2022 Massolino Barolo DOCG, Piedmont

A subtle nose, showing dried flowers and raspberries. Medium-bodied, with underlying fruit concentration that feels transparent and almost ethereal, supported by integrated, precise tannins that focus toward the finish. Drink or hold.

94 points Jacobo García Andrade

Massolino has been part of the fabric of Serralunga d’Alba since Giovanni Massolino founded the estate in 1896. Today the fourth generation, brothers Franco and Roberto Massolino, continues to produce some of Barolo’s most compelling traditional wines. Their Barolo draws on vineyards around Serralunga, where compact calcareous soils give Nebbiolo its unmistakable combination of perfume, firm structure and longevity.

The 2022 growing season was warm and exceptionally dry, making old vines, careful vineyard management and well-positioned sites particularly valuable. Serralunga’s terroir naturally gives Barolo depth and backbone, while Massolino’s traditional approach — including extended maturation in large Slavonian oak casks — keeps the fruit and vineyard character firmly in focus rather than dressing the wine in new oak.

Bright garnet with ruby highlights, the nose opens with sour cherry, wild strawberry and blood orange, followed by rose petal, violet and anise. Give it some air and the savoury side emerges: dried thyme, liquorice root, tobacco leaf and a whiff of warm terracotta. The palate is energetic and tightly woven, with juicy red fruit running through firm, chalky tannins and bright acidity. Cherry skin, orange peel and earthy spice linger on a long, mouthwatering finish.

This needs food with some swagger: tajarin with porcini and butter, slow-braised beef cheek, osso buco with saffron risotto, roast duck with chestnuts or a slab of aged Parmigiano Reggiano. My pick is the beef cheek — sticky, gelatinous richness meeting Barolo’s tannin and acidity is one of those marriages where nobody needs counselling.

Cellaring: Drink from 2028 to 2042.