Description
This is the only Barolo vineyard Massolino owns beyond Serralunga—‘the egg outside the nest’ as an old Piemontese saying goes. It is nonetheless not far from the cellars, sitting on a crest of a ridge, right next to the Serralunga border (on the Castiglione Falletto side). The blue, iron-rich Sant'Agata marls here have more silt, and less clay and limestone, than in Serralunga. This in turn makes for more vigorous vines and a completely different style of wine. The Massolino family were attracted to the excellent southeast-to-southwest exposure, the old vines (which are today almost 60 years old) and the vineyard’s 290 metre altitude. Early releases of this wine were more structured and in need of aging, but the wines have become more refined over the years. Giovanni believes that the vineyard has now found its sweet spot, and we cannot disagree —the 2021 is undoubtedly the most exciting wine we have tasted from this vineyard. The last of the Massolino Crus to be harvested, it is bursting with wild red fruit, mixed herbs and fresh earth aromas and flavours, as well as some spicy balsamic notes. Underpinning it all is an intense, mineral freshness and gravelly, fine-boned tannins. The tannins are, as always, more powerful and dusty than the crus from Serralunga but they are perfectly in balance. As for all the crus, this was fermented in large oak fermenters and aged exclusively in large casks.
“The Massolino 2021 Barolo Parussi draws its fruit from Castiglione Falletto at the center of the appellation with an interesting overlay of old and newer soils. This wine is less immediately aromatic and needs extra time in the glass to develop and flesh out. At this young stage, it delivers tight wild berry and you also get a pretty signature of crushed limestone. That elegant mineral note ties in nicely with the silky tannins. The Parussi excels in a balanced vintage such as this.” 98 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
“Luminous and expressive, with tar, dried rose petals and crushed cranberries. The palate is medium-bodied with delicate, delineated fruit. It’s juicy and incisive, with precise, polished tannins and a delicate finish. Very detailed and nuanced, it’s on the ethereal end of the spectrum.” 96 points, James Suckling, jamesuckling.com
