Massolino, Barolo "Parafada" 2020
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96
Wine Advocate
No one consistently interprets Serralunga d’Alba fruit as well as Franco and Roberto Massolino. Their 2020 Barolo Parafada is an exceptional wine that doles out elegant tones of iron, rusty metal, blood orange and lavender. Parafada is a 1.2-hectare plot, and annual production is around 4,800 bottles. The high alcohol content (measured at 15%) presents a small distraction, but otherwise this wine is very tight, supple and almost glossy in texture.
A mix of bright cherry and raspberry fruit, eucalyptus, menthol, iron and tobacco heralds this structured yet succulent red. Expressive, with the potential for aging, too. Shows fine balance, complexity and length. Best from 2027 through 2045. —B.S.
The 2020 Barolo Parafada is a delicate, focused wine. Bright red fruit, mint, white pepper and crushed herbs are all nicely delineated. This mid-weight, nervy Barolo is all class and very approachable now, but it needs time to be at its finest.
Notes of dried raspberries, cherries, dried orange peel and ground spices. Some tar. Medium-bodied, structured and firm, with polished tannins. I like the energy and length here. Round and refined with a bright finish. So well done. Drink after 2027.
This Barolo enchants with a captivating blend of herbal notes, featuring dried thyme, rosemary and a hint of mint. Tart red fruits, such as sour cherry and red currant, intertwine with spices like cinnamon and clove. The palate is generous and round, offering flavors of ripe red berries, fresh herbs and a subtle earthiness reminiscent of damp forest floor. Pleasant, well-integrated tannins provide structure, while the harmonious balance among herbal elemenetns, fruit and earth creates a truly pretty expression of Nebiolo.
A mix of bright cherry and raspberry fruit, eucalyptus, menthol, iron and tobacco heralds this structured yet succulent red. Expressive, with the potential for aging, too. Shows fine balance, complexity and length. Best from 2027 through 2045. 390 cases made, 175 cases imported.
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Massolino, Barolo "Parafada" 2021
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97
James Suckling
This is really perfumed, with violets, bark, attractive blue fruit and a touch of cedar. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with some juicy, pleasant fruit that is dominated by youthful, austere tannins that should resolve with time. This should come together in four to five years.
The Massolino 2021 Barolo Parafada is also from Serralunga d’Alba, although this MGA site reveals a different profile based on flowers and dried herbs. The wine has a botanical feel with crushed oregano that frames cassis, wild cherry and plum. There is a ferrous note of rusty nail that is characteristic of this site and adds another level of complexity. This wine is structured, taut and shows incredible tension.
Massolino’s 1.2ha in Parafada boast the estate’s oldest vines, now upwards of 60 years old. The precipitous, south-facing slope sits on compact, limestone-rich marls. It convenes at the intersection of finesse and power with the former ultimately favoured here. Flecks of rust, rosemary and bay laurel add dimension to the red currant and raspberry canvas. Precisely chiselled tannins are seamlessly woven in. Racy acidity propels minerals to the fore, reaching an intense crescendo with the energetic chalky finish.
The 2021 Barolo Parafada is a gorgeous, super-expressive Serralunga Barolo with beautiful mid-palate depth and ne balance. Translucent, sculpted redtoned fruit, orange peel and chalk take shape in the glass. This opens beautifully through the finish, showing notable textural presence and tons of character.
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