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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.5 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 13 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by rSyver on 2/28/2021 & rated 93 points: Takes a little time and air before it comes together, but when it does there is a wow here. I get the tones of balsamico at the start, which I often get with older nebbiolo, but when the fruit slowly pops out it is all mixed well together with great balance. Great length on the palate. Very, very fine tannins - soon forgotten when the mature fruit enters the picture. (1221 views) | | | Tasted by cardsandwine on 4/21/2019: From magnum. 6 hour slo-o. A spectacular bottle of wine. Gorgeous deep translucent red hue with a magnificent bouquet of of old world Barolo. On the palate the fruit is alive and balanced displaying great finesse and complexity. The wine continued to evolve with each sip and had a lasting an elegant finish. One of the best Barolos I have ever had. A wine with soul that will last another 15 to 20 years. (1838 views) | | | Tasted by Mascarello59 on 4/22/2018 & rated 91 points: Poured a glass from a bottle where 1/3 was taken out with a Coravin two weeks earlier. Left to breathe for abt 2h.
Rather restrained nose with sweet cherries and strawberry, leather and soil.
Elegance and power at the same time with a good fruit core in the background. The tannins are fine but still very very prevalent. Earthy mid palate and a warm sensation to finish off. 14% alcohol. Can be ddrunk now but another 7-10 years of cellaring should be rewarding. 91-94 for potential. (1975 views) | | | Tasted by RayOB on 10/20/2016 & rated 94 points: Drank in London (Magnum)
Nose of smoke, tar and earth with a rich deep palate. (2670 views) | | | Tasted by KenPlace on 9/25/2016 & rated 94 points: Drank half one day, half the next. Definitely better the second day. Powerful with great depth of concentration. Highly recommended. (2514 views) | | | Tasted by BBencz on 8/31/2014 & rated 95 points: Vinturi'd to decanter and then waited two hours, with lots of swirling. Still heavily tannic with fruit far in the background. Nice nose of light mint and herbs. Some red cherries, but mostly licorice and tar across a long finish. 24 hours later from decanter didnt change much. I'm giving this another five years before opening another one. Felt like infanticide drinking now. (3400 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 3/16/2014 & rated 93 points: Robert Parker Grand World Tour, Piedmont Masterclass (Singapore): This is a half modernist, half traditionalist producer. From the Serralunga area which is know as a terroir for powerful wines. Dark garnet. Aromatic and forward nose of mint, dark fruit, leather, licorice, very Nebbiolo. On the palate strong and masculine but enough fruit to support it. Similar to the Cantina del Pino. (4451 views) | | | Tasted by astroman on 3/16/2014: Robert Parker Piedmont MasterClass (Singapore): Very clean and focus nose great acid. Balanced with herb on the finish some coffee note. (3295 views) | | | Tasted by benny on 10/17/2011 & rated 95 points: Dank with GSM in Italy. Classic and mellowed Barolo as you want. (4609 views) |
| By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (8/12/2015)
(Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva X Anni) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Piedmont: The Stars Are Aligned (Oct 2011)
(Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda X Anni) Subscribe to see review text. | By Walter Speller
JancisRobinson.com (6/27/2011)
(Massolino, Vigna Ronda X Anni Riserva Barolo Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of The WINEFRONT and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Massolino Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)
Established in 1896, by Giovanni Massolino, the winery has been dedicated to the production of great wines from the Langhe area of Piedmont for four generations. It was Giovanni’s son Giuseppe, one of the founders of the Consortium for the Defense of Barolo and Barbaresco, to construct the cellar located in Serralunga d’Alba, one of the most important villages in the production of Barolo DOCG. Giuseppe’s sons, Giovanni and Renato, divided the responsibility for the vineyards and cellar management, also acquiring some of the most prestigious cru vineyard sites in Serralunga d’Alba. Giovanni’s sons Franco and Roberto, both winemakers, joined the family business in the nineties and oversee the production.
The Massolino winery produces about 120,000 bottles each year, including Chardonnay, Barbera d’Alba, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Moscato d’Asti, and Barolo. The winemaking style is classically ‘traditional,’ as evidenced by the use of cement fermentation tanks and large Slavonian oak casks for ageing, however more modern techniques and technologies are also employed resulting in incredibly clean, elegant wines, perfectly respecting the characteristics of the autochthonous grape varieties and the territory. Over the years, the name Massolino has become synonymous with robust, concentrated and well-structured Barolo, celebrated around the world.
Massolino produces one classic Barolo and, with the addition of the most recently acquired vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, four Cru Barolo wines: Parussi, Parafada, Margheria, and Vigna Rionda.
“As a family tradition we search for the highest quality with full respect for the environment and implement everything necessary to produce wines which express the characteristics of our wonderful land.”
– Franco MassolinoNebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerVigna RiondaThe Vigna Rionda vineyard is considered one of the top vineyards (if not the top vineyard) of Serralunga d'Alba. Vigna Rionda means "round vineyard". Bruno Giacosa named his wine from this vineyard Collina Rionda, meaning "round hill", possibly a more fitting description. Vigna Rionda covers 25 hectares and lies at an altitude of 300 - 330 meters above sea level. The soil is calcarious and less clayey than many neighbouring vineyards, contributing to the structure and longevity of Vigna Rionda wines. Only the best part (south facing) of this round hill is planted with nebbiolo, the rest primarily with barbera.
Producers of Vigna Rionda Barolos are few. They include Massolino Vigna Rionda (2,3 hectares, one part planted in the early 1960s, the other part planted in the early 1970s), Oddero (1 hectare), Luigi Pira, Guido Porro, Anselma Giacomo and Bruno Giacosa (only from 1967 to 1993).
Exact outline on weinlagen.infoItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
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