Massolino Barolo Parafada 2017

97 points Decanter

 Parafada is one of the best known MGAs in Serralunga, located between Gabutti and Lazzarito with a mostly southern exposure. Massolino’s vineyards are at 330 metres above sea level and produce one of the most representative wines of the MGA. Intense smoky woodland notes emerge first, then wild strawberry and darker violet-soaked fruits. There’s serious elegance on the palate, with near-perfect tannins (not only in the context of the vintage), a youthful character, and a dense mid-palate of lifted acidity and filigreed depth. A great wine but not so easy to drink now because of its youthful restraint. (AF)  (3/2021)

97 points Wine & Spirits

 A late April frost in 2017 was followed by drought conditions from June until harvest, cutting yields at Massolino and, in the case of Parafada, reducing production from the usual 7,000 bottles to less than 5,000. Grab some of those bottles if you can. The 2017 Parafada is one of the wines of the vintage, its red-cherry flavors perfectly ripe, the acidity fresh and taut, the tannins firm and polished. There’s no trace of dried or overripe fruit here, the 55-year-old vines reaching into Parafada’s limestone soils to find water reserves from the abundant snows of the previous winter. Since the 2016 vintage, Franco Massolino has fermented his Barolos in large Garbellotto casks rather than in cement, allowing for longer and slower fermentations at lower temperatures to retain the delicate aromas of bright cherry and fresh florals that are expressed so beautifully in this wine. This is well worth seeking out, even more so because Massolino will not produce any of his single-cru Barolos in the 2018 vintage, choosing instead to blend all of that fruit into his Barolo classico. (SJ)  (12/2021)

95 points Wine Enthusiast

 Forest floor, grilled herb, iris and camphor aromas appear in the glass. Combining structure and finesse, the firm palate delivers ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, baking spice and licorice alongside tightly knit, fine-grained tannins. (KO)  (9/2021)

94 points Jeb Dunnuck

 The 2017 Barolo Parafada has pure aromas of dried red cherry, tar, cinnamon, and dried roses. There is lift on the palate with pomegranate, tobacco, and dried orange zest. The tannins are firm, though not a touch more linear than some of the other sites, with a bit more approachability now. (AF)  (5/2021)