Product Information:
A landmark release for this wine - a superb, open, fine-boned Barolo Margheria. As is typical for this illustrious site, it is pretty and perfumed yet has plenty of ripe fruit and fine structure. Lively, fresh and open knit feel. Rising from the glass, dried herbs, menthol, incense, new leather and licorice. With vivid red-fruited character. Medium-bodied with firm, slightly chewy tannins. It’s compact and structured with a tense and lively aftertaste.
The Massolino family bought their first Margheriain parcel in 1964. The current holding is 1.5 hectares. Sitting 280 metres above sea level, the site is very chalky with a high percentage of sand (providing signature perfume and elegance), while the high calcium carbonate content brings vibrant mineral energy to Serralunga’s natural depth. As with all three 2020 Crus, Margheria fermented in large oak fermenters and spent around three weeks on skins. It then aged in botti for 30 months before bottling and remained in bottle for a further year before release.
Renowned wine critic Antonio Galloni of Vinous has praises Massolino's 2020 range, “Grace, elegance and understatement are some of the qualities readers will find in the 2020 Barolos. The best wines are undeniably striking … Overall, 2020 is a vintage of mid-weight Barolos. These are wines to admire for their balance and seductive appeal more than their power or structure.” A promising year from one of Piemonte's crown jewels.
Maker:
Massolino is rightly regarded as one of Piemonte’s most treasured estates. Founded in 1896 by the visionary Giovanni Massolino - who famously brought electricity to the town - the estate is located in the picturesque Serralunga d’Alba, a prime sub-zone of Barolo.
The high-altitude, chalky hillsides of Serralunga d’Alba, situated on the eastern edge of the Barolo DOCG, produce some of the most profound and age-worthy Barolo wines. This area is home to legendary names like Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa, with vineyards such as Falletto adding to its prestige.
First produced in 1911, the fruit for Massolino’s classic cuvée is selected from seven sites across roughly seven hectares of prime-sited Serralunga vineyards. Today, the estate is under the stewardship of Franco and Roberto Massolino, collaborating with the talented former Vajra winemaker, Giovanni Angeli. Their most important of these sites - Briccolina, Collareto, Broglio and Le Turne - are dotted around the town itself (Le Turne borders Margheria, while Collareto lies next to Vigna Rionda where they are the largest holders with 3.5 hectares of vines, between 40-50 years old. So we are talking quality real estate.
In recent years, Massolino has made significant strides in quality, particularly in vineyard practices. The estate has been organic for six years and has not used herbicides for a decade. The evolution in vineyard management, including increased grass cover and minimal use of systemic chemicals, has further chiselled out the character of their wines, showcasing the true potential of this iconic estate.
Worth noting, along side Massolino’s Barolo, there's a good deal of excitement for their early drinking releases; the outstanding quality at the top end flows through the Estate’s entire suite of wines. Critic Nick Stock has noted that “[Massollino] not only delivers admirable top-end nebbiolo wines, which is ultimately what it will be judged on, but it also makes a near-perfect range that starts with the delicious dolcetto and runs seamlessly through the barbera, to basic nebbiolo before arriving at the top tier wines.” The same can be said of the convivial additions of Riesling and Moscato d'asti in the range.
Today the Nebbiolo-based wines of Massolino sit shoulder to shoulder with the finest of the region - they are wines of wonderful purity and elegance. In one sense 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.
Critic Antonio Galloni states, “Massolino is another winery that has been on a roll of late. These new releases are stellar. The single-vineyard wines, both Barolo and Barbaresco, are now fermented in wood uprights. As impressive as the top wines are here, Massolino also excels with a range of entry-level offerings that offer fabulous quality and value. Bravo.”
Vineyard:
Massolino’s cellarmaster, Giovanni Angeli, encapsulated the vintage perfectly when he remarked that if delicious wines weren’t made in 2020, something had gone awry. “It was a great harvest,” says Angeli. “Definitely one of the few positive memories from this challenging year!” Good snowfall in winter ensured that the vines faced no hydric stress despite a dry summer, and the growing season was largely regular, interrupted only by some heat spikes in August.
Massolino’s Nebbiolo vintage commenced at the beginning of October, under mild weather and cool nights. Vinification proceeded smoothly, with the Barolo wines naturally fermenting on their skins for three weeks in large oak fermenters. The resulting wines are beautifully expressive, aromatic, and supple, showcasing excellent freshness and classic tannins.
During the tasting in November, the overall impression was one of finesse, vibrant purity, and fine structure, suggesting that the wines will be approachable from a young age. Each wine beautifully expressed its unique terroir. While they are not as powerful as those from the drier 2019 season, the balance and elegance are unmistakable - quite remarkable in this era of changing climate. Franco Massolino and Giovanni Angeli believe that 2020 will age in line with their best years. So, we get the best of both worlds: a terrific year for aging and restaurant drinking alike.
Nose - Dried Herbs, Menthol, Incense
Dried herbs, menthol, incense, new leather and liquorice all take shape in the glass.
Palate - Hibiscus, Orange, Cherry
Complex. Juicy compact cherry with spectacular, chewy tannins.
Finish - Iodine, Chewy Tannins, Lively
A tense and lively aftertaste. Great tactile fruit finish and fantastically balanced
I like the freshness and vivid red-fruited character. Medium-bodied with firm, slightly chewy tannins. It’s compact and structured with a tense and lively aftertaste. Vivid and bright with hibiscus undertones to the orange and berry character. Try from 2027, but already very pretty. - James Suckling, jamesuckling.com, 95 Points.
The 2020 Barolo Margheria is a very pretty wine that shows the gentler side of the year. Dried herbs, menthol, incense, new leather and liquorice all take shape in the glass. The 2020 is a soft, uncharacteristically open-knit Margheria that will drink well with only minimal cellaring. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 93 Points.
Serralunga d’Alba. Beautiful lustrous mid ruby. Firm, serious minerally nose with cherry laced with oatmeal notes and iodine hints. Complex. Juicy compact cherry with spectacular, chewy tannins. Great tactile fruit finish and fantastically balanced. - Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Nebbiolo
Country - Italy
Region - Piedmont
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%
