Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo 1990

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Remarkably, the 1990 Barolo may turn out to be slightly superior to the 1989. Since this producer does not filter, it is unlikely that anything will be removed at bottling. Massive, with huge extraction of fruit, and a fabulously fragrant nose of cedar, jammy black-cherries, herbs, and roses, this extremely concentrated, well-integrated wine is a monumental example of Barolo. It will provide great drinking for 30 or more years. Like the 1989, the super level of ripeness achieved by most Piedmontese producers in 1990 makes this wine very accessible, even seductive when young. With a production of only about 1,500 cases, Bartolo Mascarello has a well-deserved cult following among admirers of the traditional style of Barolo. Importers: Riservati, Seattle, WA and Vias Imports, Great Neck, NY.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 1990 Barolo (magnum) is fat, opulent and fuller in body than the 1989, showing exceptional richness and length. The warmth of the vintage is evident in ripe, almost candied tones in the fruit that recall Pinot Noir. There is wonderful integrity in the glass, as autumn leaves, tobacco and licorice gradually emerge to round out this beautiful Barolo. This, too, combines elements of etherealness and weight in a style that is uniquely Mascarellian. The firm tannins should allow the 1990 to continue to keep nicely for many years, although at some point the structural elements will likely dominate in the wine's balance. Today, the 1990 Barolo is magnificent. Ideally the wine is best opened several hours in advance. I tasted the same bottle roughly 12 hours apart on the same day, and it had improved dramatically with air. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. Sadly, Bartolo Mascarello passed away in 2005. Mascarello was one of the last staunch traditionalist producers in Piedmont, -the last of the Mohicans- as he liked to say. The wines were indeed very traditional, at times positively, and at others, less so. Mascarello's Barolo was and remains one of the few wines still made from a combination of vineyards rather than a single-vineyard wine. The fruit, from holdings in San Lorenzo, Cannubi, Torriglione and Rue, was co-fermented in cement and then racked into large, neutral oak, where the wines aged for roughly three and a half years before being bottled. Although the wines sometimes show elements of rusticity that trouble even the most forgiving of palates, when the wines are on, they are sensational. At times powerful when young, the wines almost always age into soft, Burgundian examples of Barolo. Mascarello's 1989 and 1990 Barolos, both of which I tasted from magnum, are still infants, but the same wines in standard bottles are equally magnificent.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

1990 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo—Medium red. It is always a joy to drink to taste Bartolo Mascarello’s Barolos when they are on. The 1990 Barolo offers a mature nose of roses, leather, tobacco, cedar and coffee with sweet dark fruit and earthy notes in an irresistibly ethereal style. Medium-bodied and delicate, it shows plenty of supporting structure, although this bottle was somewhat more advanced than a bottle tasted a few months ago. My impression from both bottles, however, is that this is a wine that has entered its peak window of drinkability. 94/drink now-, 02/06

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

1990 Barolo—Dark ruby. Mascarello’s 1990 Barolo is an immensely appealing wine, offering a perfumed nose and plenty of sweet red cherry fruit with underlying spice and cocoa nuances, very much in the flashy, ripe style of the vintage. This superb, classic Barolo is a great choice for drinking today. Although it will likely last for decades, my sense is that this Barolo will offer its finest drinking within the next 10 or so years. 94/drink now-, 11/05

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

1990 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo – Medium red. It is always a joy to drink to taste Bartolo Mascarello's Barolos when they are on. The 1990 Barolo offers a mature nose of roses, leather, tobacco, cedar and coffee with sweet dark fruit and earthy notes in an irresistibly ethereal style. Medium-bodied and delicate, it shows plenty of supporting structure, although this bottle was somewhat more advanced than a bottle tasted a few months ago. My impression from both bottles, however, is that this is a wine that has entered its peak window of drinkability.