$274.99
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Region: Barolo, Italy
Grape: Nebbiolo
First glance: Traditional, structured and complex single-vineyard Barolo
Acclaim: 95 points
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 offer producers the option of labelling their wines with a specific vineyard or commune, as opposed to relying solely on house style and age designations to stand out from the crowd.
The Margheria MGA in the home-field Serralunga de Alba commune, sits at 340 metres above sea level. The vineyard is very chalky with a good percentage of sand, which brings elegance and spicy, mineral characters to the natural depth of Serralunga. Like all the singe-vineyard bottlings here, the wine ferments naturally in large format neutral oak, and spends a total of 30 days on skins, before ageing 30 months in botti prior to bottling.
The Review:
95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2017 Barolo Margheria is a compelling, multi-faceted Barolo loaded with personality. Sage, mint, lavender, spice, iron and red/purplish berry fruit grace this firm, classically built Barolo. This translucent, taut Barolo has so much to offer, but it also needs time to soften. Readers will find a terrific example of Margheria.
