Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo 2023 (375ml)

Drawn from three sources, the Massolino Lange Nebbiolo has never tasted better. The first source comes from parcels of vines in Serralunga that don’t make the cut for the cru wines—in short, declassified Barolo fruit. Then comes Massolino’s site on the edge of Monforte, called Cascina I Maschi. Massolino credits this cool, chalky site with giving the wine more lifted perfume and freshness. Finally, a parcel in Alba on lighter, sandy-clay soils, brings fruit generosity. The blend is one-third from each of these sources. There’s little doubt the sum of these parts brings even more finesse and early-drinking appeal to what has always been an outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo.

Although a warmer year, 2023, like 2022, had more rain which made for a vastly different style of wine than the previous year, with more finesse and delicacy. This is ripe, fleshy and seductive yet also so fine and pure, and with classic powdery tannins, superb complexity and a long, perfumed finish. In short, it’s ridiculous value! Vinification was in concrete, with very gentle extraction, and aging was in large Slavonian oak casks (like all Massolino Nebbiolo) for 12 months, as opposed to 24-plus months for the Barolo wines. A touch more buoyant than recent releases, the wine closes with a lick of smoky charcuterie that gives the finish a saline kick. To call this a bargain is a significant understatement!