2015 Massolino Barolo Margheria, Piedmont

The Margheria vineyard is one of Serralunga’s most important and illustrious sites. The Massolino family bought their first parcel here in 1964 and the rest throughout the ’70s. They currently hold 1.5 hectares. Sitting at 340 metres above sea level, Margheria is a very chalky vineyard with a good percentage of sand, which brings elegance and spicy, mineral characters to the natural depth of Serralunga. This was aged in botti for around 24 months before bottling and then remained in bottle for a further year before release. Nine times out of ten, Margheria is the Serralunga cru that seduces best when young. This is no exception. Just stunning. On the one hand it’s a classic Margheria—those wild florals on the nose and the strawberry/red-fruited brightness and finesse on the palate. Yet it is also clearly a deeper, more powerful rendition with a long, bloody, violet-noted close. Extraordinarily delicious now, it will also cellar very well.

“Massolino’s 2015 Barolo Margheria is a powerful, driven wine that shows the sinewy muscles of Serralunga off to great effect. Dark red cherry, plum, iron, sage, smoke, white pepper and rose petal open up in the glass, but the Margheria is a wine of structure, power and depth, its mid-weight feel notwithstanding. As is often the case, the Margheria is a beguiling wine that shows the flavor and textural complexity Nebbiolo can reach in Piedmont’s top sites.” 

“The 2015 Barolo Margheria is the first single-vinyard Barolo I tasted from Massolino in a lineup that started with the most delicate wine and ended with the most powerful expression. Considering that we are talking about Serralunga d'Alba (the township known for the most powerful Baroli overall), the word "delicate" should be taken with a grain of salt. The vines here are 37 years old, and the soils are slightly looser and sandier in nature. This wine is just slightly more accessible than the other cru expressions with elegant mineral notes that frame dark fruit, spice and pressed violets.”