Vineyards Magazine

Two Barolo Riserva wines that showcase the freshness and depth of the Bussia terroir over time.

Parusso, a winery located in Monforte d’Alba and run by siblings Marco and Tiziana Parusso, is offering a journey back in time this year with the release of its 2016 Barolo Riserva DOCG Bussia ‘Vigna Rocche’ and ‘Vigna Munie’, which have just been introduced to the market. 

The Riserve Rocche and Munie come from the vineyards of the same name within Bussia, one of Barolo’s oldest and most prestigious MGAs (Additional Geographical Indications). While both sites enjoy excellent exposure, each has a distinct. The Rocche vineyard benefits from a gentle south-eastern exposure and exceptionally fine limestone soil, which are reflected in the wine’s elegant, vertical palate. Munie, by contrast, faces south-west in a warmer area, where soils, rich in sandstone, white marl and silt, produce a full-bodied, enveloping Barolo.

“If you could touch them, they’d feel like silk and baby cashmere, respectively,” smiles Marco Parusso. Both wines embody Parusso’s unmistakable style, the result of more than forty years of research, imagination and love for this corner of the Langhe. 

“Every bunch of grapes carries the truest and deepest imprint of the terroir,” says the winemaker. “Each one reflects the identity of the vineyard parcel it comes from. When I harvest it at optimal ripeness, the bunch brings into the cellar all the ‘information’ – as I like to call it – that it has gathered throughout the year. My task is to translate them as faithfully as possible into the glass, capturing a unique combination of colour, tannins, emotion and, of course, fruit, which is the quality I strive above all to highlight in my wines.” 

Parusso’s Riservas are produced only in the finest vintages, and 2016 is one of them. A temperate climate and below-average temperatures allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and fully, resulting in a vintage of rare balance.

The Nebbiolo grapes from both vineyards were carefully hand-harvested and placed in small ventilated crates – on 12 October 2016 for Rocche and on 13 October 2016 for Munie. After a few days’ rest, the bunches (together with their stems) entered the winery, where they underwent gentle pressing followed by a long maceration. While the Parusso team closely monitored maceration times and temperatures, alcoholic fermentation took place spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and without the addition of sulphites. Both the 2016 Rocche and Munie were then aged for 26 months in small oak barrels in contact with their indigenous yeasts, before spending a further seven years ageing in bottle at a constant temperature of 15°C.

A testament to the Parusso family’s dedication to artisanal winemaking, the 2016 Barolo Riserva DOCG Bussia “Vigna Rocche” and “Vigna Munie” are now available in the finest wine shops in limited quantities: just 1,900 bottles and 150 magnums of “Vigna Rocche” 2016, and 3,615 bottles, 200 magnums, 40 jeroboams and 20 mathusalems of “Vigna Munie” 2016.

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The Parusso winery is located in Monforte d’Alba, in the Bussia area, one of the region’s largest and most important crus, and is currently run by siblings Marco and Tiziana. Across the 23 hectares of vineyards, planted predominantly with Nebbiolo, Marco has been pursuing his vision of Barolo and wine for over 40 years. The producer’s philosophy centres on the bunch of grapes, the fruit of the land and human care. Each bunch is treated with the utmost attention, as it is the guardian of a heritage, unique to each year, of history and terroir. From this mindset emerges a range of vibrant and unmistakable wines which, like works of art, offer a simultaneous and objective interpretation of their territory of origin. In the Barolo collection, Perarmando interprets the vintage with a horizontal approach; Mosconi, Mariondino and Bussia are the three crus. From Bussia, the estate’s symbol, come two exquisite Barolo Riserva wines that give voice to Vigna Rocche and Vigna Munie. The range of reds is completed by the Langhe DOC Nebbiolo and the Barbera d’Alba DOC, which are also available with screw caps from this year onwards. Parusso also produces ‘Rovella’, a 100% Sauvignon Blanc (from vines over 20 years old) and two Metodo Classico Extra Brut wines, made entirely from Nebbiolo grapes and aged on the lees for 48 and 100 months respectively.