Description
The 2018 Musso Barbaresco Rio Sordo comes from one of Barbaresco’s smallest yet most prestigious sites—a tiny, 1-hectare plot in the Rio Sordo cru, nestled between the rolling hills of Piedmont. This wine is a true reflection of the Musso family’s long-standing connection to the land, a relationship that dates back to 1929, when Sebastiano Musso first laid the foundations of the winery during the Great Depression. He fought through hardship, turning a small vineyard in Barbaresco into the family’s legacy, and now three generations later, his grandson Valter, along with Emanuele and Luca, continue to carry that torch.
Rio Sordo’s limestone and clay-rich soils bring a mineral freshness to the wine, but it’s the hands-on care in both vineyard and cellar that makes this 2018 vintage special. Hand-harvested and vinified with 20 days of maceration, this wine is aged for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by an additional 8 months in bottle before release. This careful process allows the wine to develop its characteristic aromas of wild berries, dried roses, and subtle spices like cinnamon and pink peppercorns.
On the palate, the 2018 Rio Sordo is a textbook Barbaresco—elegant yet structured, with notes of dark cherry, apricot, and hints of tobacco. There’s a real depth here, with a firm tannic backbone that promises to soften beautifully over time. It’s a wine that speaks to Musso’s philosophy of letting the vineyard take centre stage, and at the same time, pays tribute to their almost 100-year dedication to crafting fine Nebbiolo.
The Rio Sordo is a natural partner for rich, earthy dishes—think slow-roasted meats, game, or handmade pasta with truffle. Drink it now, or cellar it for the next 10–15 years. This is classic, small-production Barbaresco, built on tradition and crafted with the utmost respect for the land that’s been in the family for nearly a century.
97 points
"Vibrant red right to the edges. A demure yet complex nose of raspberry and red cherry fruit, bouquet garni, fennel and a dusting of brown spice from the barrel. On the palate the wine is clean and bright with lovely mouthfeel, a delicate core of sweet fruit, a splash of orange peel acidity and spice piquancy, and then a rolling veil of lacy tannin fanning over the tongue and on to a seductively long finish. A young wine but already showing beautifully."
- Stephen Blandford (The Real Review)
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Shipping
Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!
For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.
We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.
Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.
Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you.
Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.
Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.
Ordering
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Some things to keep in mind:
- Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
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We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.
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