About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The wine comes from Vigna Rionda, a Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva in Serralunga d’Alba. Massolino began acquiring parcels there in 1956 and now holds approximately 3 hectares of the MGA’s total 10.24 hectares. The family has vinified Vigna Rionda separately and without interruption for more than forty years.
Grapes
Nebbiolo.
Tasting profile
The 2020 has a clear appearance and an unusually graceful expression of Vigna Rionda. Its changing bouquet combines distinct floral notes with fresh red fruit. The palate is deep, precise and exceptionally clean, with silky tannins fully integrated into its acid structure. Persistent and already highly approachable, it retains the acid-and-savoury balance required for a long evolution.
The 2016 is more monumental and austere. Violet and dried rose mingle with small black fruits, cinchona, tar, dark spices, mineral tones and balsamic nuances that emerge gradually in the glass. Dense, incisive and sculpted tannins are supported by remarkable freshness. The palate is deep and vertical, bringing concentration and vigour into an exceptionally persistent finish.
Vintage notes
The 2020 growing season began with a mild winter and early budbreak between late February and March. Frequent rain in May and June slowed vegetative development, restored the soil’s water reserves and required careful management of downy mildew pressure, vine vigour and bunch thinning. Summer was warm without extreme heat, while marked day–night temperature differences in September supported gradual, high-quality phenolic development. Harvest ran from late September through the first half of October. The resulting wine emphasizes aromatic precision, refined texture and harmony rather than sheer austerity.
The 2016 followed a long, regular cycle. Gradual spring development produced even flowering, while a stable summer without extreme heat maintained balanced growth and healthy canopies. Sunny conditions and pronounced night-time cooling during late summer and September allowed slow, complete phenolic accumulation, with late ripening reaching its peak well into October. The vintage produced a powerful, structured and profound Barolo intended for decades of development.
Label / history
Etichetta Nera began in 2022 with the 2016 vintage. It is not a regular annual release: the black label is reserved for exceptional harvests considered capable of expressing the highest potential of Vigna Rionda. The 2020 is the second published edition. Massolino’s association with the site began when the family acquired its first parcel in 1956; the Etichetta Nera collection extends that history through a selection made only in outstanding years.
