Massolino Langhe Riesling 2020

This is the fourth release of this unique white, drawn from a windswept vineyard in Monforte d'Alba. Planted in 2014 to three clones of Riesling, this particular plot is very rocky and limestone-rich and sits at the apex of the hill at 450-500 metres altitude, just outside the Barolo appellation boundary.

Following a few years experimenting with amphora and various types and sizes of oak, the 2020 was fermented and raised exclusively in a 5,000-litre cement tank, on lees, for nine months. The use of concrete is hardly commonplace when vinifying Riesling, yet Massolino feels the brightness and energy of the wine merits this approach. The wine was bottled with an imperceptible five grams per litre residual to balance the high acidity of both the vintage and the site.

Fascinating Riesling from Langhe here, varietal for sure, but with a unique expression betraying its outside-the-norm origins. There are notes of green apple, white florals, some slightly grassy notes and oodles of calcareous freshness. This chalkiness flows through to the palate which is clean cut, rocky, phenolic and has charming salinity. A touch of spice on the lengthy, driven finish closes out an entirely interesting Riesling.