Wine Review - Massolino 2000 Barolo

Massolino Barolo

This weekend I was fortunate to be treated to a 2000 Massolino Serralunga d’ Alba Barolo. I had tried this wine about 5 or 6 years ago and felt then that it needed a bit more time in the bottle. I can say without uncertainty that it is more than ready to drink now.

2000 was one of a string of great vintage years for Piedmont and Barolo in general (recently I shared a bottle of the 2001 Massolino and it was fantastic). Massolino is a small but well regarded family run estate in the area of Serralunga d’ Alba, one of the 5 principle villages where Barolo is produced. The Serralunga d’ Alba is considered their entry level Barolo, but as can be expected with any well produced Barolo, proper aging translates into a real winner.

When I first sampled this wine the color was medium red, the tannins were light but there seemed to be an acidity that to me needed to be softened. This weekend proved my point as the wine was pleasantly smooth, with no harshness what’s so ever and the color had deepened.

I thought the wine showed great balance, lots of depth, a long finish with strong notes of cherry and vanilla. As dinner was already planned, (Pistachio Pesto Pasta and stuffed Artichokes) before we knew this wine was making an appearance, I was concerned with the pairing. It proved not to be a concern as the Massolino’s smoothness would make it pair well with anything. I enjoyed this 2000 version more than the ’01 I had tried earlier this year.

This wine may be a bit hard to find now, and on the internet I have seen it priced anywhere from $60.00 to $120.00. Somewhat steep as on release this wine most likely sold for $25 to $30.00. Then again, this wine is at it’s peek. Enjoy!!

Click for Wine Searcher and the 2000- Massolino Serralunga d’ Alba
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