Massolino Barbaresco 2020

“The 2020 Barbaresco is a terrific follow up to the 2019. A wine of nerve and grace, the 2020 sizzles with energy. Finely sculpted red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, crushed rocks and orange zest all grace this super-expressive, mid-weight Barbaresco. An explosion of sweet floral and spice notes lifts the gorgeous, beautifully perfumed, vibrant finish. I love the classicism here. Drinking window: 2025-2040. 94 points

Massolino presented a glorious set of new releases, one of the finest ranges I can recall tasting in more than twenty years of visiting the estate. The 2020 Barbarescos build on last year’s wines. Both are exquisite. After a challenging 2018, Massolino bounces back with a set of 2019 Barolos, wines that impress with their purity and profound expressions of site. Last, but certainly not least is the majestic 2017 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda, a wine that will soon take its place as one of the very finest Barolos ever made here. “It was a warm year, but the heat was well-distributed, with most of it taking place in June and July rather than in the fall, when the vines are more vulnerable,” Franco Massolino explained. “We had healthy rains after those summer spikes, and from then, the weather settled into a much more typical pattern. Our harvest started in mid-October.” The Massolino wines are notable for a style that blends old-school classicism with contemporary polish.”

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/23)