Once again, the 2021 Barolo Parussi is super-impressive. It's such a complete wine, one that marries elegance with understated texture and persistence. Candied red fruit, spice and floral accents show a touch of raciness that builds over time. Parussi is the last vineyard Massolino harvests, a choice that seems especially well suited to this wine. Expansive and layered, with captivating beauty, the Parussi is positively stellar.

The Massolino 2021 Barolo Parussi draws its fruit from Castiglione Falletto at the center of the appellation with an interesting overlay of old and newer soils. This wine is less immediately aromatic and needs extra time in the glass to develop and flesh out. At this young stage, it delivers tight wild berry and you also get a pretty signature of crushed limestone. That elegant mineral note ties in nicely with the silky tannins. The Parussi excels in a balanced vintage such as this.

Taking on a bit more pigment in the glass, the 2021 Barolo Parussi is a jeweled red color and starts to show a bit more depth while also offering a floral nose with notes of fresh lavender, hints of leather, ripe raspberries, and sweet herbs. The palate is rounded and medium-bodied, with a saturating feel, refined tannins that fill out the palate, even acidity, and a balanced finish. It’s a floral and seductive wine that offers some immediacy but will only improve over the coming 12-15 years.

Castiglione Falletto. Just mid ruby. Gorgeous, slow-to-open nose of minerally, stony raspberry fruit. Crushed raspberry and sour-cherry fruit on the palate. Lush, long, juicy and with long, fine, gravelly tannins. Getting close to perfection. (WS)