Screwcap. Massolino planted three clones of Riesling in 2014 in a cool and windswept parcel in Monforte d’Alba. This rocky and limestone-rich plot sits at the hill’s apex at 450-500 metres, just outside the Barolo appellation boundary. After a few years of experimenting with amphora, steel and various types and sizes of oak, the wine today ferments exclusively in a 5,000-litre cement tank, where it rests on lees for nine months.
The use of concrete is hardly commonplace when vinifying Riesling, yet Massolino feels the wine’s brightness and energy merits this approach. It’s hard to disagree, given the coiled energy and purity. It’s a lovely vintage for this wine, with bell-clear apple blossom and white flower flavours allied to the intensity of palate-coating fruitiness and a crunchy lemon and lemongrass close.