Musso
A family endeavor, four generations of winemakers have worked under the family label to date.
BACKGROUND
The Musso Family connection to the historical fabric of Barbaresco dates back over 300 years. It is in fact Giacomo Filippo Musso, the original Mayor of Barbaresco in 1698 who lays claim to playing the main role in establishing the town. Fast forward to the Great Depression and the year 1929 which is when Sebastiano Musso, at the age of 23, established the small Musso family winery with a tiny 1.5ha plot of Nebbiolo in the locality of Cavanna.
As the Great Depression ended and WWII came and passed, the Musso winery survived and slowly but surely overcame the difficulties of the first half of the 20th and began to thrive in the latter half.
The 1960s brought much progress with Sebastian’s son Augusto joining the company and in 1966 they expanded their vineyards with the purchase of a plot on the hill of Pora and an entire farm in Rio Sordo.
Today the winery is run by three generations of the Musso family, Valter Musso, who joined the family winery in the mid-1980s and is now head of the winery. Valter’s Son, Emanuele, is in charge of marketing and Valter’s grandson, Luca Accornero, oversees vineyard management.
The majority of the vineyards are planted in the hills of Barbaresco in four of the most prestigious crus: Pora, Rio Sordo, Ronchi and Cavanna. As well as a vineyard in Roero where they produce Arneis.
The Terroir
The winery is located in the heart of the village of Barbaresco, and above the winery is the home of Valter and Emanuele Musso. The Musso vineyard holdings currently span 10ha in the most prestigious vineyard sites of Barbaresco: Pora, Rio Sordo, Ronchi and Cavanna. These superior sites, high in the Barbaresco hills are planted indigenous local varietals Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Freisa while Roero Arneis is also cultivated in Santo Stefano. Of course, Barbaresco is the star of the winery with DOCG production accounting for over 40% of the 80,000 bottle annual production.
The Pora label comes from a 1-hectare vineyard purchased by Sebastian and Augusto in the 60’s; these are some of the steepest plantings around. Vines here have a life span of up to 65 years, planted in calcareous soil rich with clay, giving great focus and longevity to this Barbaresco.
Musso’s Rio Sordo vineyard is a 2.5 hectare farm joined the project in the 60s as well. This cru has a soil content that is much sandier than that of Pora and gives a delicate roundness to the wine at a much younger age.
The history of the Musso family is engrained in the hills of Barbaresco. Their tradition in farming and wine making is unmistakable in every bottle that you open. Musso is a collection of focused wines intent on showing the world what is truly incredible about this land.
THE CELLAR
The entrance of Barbaresco, Via Domitius Cavazza 5, is still the home of the Musso Winery. There in the cellar, is where the grapes are vinified, aged, and when ready, bottled for final aging. The bottle then assumes the final look, the elegant label that will accompany the wine it’s the way to the market.
Each step is performed in a dedicated environment, using the most appropriate containers to give the best quality to each wine. Steel tanks are used for vinification, wooden casks of various sizes, dedicated space in the cellar the maturation of the wine and the aging in the bottle before release.
The results of the work in the vineyard and in the cellar are about 80,000 bottles of wine per year on average. The main star of the winery is the Nebbiolo grape with about 50% of their total vineyard area. The remainder is divided among five other varieties: Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, Barbera d’ Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Freisa DOC., Langhe Chardonnay DOC, and Roero Arneis DOCG. Barbaresco makes up 40%, a grand red wine with structure and long aging. Three types of Barbaresco are produced: a blend from the union of grapes from different vineyards and two single crus: Pora and Rio Sordo.
tHE WINE
Pairings And Recipes
