Massolino Barolo DOCG 2012
$77.99
SPECIAL 6 PACK BUY.
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Description
“This is a fabulous set of Baroli from brothers Roberto and Franco Massolino. The wines capture the essence of the vintage – while not being excessively marked by the year – in the house’s classic, firm style. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are done in cement and the wines are aged exclusively in large, neutral casks.” Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Feb 2011
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 recently purchased 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.
First produced in 1911, the fruit for Massolino’s classic cuvée is selected from seven sites (inc. Briccolina, Collaretto, Broglio and Le Turne), representing roughly seven hectares of prime Serralunga vineyards. The oldest vines that feed this bottling are 55 years old (the youngest are 10), and it spends 24 months in large Slavonian oak casks. The 2012 harvest has produced wines that sit somewhere between 2011 and 2013. Not as powerful as either year, rather the wines are very fine and classic with lovely flesh, great finesse and excellent freshness and purity. There is plenty of texture, like ’11 (although not as ripe) and then there is the classicism of ’13 (although with finer tannins). This will make an excellent ‘restaurant wine’, offering fine early drinking. An outstanding value that showcases the finesse of Serralunga to a tee.
“Massolino’s 2012 Barolo is a super-attractive mid-weight wine. Freshly cut flowers, mint, raspberries and sweet red cherries all lift from the glass in a feminine, gracious Barolo built on pure class and nuance. Fine, silky tannins add to an overall impression of grace and class. There is so much to like here.” 90 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Nov 2015
“Very pretty aromas of terra-cotta, ripe fruit and hints of chilies. Full body, round and silky tannins, bright acidity and an attractive combination of citrus and plum. Drink or hold.” 93 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, March 2016
RRP $98 *SPECIAL 6 PACK BUY … Only $77.99 when you buy 6 of this wine*
Additional information
Producer | Massolino |
---|---|
Region or Country | Barolo, Italy |
Variety | Nebbiolo |
Vintage | 2012 |
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