WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Garnet ruby color, slight garnet hue, with intense aromas of ripe cherries with intricate complexities of minerals, tea leaves and rose petals. With firm, ripe tannins, crisp acidity and feminine and round structure, this Barbaresco shows incredible finesse with excellent balance, integration and a long, lingering finish. Pairs well with hearty stew, wild game, roasted red meats and sharp, aged cheeses.
TASTING NOTES:
The 2016 Barbaresco Masseria is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Powerful and explosive with stunning lift, the 2016 is just gorgeous. Dried flowers, mint, blood orange, red cherry and chalk infuse the 2016 with striking layers of nuance, but it is the wine's balance and total sense of harmony that leave the deepest impression. Vivid, powerful and wonderfully alive in the glass, the Masseria will thrill readers lucky enough to own it. The 2016 is such a stunning wine. The Masseria is a blend of several sites built around a core of fruit from Giaccone, in Treiso, along with Pora and Faset, both in Barbaresco. All I can say is: Wow!
- Vinous, 97 pts
The 2016 Barbaresco Masseria represents its own chapter in the volumes of wines that make up the Vietti portfolio. Masseria is always delicate and fine, and this is even more true in a classic vintage such as this. This wine has historically seen its fruit come from the Neive subzone of the Barbaresco appellation, and you'll notice some of the tightly polished and glossy tannins that are associated with this area. In fact, the wine is deceiving in that it starts off slowly, but it quickly amasses power and momentum on the mid-palate. Production is 3,479 bottles and 300 magnums. This is standout vintage of Vietti's Barbaresco Masseria.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 pts.
Energetic, displaying rich cherry, plum, menthol and tar aromas and flavors. This is dense and feels like it's closing down, but the lasting impression is of sweet fruit. Offers a long, succulent finish. Best from 2022 through 2040.
- Wine Spectator, 92 pts.