bitterness.
90 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media “The 2024 Barbera d’Alba is a delight. Soft and understated, with lovely mid-palate depth, the 2024 is a tasty Barbera to drink now and over the next handful of years. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco build nicely in glass.”
RRP $57 Our Special Price $47.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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