Tag Archives: wine of the day

A Bright Light Burns in Barolo: Presenting the Wines of Massolino

5/29/16
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A Bright Light Burns in Barolo
Presenting the Wines of Massolino

Serralunga d’Alba would not be the same without the Massolino family. Besides the fact that Giovanni Massolino brought electricity to the town in 1896, he also established the storied wine estate that bears his family name. The classic Massolino Barolo dates back to 1911, and the wines are still grown and produced by the Massolino family, now in its fourth generation of winemakers.

In all, Massolino owns 57 acres of vineyard, including four Barolo crus. With such a reputation to uphold, tradition still guides the way here: fermentation in cement tanks, ageing in large Slavonian oak casks. Yet modernity has its hand, too: Not at all rustic, the wines are smooth, clean, and extremely pleasurable. These are some of the finest Barolos around, unafraid of long cellar time. With or without electricity, Serralunga and the Langhe have the Massolinos to thank.

We are thrilled to offer a wide range of the classic Massolino wines,
available as pre-arrivals and arriving late June.

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Massolino Wines Arriving Late June

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Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont 2013 750ML ($31.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont 2013 750ML ($359.95) $249 pre-arrival special (that’s only $20.75/bottle!)
Vinopolnote: A classic, easy-drinking, younger-vine bottling of Nebbiolo from the Serralunga.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Massolino Barolo DOCG, Serralunga d’Alba 2011 750ML ($49.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 92 points “A tightly coiled version, with a solid core of black cherry framed by licorice and spice accents. Though locked up for now, this shows the potential for a long evolution. Delivers fine ripeness and midpalate density. Best from 2019 through 2033.”
James Suckling 92 points “Lots of pretty, ripe yet subtle fruit in this wine with plum, dried strawberry and spice character. Full body, silky tannins and a fresh finish. Better in 2018.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $45
Massolino Margheria, Barolo DOCG 2009 750ML ($89.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2009 Barolo Margheria, however, moves us over to the Serralunga d’Alba township where power and structure are the name of the game. This wine shows big bones with firmly rooted tannins and a bold, fleshy quality of fruit. Black currant, chopped mint and licorice are woven tightly within the fabric of the wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $85

Massolino Barolo Parafada, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Structured and focused, this gorgeous wine offers enticing scents of pressed violet, woodland berry, baking spice, tilled soil and leather. The firm palate delivers ripe black cherry, licorice, mint, tobacco and ground clove alongside youthfully assertive but refined tannins. Give this time to fully develop—it should blossom into a beauty. Drink 2018–2026.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A mix of ripe cherry, raspberry, plum, tobacco and tea aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this well-defined red. A stiff backbone of tannins and vivid acidity keeps this moving toward the lingering, earth-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2019 through 2032”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $82
Massolino Parussi, Barolo DOCG 2007 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Warm and inviting, featuring macerated cherry, leather, tobacco and spice flavors. The balance leans toward the tannic side, yet this shows an extra level of ripeness and integration, with excellent length. Best from 2015 through 2032.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 93 points “Bright medium red. Compelling perfume of strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, flowers, minerals and wild herbs. Dense, sappy and concentrated; wonderfully silky Barolo but also much more vibrant than the 2008. The tannins are a bit youthfully aggressive but the wine’s lingering mineral and wild herb perfume suggests it will be a beauty with another four to six years in the cellar.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Massolino Parussi, Barolo DOCG 2009 750ML ($89.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2009 Barolo Parussi sees fruit sourced from the Castiglione Falletto township and consequently shows the most ethereal and refined characteristics of these three vineyard-designate wines. Rosehip, forest berry and even a touch of stone fruit or apricot emerge at first, followed by heavier aromas of tar and black licorice. The wine shows impressive elegance, finesse, silky tannins and fresh acidity. Those overall attributes, melded so perfectly together, are rare to find in the warmer 2009 vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $80
Massolino Parussi, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “With fruit from Castiglione Falletto, the 2011 Barolo Parussi is an epic wine with thick layers of dark fruit, spice and pressed rose. This expression is absolutely irresistible in terms of its generosity, overall intensity and silky smoothness. It presents a more immediate style with soft lines and a generous, fruity texture. Massolino has produced an impressive line of new releases. ”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $76.79
Massolino Vigna Rionda Riserva, Barolo DOCG 2009 750ML ($149.95) $108 pre-arrival special
Luca Gardini 98 points, Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2009 Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva burst from the glass with enormous confidence and personality. Nothing is understated here or otherwise hidden from view. This Riserva immediately puts its best assets forward with dark fruit nuances that are woven tight with veins of exotic spice and crushed mineral. The wine also reveals lovely aged characteristics of licorice, dried tobacco and balsam herb. The 2009 vintage is slightly broader and flatter compared to 2007 and 2006.”
James Suckling 94 points “There’s cedar and sandalwood undertone to this Barolo with ripe fruit and milk chocolate as well. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A late release from a fine producer of Barolo showing energy and tension. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $117
Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda X Dieci Anni Riserva, Barolo DOCG 2004 750ML ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special
VinopolNote: The Dieci is a special reserve bottling released by the winery after 10 additional years.
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2004 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda reveals superb complexity and nuance in a never-ending display of aromas and flavors that saturate the palate. Tobacco, truffles, spices, licorice and dark fruit swirl around in the glass as the wine continues to gain volume and depth with air. The tannins are massive yet beautifully balanced and the stage seems set for the 2004 to develop into one of the finest Vigna Riondas crafted here. Constantly changing in the glass, the wine captures that characteristic Rionda elusiveness that invites a second taste and then a third. In sum, it is a Barolo that will provide endless fascination for many years to come. Incredibly, it tastes almost as youthful as it did from barrel a few years ago! Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Special Sale: $10 off the Massolino 2010 Barolo:

Massolino Barolo DOCG, Serralunga d’Alba 2010 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39, 21 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2010 Barolo is gorgeous. Sage, rosemary, tar, dried rose petals and sweet spices meld together. An impeccable, perfumed Barolo, the 2010 impresses for its balance. Fine, silky tannins support the gracious finish in this medium-bodied, refined Barolo. Readers who want to get a sense of what the 2010 vintage is all about will want to check out this fabulous effort from Massolino. This is decidedly a medium-bodied style for Serralunga, but it works.” AG

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Of course, we’re back tomorrow with your regularly scheduled programming.
Enjoy your long weekend and don’t hesitate to call or email if you need help – we’re open 10-6 today and tomorrow!

– The Vinopolis Team
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
(503) 223-6002

Wine of the Day: Chateau d’Arcole Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009 5-28-16

Chateau d’Arcole, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009 750ML ($34.95) Buy Now: $29 special

My palate exercised by a cellar-worthy 2010 Sociando-Mallet, I relaxed with the first sip of 2009 Château d’Arcole. The former Bordeaux, a deep Cabernet, was still quite young; the latter, a soft Merlot, drank smoothly till all was gone. Both years were outstanding, but sometimes life calls for a fleshy, rounded St. Emilion, full of plum and spice, like Château d’Arcole.

The name comes from a Napoleonic battle, the grapes (70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) from the château’s 300-year-old vineyard, which has never been bombarded by synthetic chemicals. The wine, certified organic, receives the dignified attention of Château d’Arcole’s Grand Cru status: Rotating stainless fermentation vats, gravity pumping, no filtration, not too much new oak. Such gentle treatment makes for a wine more delicate than aggressive, whose tannins meld with the bouquet of ripe fruit and toastiness, as if made for roasted fowl or a fine cut of pork. This wine is balanced enough to handle a few more years in bottle, but it is drinking so well now… – Daniel

Wine of the Day: Wind Gap Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2014 5-27-16

Wind Gap Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California 2014 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $39 special

Wind Gap provides a crucial new perspective on Californian Pinot Noir. With the ’14 Sonoma Coast, a fantastic concoction of wild flowers, savory herbs, and a gentle spread of red fruit make for a hyper-balanced wine of great complexity and character.

Their website likely says it best: “Wind Gap is not about making the “perfect wine” it is about making honest, authentic and compelling wine from special vineyard sites.”

As with other recent releases, the Wind Gap wines are truly special wines, brimming with energy and character. A must-try.

– Tyler

Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) is deep, pliant and incredibly inviting, with a fabulous combination of pliant fruit, expressive aromatics and superb persistence. Rose petal, mint, savory herbs and game add the closing shades of inflection. There is something (a lot) to be said for the wisdom of blending fruit from different sites to make a complete, balanced wine. Wine Gap’s appellation-level wines often prove that point eloquently, as is very much the case here.”

Wine of the Day: Stanislao Radikon Pinot Grigio 2013 5-26-16

Stanislao Radikon Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2013 750ML ($47.95) Buy Now: $41.90 special

Well, this ain’t your momma’s Pinot Grigio. Nor is it all that similar to any other Pinot Grigio you’ve likely ever had! The Radikon wines enjoy a cult-like following and have long attracted those who seek unique, palate-expanding, paradoxical wine experiences.

Tucked into one of the most north-eastern portions of Italy – a mere 400 or so meters from Slovenia – the estate neighbors the equally unique and esteemed wine house of Josko Gravner. At Radikon, all grapes are estate-grown and hand harvested; horse manure is used as fertilizer and no synthetic chemicals are employed in the vineyard or cellar. Vine plantings are extremely dense but pruned vigorously in order to produce smaller volumes of higher-quality grapes.

The ‘S’ Pinot Grigio is a fascinatingly rusty apricot color in the glass, changing hues as the light hits it similar to that of a marble. Wild flowers and stony elements emerge aromatically, while bright red cherry fruit, heaps of minerals, and dried pit fruits dominate the palate. As an orange wine, it’s fascinate to consider how tannin and body can emerge from a typically lean and easygoing ‘white varietal.’ ‘S’ Pinot Grigio sees two weeks of skin maceration before aging in neutral barrel for a year and resting in-bottle.

This wine is nothing short of brilliant and, believe it or not, is far less whacky than it sounds. Don’t serve it ice cold, and decant if possible – it’d be a stupendous pairing for more adventurous fish dishes or, otherwise, a simple plate with gamier, rustic elements. Very worth exploring! – Tyler

Wine of the Day: COS Frappato Terre Siciliane IGT 5-25-16

Azienda Agricola COS Frappato Terre Siciliane IGT, Sicily 2014 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $21.90 special

I don’t need to dress a wine like this up all that much: COS make riveting, multifaceted Sicilian wine for the masses and this is by no means an exception. Sprightly red fruit and wild herbs spread out on the palate with laser-like precision; the closing song is full of energy and persists with two encores. I absolutely adore this wine, which tastes unquestionably Sicilian yet should appear to fellow Cru Beaujolais fiends, Pinot lovers, and those who seek out wines of character and value across the nooks of northern Italy. -Tyler

Not convinced? Spectator, help me out here!

Wine Spectator 90 points “A vibrant red, with light tannins framing flavors of dried marjoram and thyme, crushed currant, wild strawberry and star anise. Finely knit, offering a lasting finish. Drink now through 2021.”