Massolino Barbaresco Albesani 2023

95 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2023 Barbaresco Albesani soars from the glass with floral top notes, citrus nuances and red-toned fruit. A wine of elegance and sophistication, the Albesani is impressive. A relatively light extraction brings out the more refined side of Albesani, a site where the wines are often bigger and broader. Red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, rose petal, crushed rocks and mint are beautifully delineated.

94 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

I visited Massolino last month and sat down with winemaker Gio Angeli to taste through the range. Twelve wines in all from Chardonnay through to Vigna Rionda. Stony, cherry, almond, some floral perfume. Medium-bodied, a sweetness to the fruit tempered by the typical fine crushed stone grip of the site, albeit presenting as lighter expression in 2023, with a little spiced nut and orange peel on a slightly warm finish of very good length. Excellent.

94 POINTS

Aldo Fiordelli - JamesSuckling.com

Spicy and layered, showing plenty of licorice and smoky wood on the nose, followed by red cherries and wild strawberries. Medium-bodied, it shines with freshness and floral flavors. Tannins are ripe, velvety and well executed. Slightly drier in the finish with crisp acidity. Good length.

93 POINTS

Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The Massolino 2023 Barbaresco Albesani comes from the oldest vineyard in this celebrated Neive MGA, with vines that are approximately 55 years old. The wine shows some warm-vintage markers with dark aromas of blackcurrant, black fig and sweet cedar that gradually give way to spice. Despite the richness of the fruit, the wine remains beautifully delineated with a medium-bodied frame, focused flavors and velvety tannins that carry through to a smooth, polished finish. Production is limited to 4,000 bottles.

93 POINTS

Michaela Morris - Decanter

One of two Barbaresco that Massolino has produced since the 2019 vintage, the Albesani comes from a 2ha southwest-facing plot of old vines. The 2023 was fermented at slightly lower temperatures than usual to preserve its fresh, fruity attributes. A gorgeous intensity of raspberry and pomegranate is nuanced by warm, sunbaked earth. The palate is further perfumed with violet and tobacco. Grainy, tactile but polished tannins start upfront, making a linear progression. Graceful rather than forceful in character, it's savoury and tangy to the finish, and almost ready to open.