As I slowly try to get reorganized and create a new routine and make time to do things properly, now that the government thinks that I am officially a senior citizen, even though I don’t feel any change.  While I was trying to get some things (wine) ready to restock the cellar, I found that I was remiss and forgot to mention about a gift that I received, and it is in bad form , not to be thankful for a gift, of which I have done privately, but I also think that this gift deserves a public thank you and recognition.

Massolino is a winery in the Piedmont known for its production of Nebbiolo grapes and its Barolo DOCG wines, and that is a good thing.  The winery was founded by Giovanno Massolino in 1896 and has been family owned and operated ever since.  His son and daughter built the first cellar in the 1930’s and were involved in the foundation of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliano, an organization that promoted the regional vinicultural areas, before the present-day formal designations.  The estate has twenty-three hectares of vines and all basically in the Barolo sub-region of Serralunga d’Alba.  While Nebbiolo is the most important varietal that is grown there, they also harvest Barbera, Dolcetto, Chardonnay and Moscato Bianco.  The most prestigious wines of Massolino come from their three unofficial cru vineyards of Barolo; which are Margheria, Parfad and Vigna Rionda Riserva.  They also own a one plus hectare vineyard in the neighboring commune of Castiglione Falletto that grows Nebbiolo, but this fruit is used for the single vineyard bottling of their Parussi Barolo.

The Massolino Barolo 2015 is their flagship Barolo wine that they have been producing since 1911 that comes from multiple vineyards of their land, which is their prime seven hectares that has made them famous.  The land that this wine comes from is known for its chalky or limestone soil, and the age of the vines is from ten to fifty-five years.  The fruit is manually harvested and the traditional rules of making Barolo are observed with fermentation and maceration lasting about fifteen days.  The wine is then aged in large oak barrels for at least thirty months and then aged in bottle for an additional year, before it is released. As I stated this is their flagship wine, and what they have made their name from, so it is their pride and joy, and I look forward to opening this bottle, because after all, who doesn’t enjoy an aged Barolo?