2021 Barbaresco, Massolino, Piedmont, Italy
Critics reviews
The 2021 Barbaresco is a blend from parcels in Albesani, Serraboella and Starderi. Gracious and nuanced, the 2021 offers up hints of crushed flowers, orange peel, mint, sweet red berry fruit and spice. Readers will find a super-classic Barbaresco. Lifted aromatics, mid-weight structure and persistent yet fine tannins give the wine its shape. This is beautifully done.
Drink 2024 - 2032
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2023)
Grapes come from the lower part of Albesani, Starderi and Serraboella. Fermented in 50- to 60-hl tronconic oak casks, and aged for 18 months in large 50- and 60-hl oak casks.
Sample 1: Stoppered with Diam 5.
Lustrous mid crimson. Inky cherry that becomes minerally and salty with aeration. Lifted and a little balsamic with a hint of liquorice. Fresh cherry and raspberry charged with gripping tannins.
Sample 2: Stoppered with Nomacork Green 100.
A little dusty but with energetic raspberry fruit. Succulent raspberry fruit with expressive, long tannins.
Drink 2024 - 2032
Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com (November 2023)
Bright cinnamon and earthy strawberry aromas with violets and dried cherries. Firm, with lifted acidity, dusty yet ripe tannins, a chewy mid-palate and ripe fruit on the finish. Approachable Barbaresco but will age nicely, too. Drink or hold.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (May 2024)
Aromas recalling cedar, spice, new leather and wild red berry form the nose on the fragrant 2021 Massolino Barbaresco. Straight forward and linear, the palate offers tart red cherry, pomegranate and star anise set against fine-grained tannins.
Drink 2027 - 2033
Kerin O'Keefe, KerinOKeefe.com (March 2024)
About this WINE
Massolino
Based in the heart of the village of Serralunga, Massolino is a historical estate now managed by Franco Massolino. The estate was established in 1896 by Franco’s great-grandfather, and its running has been deeply interwoven throughout different generations. Charming and open yet reflective, Franco combines a willingness to challenge assumptions with a deeply-felt sense of responsibility to his family legacy. This legacy, in his view, is to faithfully represent the wines and unique heritage of the region. To give the purest expression of the grape, vinification is traditional, with fermentation and maceration for around 21 days in temperature-controlled, open oak fermenters called tini. The wine is the aged in large Slovenian oak botti – no oak toast, just steamed – for up to 30 months before being left to mature in bottle.
Franco Massolino feels that 2019 is a more traditional vintage: one with complexity, powerful tannins, lovely purity, and one capable of great longevity. He is not concerned about the level of the tannins, feeling that they are “smooth” and “like china”. He observes that even with excellent ripeness analysis, a late harvest always gives more tannic power. Franco is not a commentator drawn to hyperbole; his communication is measured and thoughtful. But, a twinkle in his eye betrays that this is a style of vintage that appeals to him very much.
Barbaresco
The Piedmontese DOCG zone of Barbaresco is responsible for producing some of Italy’s finest wines. It occupies the same region and uses the same grape (Nebbiolo) as its bigger brother Barolo, but is a third of the size (only 640 hectares versus Barolo’s 1,700 hectares). It is also 50 years younger than Barolo, having produced wine labelled Barbaresco since 1890.
Barbaresco earned its DOCG after Barolo in 1980, largely thanks to the efforts of Angelo Gaja. The soils are lighter here than in Barolo – both in colour and weight – and more calcareous. The slopes are also less favourably situated and (relatively speaking) yield earlier-maturing yet extremely elegant wines that require less oak ageing (normally one year in oak plus six months in bottle). The appellation’s key districts are Barbaresco, Treiso, Neive and Alba.
Recommended producers: Cigliuti, Gaja, Marchesi di Gresy
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.
A notoriously pernickety grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well-drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.
Langhe Nebbiolo is effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo & Barbarescos. This DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style. Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15% other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto.
Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so a long hang time, producing high levels of sugar, acidity and tannins; the challenge being to harvest the fruit with these three elements ripe and in balance. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are perfumed with aromas of tar, rose, mint, chocolate, liquorice and truffles. They age brilliantly and the very best need ten years to show at their best.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This is a blend of fruit from all three of Massolino’s crus: Albesani, Serraboella and Starderi, from the commune of Nieve. First produced in 2019, this is a beautifully accomplished wine, with a delicately detailed nose of ripe berry fruit and balsamic hints that lead to a suave, persuasive palate. Its sinewy, plush structure is balanced by freshness and verve, and finishes with a fantail of fine tannins. This is a beautiful expression, and outstanding value for money.
Adrian Brice, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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