REGION
Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont, Italy
VARIETAL
Barbera
TASTING NOTES
Walter Massa is one of the top Barbera producers in the Colli Tortonesi (southeast Piemonte), and crafts one of a handful of truly age-worthy Barberas. He is really known as the Maestro of Timorasso — he rescued it from obscurity and near-extinction and now leads a mini-renaissance of the variety in this region. The Monleale has a layered nose of dried potpourri, cherry jam, licorice and flint. On the palate it is supported by strong aromas of red fruits and undergrowth, hints of rose and spices, elegant and structured, with a marked acidity in youth that tends to soften with aging.
90pts - Vinous
"The 2015 Barbera Monleale is packed with inky, super-ripe red/purplish fruit, leather, spice, game, licorice and incense. Exuberant but also a bit rustic, the 2015 delivers tons of flavor intensity and plenty of personality. It is very much a wine for the dinner table."