Wine Advisor
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio, Barolo Monprivato 2001
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
2001 Barolo Monprivato opens with a delicate perfumed nose and layers of expressive sweet red fruit on medium-bodied frame, with much length, elegance and finesse, closing with fine, silky tannins. Though deceptively understated today, it is likely to put on weight in the bottle and become more even more complex over the next few years. 95/Anticipated maturity: 2011-2026.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2001 Barolo Monprivato is striking. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and richness to match its highly expressive, compelling aromatics. The wine has begun to soften a touch. Though not at all forbidding at this stage, the 2001 Monprivato remains an infant with at least two more decades of fine drinking ahead. This is a gorgeous effort from Mauro Mascarello. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2031. Mauro Mascarello’s 2001s showed very well. I have had the privilege of attending more than my fair share of Monprivato verticals, but something tells me future tastings are going to be even more special, as the number of great examples of this wine has never been higher. Imagine tasting the 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 in another 10-15 years’ time! Importers: Doug Polaner, Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2001 Barolo Monprivato, a light to medium red, represents the highest level of elegance, with a captivating nose of roses, tar, orange peel, cinnamon and licorice, followed by layers of sweet dark fruit and minerals that evolve in a never-ending counterpoint of aromas and sensations, with much depth, precision and freshness on the finish. Everything is perfectly in balance here – still my guess is that this great wine is showing only a hint of its potential. It is one of the finest Monprivatos in recent memory and a wine no one who is passionate about Barolo should be without. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2026. Importer: Doug Polaner, Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404 and The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484
About the Producer
History Since time immemorial Nebbiolo has been the most highly-prized vine and the wine-growing emblem of Alba and the Langa, and when it is matched with a great wine-making terroir it is capable of expressing itself at sublime levels in wines of remarkable personality, intense bouquet, great smooth tannins, and outstanding possibilities of evolution and resistance over time. The members of the Giuseppe Mascarello family have been growing wines for more than a century and a half, first as farmers running the Manescotto estate in the village of La Morra for the Marchesa Giulia Colbert Faletti di Barolo, and then on their own property since the late 1800s. MAURO MASCARELLO Mauro Mascarello first worked in the winery for many years alongside his father, before taking on the responsibility of running the cellar in Monchiero in 1967, when he also made his first wines. In 1970 he began to vinify the grapes grown on each single vineyard separately, starting with the MONPRIVATO Nebbiolo and then proceeding with the other vineyards. Upon the death of his uncle Natale in 1979, Mauro Mascarello purchased his company, re-uniting it into the Azienda Agricola Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio. In 1980 he assumed direct responsibility for the family’s MONPRIVATO vineyard, continuing to run it with the same philosophy: application of the techniques that have always been followed to obtain the highest quality of “grape raw material” from every point of view. Famiglia Mascarello Mauro Mascarello's farm is now run with the help of his wife Maria Teresa on the accounts-administration side, and – though not yet full-time – his son Giuseppe, who qualified as a wine technician from the Agricultural and Enological Institute in Alba in 1994. In the years 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1990, a series of purchases completed the ownership of the MONPRIVATO vineyard, and Mauro Mascarello became the only producer of this Barolo cru. The Vineyards The Mascarello family property extends over 15 hectares of vineyards, all located within the Barolo wine-growing area. Some, like the MONPRIVATO vineyard, can now be said to be a part of the family history, while the grapes grown on others were first purchased by Mauro before – having had the opportunity to ascertain their quality – he managed to buy the vineyards for the estate. The Wine The fine wines grown on the Giuseppe Mascarello farm include – alongside Barolo MONPRIVATO – the following Barolos: Bricco, Villero, and Codana from vineyards in Castiglione Falletto, and Santo Stefano di Perno from vineyards in Monforte d’Alba.
