Agostino “Pippo” Parodi and his wife Bice inherited a family estate of mostly fruit and vegetables that Pippo’s grandfather, Filippo or “Fèipu” in local dialect, had first planted. Convinced that his property was particularly well suited to winegrowing, Pippo slowly cleared the land starting in the mid-1960s and replanted it with vines, focusing especially on the native Pigato. Since there were no appellations for Ligurian wine at that time, he decided to highlight this exceptional terroir by naming the estate after the locality, Massaretti. His efforts were instrumental in establishing Ligurian Pigato as a quality wine, and soon they had a long list of potential clients begging for an allocation of their tiny production. As Pippo and Bice eased into retirement, they handed the reins over to the next generation: their daughter Brunella married a banker, Mirco Mastroianni, who quickly fell in love with winemaking and joined his sister-in-law, Ivana, at the family estate. Under Mirco’s direction the family has rebuilt the old winery and increased production, but the estate remains small and the wine is still a clear expression of the terroir. Massaretti lies just inland of Albenga on the Mediterranean coast, on sandy alluvial soil. The area also enjoys striking diurnal temperature shifts thanks to the alternation between winds from the sea during the day and from the land at night. These two factors combine to provide the perfect home for Pigato and Rossese to develop their full aromatic potential, giving light wines that are easy to drink but more elegant and complex than you might expect.
Genetically identical to Vermentino but decidedly unique in its expression, Pigato thrives in the sun-drenched, terraced vineyards along the Ligurian coast. Although both vines look the same and share similar stone fruit and salty notes, Pigato (named for its freckled skins, or ‘pighe’) has an added intensity, a notable honeyed-herbaceous component, and often a waxier or richer body. (Interesting article on the two same-but-different varieties here!) Mirco’s rendition here eschews the standard ‘floral and light’ linearity so often seen in Liguria, indulging the palate in something more fleshy and textural. The nose takes you straight to the Mediterranean – salt, fresh lemon, white grapefruit, basil. The palate is gentle but concentrated with pomelo, honeycomb, and yellow peaches, with an elegant and super saline spine of acidity that keeps it tight and balanced. Effortlessly luxurious.