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The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way.Vinous Media | 99 VMMonfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means that we might not see his flagship wine for a number of years. The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives us plenty to contemplate in the meantime. First, in terms of winemaking notes, this vintage see 22% Arione fruit in the blend, with the rest from Francia. Roberto Conterno is fond of telling me that "Francia is a Barolo you drink, and Monfortino is a wine you chew." (The exact word in Italian is "masticare.") I think his comment rings especially true in this vintage that arguably shows greater concentration and fruit weight and softer or more integrated tannins overall. There is structure but minus any hard edges or bite.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP

The release of this wine comes at a very happy time for the Masseto brand. The stunning 2015 Masseto is hitting the market just as the final touches are being made to the new Masseto winery. I’m told that Masseto might one day see other wines made under that same roof, so we can’t exclude a future enlargement of the Masseto portfolio. The Masseto vineyard now covers seven hectares (divided into three plots), and the vines range from 30 to 40 years old. The wine is absolutely teeming with sensorial spirit that is transmitted through the bounty of the bouquet and the solid tannins of the mouthfeel. Nothing about the wine goes unnoticed or unchecked. Its many working pieces fit together with precision like a well-oiled machine. The 2015 vintage is characterized by a level of sheer exuberance that also defined the 2004 and 2007 vintages. Yet, it also reveals similar power, directness and linearity that we saw in the 2010 vintage. The 2015 Masseto takes the best of all those past vintages and confines those qualities to this single, spectacular bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe aromas are profound here with a deep and vast character of black olives, cedar, chocolate and berries, as well as vanilla essence and light coffee. Flamboyant. Full-bodied, this powerful young Masseto is chewy, muscular and rich. Dusty tannins, yet wonderfully polished. A wine for the cellar. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Masseto is simply extraordinary. Soft, silky and seamless, the 2015 possesses remarkable balance and harmony from the very first taste. What surprises me most about the 2015 is how fresh and vibrant the flavors are. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, mint, and wild flowers are all beautifully lifted in this exquisitely perfumed, gracious Masseto. Despite the warm, drought conditions of the early summer, the 2015 is a wine of mid-weight structure, polish and restraint. In this tasting, it positively dazzles. I can’t remember ever tasting a young Masseto with this much pure harmony. Other vintages have been super-impressive upon release. The 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2013 all come to mind. But the 2015 has a level of pure sensuality and allure none of those vintages had when young, with the possible exception of the 2004.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThis red leads off with exquisite notes of vanilla and toast, framing black cherry, blackberry, cedar and iron flavors. Ripe and powerful, yet polished and silky, with dense tannins well-integrated into the structure. The fruit returns in the end, along with a licorice note. A superb young version, showing fine potential. Merlot. Best from 2021 through 2035. 390 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSCelebrated as one of Masseto’s best vintages, warm and rich yet balanced, the 2015 (tasted from double magnum) does not disappoint. Dark crimson in the glass, it packs a punch with clove, face powder, a minty character and plummy fruit. The palate is stylish with graphite minerality, chocolate and sweet tobacco finely knitted with firm tannins of an outstanding weight on the mid-palate. A high-flying Masseto built to last. (Drink between 2021-2045)Decanter | 97 DEC