$120.00
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Region: Barolo, Italy
Grape: Nebbiolo
First glance: Elegant and approachable Serralunga Barolo
Acclaim: 92 points
The Massolino was founded in 1896, and it is one of the premier estates in the Serralunga sub-region of Barolo.
Apart from making highly acclaimed wines, Massolino is significant for being the first producer to bottle a single-vineyard Barolo back in 1982 - something which is now very much in vogue, with the more recent official introduction of the MGA vineyard classification. The new rules offers producers the option of labelling their wines with specific vineyards or communes, as opposed to relying solely on house style and age designations to stand out from the crowd.
This, however, is the estate's straight Barolo, a blend of several vineyard sites as is, and has always been, the norm in the Barolo region. Most of the fruit is sourced in the Serralunga commune, with a little support from a vineyard in neighbouring Castiglione Faletto. The wine is fermented with natural yeasts in 50% concrete tank and 50% large vats. This cuvée spends around 20 days on skins and the final blend was matured for 30 months in large Slovenian oak casks.
The Review:
92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2017 Barolo is a gorgeous, harmonious wine. In this vintage, the straight Barolo is a bit lighter than normal, as most wines are, but it is so impeccably balanced. Pliant and inviting, the 2017 will be pleasurable to drink in another year or two. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, cinnamon and crushed rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that grace this exquisite Barolo from the Massolino family. So many 2017s are marked by sinewy tannins, here, they are especially fine.
