Massolino

The Massolino story in Serralunga d'Alba begins in 1896, when founder Giovanni Massolino established the estate. Giovanni's son Giuseppe built the first wine cellar, co-founded what is now the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani in 1934, and bottled the estate's first wine in 1947. Giuseppe's children expanded the vineyard holdings, acquiring the prestigious crus of Margheria, Parafada, and Vigna Rionda. In the 1990s, fourth-generation siblings Franco, Roberto, and Paola joined the family business, with Franco and Roberto focusing on winemaking and vineyard management.

• Founded 1896 by Giovanni Massolino; estate formally called Azienda Agricola Vigna Rionda, reflecting the cru's central importance
• Giuseppe Massolino co-founded the Barolo and Barbaresco Consorzio in 1934 and made the first bottled Massolino wine in 1947
• Third generation (Giovanni and Renato) purchased the Margheria, Parafada, and Vigna Rionda crus during the mid-20th century
• Fourth generation: Franco, Roberto, and Paola joined in the 1990s; from 2006 they restored a fully traditional, classic Barolo production style

Massolino holds 23 hectares of estate vines, almost entirely within Serralunga d'Alba, whose compact Helvetian clay and limestone soils produce the most structured and longest-lived Barolos in the denomination. The flagship holding is 3 hectares within the 10.24-hectare Vigna Rionda MGA, acquired in stages from 1956 onward. The estate also farms Margheria (1.1 ha, calcareous and sandy soils), Parafada (1.2 ha, marly limestone, south-facing at 320 metres), and Parussi (1.65 ha in Castiglione Falletto, first rented in 2006 and purchased in 2008). In 2019, the family leased approximately 10 acres in the Barbaresco MGAs of Albesani, Serraboella, and Starderi in Neive.

• Vigna Rionda: 3 ha of the MGA's 10.24 ha; marly limestone soils at approximately 300 m altitude; produces wines of exceptional complexity and longevity
• Margheria: 1.1 ha; calcareous soils with a higher sand content than typical Serralunga sites; first parcel acquired in 1964, the remainder during the 1970s
• Parafada: 1.2 ha; south-facing at 320 m, marly limestone soils; vines average 60 years old; the estate's oldest vineyard
• Parussi: 1.65 ha in Castiglione Falletto at 290 m; clay, calcareous and sandy soils with south-east/south-west exposure; Massolino's sole vineyard outside Serralunga d'Alba

Massolino's approach is resolutely traditional. Fermentation and maceration take place in oak vats (tini) at approximately 30 degrees Celsius. From 2016, the Vigna Rionda fruit is fermented in oak vats; previously concrete tanks were used. All Barolos are aged in large, neutral Slavonian oak botti: the classic Barolo and the three Serralunga single-MGA wines spend up to 30 months in cask, while the Vigna Rionda Riserva receives up to 42 months in oak followed by 24 months in bottle before release in its sixth year. From 2006, Franco and Roberto made a deliberate decision to abandon any use of small barriques for their Barolos and restore a fully classic style. The estate practices integrated viticulture and does not use fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides.

• Fermentation in oak vats (tini) at approximately 30°C; Vigna Rionda fermented in oak from 2016 vintage onward (previously concrete)
• Classic Barolo and single-MGA Serralunga crus: up to 30 months in large Slavonian oak botti, then bottle maturation before release
• Vigna Rionda Riserva: up to 42 months in large Slavonian oak plus 24 months in bottle; released only in its sixth year and only in exceptional vintages
• Integrated viticulture with no fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides; no organic certification held

Massolino is regarded as one of the benchmark producers for traditional-style Barolo from Serralunga d'Alba. The Barolo 2016 earned the number 7 position in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2020. The 2016 Vigna Rionda Riserva Black Label has garnered scores of 97 and 98 from multiple major critics, confirming its status among Barolo's finest single-vineyard wines. The Vigna Rionda Riserva regularly earns scores in the 95 to 98 range across multiple critics and vintages, reflecting consistent quality at the top of the Serralunga hierarchy.

• Massolino Barolo 2016 ranked No. 7 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2020
• 2016 Vigna Rionda Riserva Black Label: 98 points from Wine Spectator, 97 from Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 97 from Antonio Galloni (Vinous)
• Vigna Rionda Riserva 2017 received 98 points from Antonio Galloni (Vinous), praised for finesse and complexity
• Consistent scores of 93 to 96 across single-MGA Barolos (Margheria, Parafada, Parussi) from major critics over multiple vintages

Massolino produces one classic Barolo and four single-MGA Barolos. The classic Barolo, blended from 7 hectares across Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto, has been produced since 1911. The Margheria and Parafada crus lie entirely in Serralunga, each spending 30 months in large Slavonian oak. Parafada, the estate's oldest vineyard with vines averaging 60 years, is known for a fuller, richer expression. Margheria's sandy calcareous soils produce a more open, aromatic style. Parussi from Castiglione Falletto brings a contrasting elegance with sandy calcareous clay soils and silky tannins. The Vigna Rionda Riserva is the estate's flagship, held for six years before release and produced only in the finest vintages, with a special black-label edition introduced for the outstanding 2016 vintage.

• Vigna Rionda Riserva: first produced from the 1982 vintage; Massolino was the first estate to bottle a single-vineyard Barolo from this MGA
• Parafada: first year of production 1990; vines averaging 60 years on marly limestone at 320 m; south-facing with wind protection from a ridge formation
• Margheria: calcareous soils with higher-than-average sand content produce an elegant, aromatic style; first parcel acquired 1964
• Vigna Rionda Riserva Etichetta Nera (Black Label): introduced for the 2016 vintage; reserved for the greatest years only, bottled separately from the standard Riserva cream label

In 2019, Massolino entered Barbaresco for the first time, leasing approximately 10 acres of vineyards across the MGAs of Albesani, Serraboella, and Starderi in the village of Neive. The Barbaresco wines are vinified at a facility in Alba before bottling at the Serralunga cellar once DOCG certification is confirmed. The estate is currently releasing Barbaresco Albesani as a single-MGA bottling, vinifying each site separately to understand individual potential. A new cellar was also constructed directly in front of the historic family home in central Serralunga d'Alba, adding hospitality and tasting facilities to the estate.

• Barbaresco entry in 2019: leased MGAs of Albesani, Serraboella, and Starderi in Neive from owner Bernardino Gastaldi, who has no heirs
• Barbaresco Albesani is currently the primary single-MGA release; each site vinified separately to assess individual terroir expression
• New cellar opened in front of the family home in central Serralunga d'Alba, adding tasting and hospitality space alongside the historic underground cellars
• From 2006, Franco and Roberto shifted all Barolos fully back to large-cask aging, ending any use of barriques for the cru wines