Wine Advisor
Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo 2005
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Barolo is super-delicate and finessed. This is a decidedly restrained, feminine style of Barolo laced with roses, raspberries, jasmine and berries. It will be fascinating to see which direction the 2005 takes from here. At times the wine appears to be putting on additional weight, but it nevertheless retains an element of frailty that is actually quite attractive. I rate the 2005 just behind the 2004, 2006 and 2007, but it is a gorgeous wine, and easily one of the very finest wines of the vintage. Bartolo Mascarello was a true icon in Piedmont. Although Mascarello was famous for his wines, he was at least as well known for his outspoken views on everything from winemaking to politics. Mascarello’s best wines were legendary, but the quality of what was in the bottle didn’t always live up to all of the hype. Against this backdrop, it must have been very difficult for Maria-Theresa Mascarello to take over the family winery after her father passed away a few years ago. Not only has Maria-Theresa Mascarello suceeded in living up to her father’s legacy, she has taken the wines to a new level entirely. The Baroli in particular have been nothing less than stunning here over the last few years. The rebirth of Bartolo Mascarello (the winery) is one of the great, unheralded success stories in Piedmont over the last few years. I urge readers to do whatever they can to taste these great wines. Those who have an interest should make a point to visit the winery and taste from barrel. I also include notes on the 2005 and 2006 Baroli for readers who are curious to see how the wines are developing. The only wine that is disappointing this year is the 2008 Freisa Monrobiolo. The Freisa undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle and the summer of 2009 did not provide consistently warm enough temperatures for that to happen. The Mascarello Freisa is a staunchly traditional wine and often requires an especially forgiving palate, as is the case with the 2008. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 332-4999
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
In the meantime, the newly-released 2005 Barolo is among the highlights of the vintage. Mascarello’s 2005 Barolo offers lovely density and richness. Gorgeous aromas of crushed flowers, raspberries and sweet spices emerge from this medium-bodied yet deep Barolo. With time in the glass, the wine’s inner perfume becomes increasingly captivating. Today the tannins remain rather firm, but all this beautifully sculpted wine needs is a few years in the cellar. This is a commendable effort from Maria Theresa Mascarello. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. Bartolo Mascarello remains an important domaine for hand-made artisan wines that reflect the best of the traditional style of winemaking in Piedmont. Maria Theresa Mascarello makes her Barolo pretty much just as her father did. The grapes are sourced from various estate-owned vineyards in Barolo and La Morra and co-fermented, after which the wine is aged in cask. Since 1995 Mascarello has bottled her Barolo after two and half years in oak rather than three years or more, as remains the prevailing custom among the region’s staunchest traditionalists. Not much else has visibly changed at this tiny, venerable property, but today the wines are purer, cleaner and more consistent than they have ever been. The 2006, 2007, 2008 Barolos I tasted from cask were all strikingly beautiful in their transparency and expressiveness of three very different vintages. Mascarello devotees have much to look forward to in coming years. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 332-4999
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Powerful and laser-like in its focus, the 2005 Barolo captures the personality of this often-overlooked vintage in spades. Bright red stone fruit and bright, mineral-laced overtones infuse a powerful, tightly wound Barolo that is still on the ascent. This is a terrific bottle.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Barolo has come together beautifully in bottle. Over the years, the 2005 has gained body and depth, while the contours have softened nicely. Sweet dark cherry, plum, mint, licorice and spices meld together in an effortless, gracious Barolo that can be enjoyed now. Readers who like more tertiary complexity will want to give the 2005 at least another few years, as it is still quite primary, fresh and vibrant.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Mascarello's 2005 Barolo offers lovely density and richness. Gorgeous aromas of crushed flowers, raspberries and sweet spices emerge from this medium-bodied yet deep Barolo. With time in the glass, the wine's inner perfume becomes increasingly captivating. Today the tannins remain rather firm, but all this beautifully sculpted wine needs is a few years in the cellar. This is a commendable effort from Maria Theresa Mascarello.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Dark red. Much less expressive on the nose than the 2006, hinting at game, tobacco and underbrush. Distinctly wilder in the mouth, showing less energy and primary fruit character than the 2006 but a compelling silky texture. There's a lovely sweetness to the tobacco, earth and underbrush flavors and rather suave if slightly drying tannins, but this wine is nonetheless tight and in need of patience.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Powerful and laser-like in its focus, the 2005 Barolo captures the personality of this often-overlooked vintage in spades. Bright red stone fruit and bright, mineral-laced overtones infuse a powerful, tightly wound Barolo that is still on the ascent. This is a terrific bottle.
About the Producer
Bartolo Mascarello, located in the famous Barolo region of Piedmont, is one of Italy's leading wineries, founded in 1918 and run by the Mascarello family, defenders of the old school style of Barolo, and owned by the legendary Maria Teresa Mascarello. The current owner is Maria Teresa Mascarello, daughter of the legendary master winemaker Bartolo Mascarello. The winery's winemaking philosophy has been passed down from generation to generation and does not follow the trend of making single vineyard wines, insisting on concrete and wooden barrel fermentations without temperature control measures. The wine is aged in 2,500 litres of Slovenian vats for three years and then bottled for one year before being released, producing a wine of great structure and great elegance and refinement. Bartolo Mascarello produces around 30,000 bottles of wine a year, of which the Barolo DOCG is produced in very small quantities (around 1,250 cases a year) and, as the benchmark of traditional Barolo wines, is often priced out of the market and hard to find.
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