2018 Walter Massa - Colli Tortonesi DOC Monleale (750ml)

Proof that Barbera can age like a great wine — from the mad genius of Eastern Piedmont.

Walter Massa has been producing wine in the hills around Tortona in the Colli Tortonesi since 1978. He works primarily with three varietals — Barbera, Croatina, and Timorasso — and his Barbera Monleale is easily one of the most serious, long-lived expressions of the grape you will ever encounter. His '78 Monleale still drinks beautifully. Best known internationally as the man who rescued Timorasso from near-extinction, Massa is equally a prophet of Barbera — and Monleale is where he proves it.

From several old-vine Barbera plots around the hilltop village of Monleale, grown on calcareous and clay soils, fermented with native yeasts and aged in used barriques for about two years, then at least an additional year in bottle before release. Unfiltered.

A layered nose of dried potpourri, cherry jam, licorice, and flint. On the palate, strong aromas of red fruits and undergrowth, hints of rose and spices — elegant and structured, with a marked acidity in youth that softens beautifully with age.

The 2018 is drinking beautifully now with plenty of road ahead. Open it with roasted meats, aged cheeses, or anything that deserves a serious red.