Wine Advisor
Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo 2008
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Mascarello’s 2008 Barolo is a wine of extraordinary elegance. A sweet, open bouquet leads to dark red fruit, mint, spices and licorice in this pretty, nuanced Barolo. The 2008 is all about detail and understated finesse. It boasts breathtaking purity in its fruit and fabulous overall balance. A textured, finely-knit finish leaves a lasting impression. The 2008 is very classic in style. It will require considerable patience, despite its deceptively medium-bodied structure. This is another dazzling wine from Maria-Theresa Mascarello. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. It’s hard to go wrong with anything Maria-Theresa Mascarello is making these days. While much of the winery’s past fame was built on the sheer charm of Mascarello’s father, Bartolo, an icon in Piemonte, the wines weren’t always of the same stature. They certainly are today. At the time of my visit, Mascarello had not yet bottled her 2010 Langhe Nebiolo (note the traditional spelling with one ‘b’) as the malos progressed at snail’s pace and the wine was not ready. Readers who want to learn more might want to check out my video interview with Mascarello on www.erobertparker.com. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 332-4999
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2008 Barolo is once again superb. The striking aromatics that are so typical of the year make a strong first impression. Delicate and silky on the palate, yet also deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2008 is pure seduction. A hint of grip from the tannins appears on the finish, but with some air, the 2008 is quite open. It will be interesting to see if the 2008 ever goes into a shell. Thus far, it has remained surprisingly open for a young Barolo from a cool, late-ripening vintage.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2008 Barolo is a wine I bought on release, and then bought again several times, as it has continued to improve over time. Silky on the palate and intensely perfumed, the 2008 is all grace. Hard candy, rose petals and sweet spices are some of the notes that take shape in a Barolo of total sensory overload.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
All is forgotten once the audience tastes Maria Teresa Mascarello’s 2008 Barolo. The room is totally silent. That is usually a good sign. A totally spellbinding wine, the 2008 is flat-out stunning from the moment it emerges from the glass. The fruit is sweet, layered and haunting in its beauty, while the tannins are remarkably polished. This is a perfect example of the new paradigm in Barolo; today’s wines just don’t need decades to come around anymore. I bought these bottles ex-cellar and brought them back to US myself. What a difference that makes. The 2008 Mascarello is simply dazzling. If you can find it, don’t hesitate.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The greatness of the vintage comes through loud and clear in the 2008 Barolo. Sweet, perfumed and wonderfully expressive, the 2008 boasts striking inner perfume, vibrant fruit and fabulous overall balance. Violets, sweet spices and menthol are some of the many nuances that emerge over time, and add further shades of dimension to this racy, sexy Barolo. Readers who own or can still find the 2008 will be in for a fabulous drinking experience. No rush on the 2008, this is a wine for the ages.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(from fruit picked beginning on October 18, about a month later than the 2007 harvest): Good medium red. Aromas of sour cherry, licorice, menthol and savory soil. Silky, juicy and intense but quite imploded and understated today. In fact, this is brutally closed, with substantial tongue-coating tannins that will only be resolved with long cellaring. The very long, slowly building finish shows lovely aromatic dark berry character and excellent lift. I'd forget this one for a decade.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, dried berries and fresh mushrooms opening to more flowers, and then to raspberries. Full-to-medium body, with a pretty austerity and raciness. Firm and sexy. Texture very silky. Needs at least three more years in the bottle.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, dried berries and fresh mushroom that open even more to flowers. Then goes to raspberries. Full to medium body, with a pretty austerity and raciness. Firm and sexy. The texture is very silky. Needs at least three to four year more in the bottle.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2008 Barolo is a wine I bought on release, and then bought again several times, as it has continued to improve over time. Silky on the palate and intensely perfumed, the 2008 is all grace. Hard candy, rose petals and sweet spices are some of the notes that take shape in a Barolo of total sensory overload.
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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