Winecity

…But my choices as the finest collection of 2004 Barolos as a whole are the wines from Serralunga d’Alba. Read enough articles or books on Barolo and you’ll probably decipher from the author that the crus (single vineyards) of Serralunga are just not as famous as those from La Morra (such as Brunate or La Serra) or Barolo (Cannubi or Sarmassa); thus the wines are probably not as good. Well don’t believe everything you read; while the crus of Serralunga are not as well known as others in the Barolo area, they are excellent sites and yield grapes of great concentration, resulting in long-lived wines of great structure. Renowned Italian journalist Franco Ziliani writes, “Serralunga d’Alba represents the spirit and essence of true Barolo.” I agree with him wholeheartedly!

The producers here outdid themselves in 2004, most notably Massolino, with a beautifully balanced normale bottling (all Serralunga fruit) and a deeply concentrated, very spicy bottling from the “Margheria” vineyard. This is another traditional producer, as only one of their Barolos – “Parafada” – receives any aging time at all in barriques (and even that will change as of the 2007 vintage, when it will be aged entirely in large oak). If you are seeking classic Barolo, look no further than Massolino….