Tasting Notes
Vigna Rionda is historically the most revered vineyard of Serralunga and the source of some of the greatest, finest and long-lived Barolo. The Massolino family are the largest holders in Vigna Rionda with 3.5 hectares (two planted to Nebbiolo) of vines between 40 and 50 years old. The soil here is similar to the Parafada vineyard (limey/chalky marls), yet it is deeper again, with more chalk and a higher concentration of minerals and oxidised iron elements. The altitude is 330 metres above sea level, and the protection from northern winds and frost that the south/southwest aspect affords means that Vigna Rionda has a longer growing season than the other Crus.
All these factors combine to produce a terroir that generates wines with an optimum balance of perfume, finesse and structure rarely found elsewhere in Barolo. They also produce wines with excellent acidity and tannins that require longer aging in both botti and bottle, and that is why it is always released with a minimum six years of age.
It’s simply a gorgeous, layered and complex Barolo of the highest order. Already a brilliant drink, it will be even better in three to five years. - Importer Note
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. - Importer Note
| Product Type | Wine Red Nebbiolo |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Sub Region | Barolo |
| Winemaking Practices | Conventional |
| Vineyard Practices | Conventional |