To describe a Rionda is to retrace the history of Barolo in its most typical, therefore extreme expression. Vigna Rionda is a Serralunga d'Alba cru, the municipality that in itself expresses the most austere, straight, mineral, hard Barolo. Sumptuous because they are long-lived. Rionda represents the quintessence, the extreme of Serralunga. 330 metres above sea level, this splendid calcareous-marly amphitheatre gives us a monument every year, perhaps the monument of the denomination consecrated to Nebbiolo.
Massolino, one of the various owners of these rows of vines, is undoubtedly the most representative, so much so that its Rionda is the house reserve. And rightly so! By its very nature, given the weight of tannin and sumptuousness that this nebbiolo possesses, Vigna Rionda requires ageing which is longer than the norm. Big barrel, of course, with market release not before the sixth year after harvest. A wine that has a resting potential of more than thirty years, destined for true enthusiasts, for fine, aware and demanding palates.
A deep garnet red in colour, it offers a range from the very intense floral bouquet of the early years to the characteristic "goudron" of ageing through multiple and always very suggestive aromas. It expresses noble scents of crunchy fruit and fruit jam, blackberry, strawberry, cherry in alcohol, then withered purple flowers, and again sweet tobacco, mint, and undergrowth. In perfect balance between power and elegance, it sums up the essential characteristics of Barolo: structure, excellent alcohol concentration and tannins that guarantee very long ageing.
It expresses its maximum potential paired with meat dishes, rich in intense and persistent aromas and flavours such as lamb or kid cuts. Moreover, thanks to its marked tannicity, it pairs superbly with the bitter-sweet combination of feather and fur game. Trying it as a meditation wine makes one reflect on the level of breadth and completeness that a classy Nebbiolo can achieve if expressed at the top of its personality.
