$187.99
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Region: Barolo, Italy
Grape: Nebbiolo
First glance: Structured and lifted Barolo
Acclaim: 93 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.
The Parussi cru is Massolino's only vineyard site outside of Serralunga d'Alba, positioned on the northern edge of Castigliona Faletto, across the valley from Serralunga. The site boasts excellent south-easterly to south-westerly exposure, and vine material is around 45 years of age, sitting at 300 metres above sea level. The blue, iron-rich Sant'Agata marls here are a little lighter and more oxygenated, with more silt and less clay than in Serralunga.
The review:
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2015 Barolo Parussi is the most powerful and immediate of the Massolino 2015 Barolos. Dark cherry, plum, lavender, menthol, spice, tar and licorice fill out the wine's ample frame effortlessly. In this range, the Parussi is also the Barolo that most clearly shows the natural richness of the year, and it does so to great effect. Plush, sensual and inviting, the 2015 will drink well with minimal cellaring, although time in bottle will only help. Drink Date: 2022-2040
