Wine Advisor
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio, Barolo Monprivato 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Barolo Monprivato is a very pretty, harmonious wine endowed with tons of purity in its fruit. All of the telltale aromas and flavors of Monprivato are there – geraniums, roses, spices and flowers – but backed up by quite a bit of heft and body as well. Today, the 2005 Monprivato is quite tannic, but it should come around with a few more years in bottle. In some ways, the 2005 reminds me of the 1999, another vintage in which the Ca d’Morissio was not produced. Monprivato is typically one of the hardest wines to accurately assess when young, and only time will tell what heights it ultimately reaches. For now, the future certainly seems bright. This is a mysterious, seductive Monprivato that will be fascinating to follow. Mascarello was especially selective with his Monprivato and only bottled about 50% of his production. He also blended in the juice kept separately for the Ca d’Morissio, which in this vintage is about 20% of the final blend as opposed to the more typical 10% in vintages when the Ca d’Morissio is produced. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. Proprietor Mauro Mascarello has turned out two very pretty 2005 Barolos, but did not bottle his Villero as he waited until after the rains to pick the fruit and by that time the quality in the vineyard had been compromised. There is also no Ca d’Morissio in 2005, as that juice was blended into the Monprivato. Although Mascarello is best known for his Barolos, his entry-level wines also merit serious consideration. Although Mascarello’s Barberas aren’t as well-priced as they once were, they are capable of delivering tons of class and elegance. Readers who want to learn more about this iconic Barolo estate may want to check out my recent article on www.erobertparker.com. 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
Our move into older wines features three exquisite Barolos. Mauro Mascarello’s 2005 Barolo Monprivato has always been fabulous. It is still all that and more. In 2005, Mascarello did not bottle his flagship Barolo Riserva Ca’ d’Morissio, opting instead to focus solely on the flagship Barolo Monprivato. The 2005 remains fresh and vibrant, with the typical red-fruited and floral notes that are so typical of this site.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Mauro Mascarello's 2005 Barolo Monprivato is absolutely beautiful. Orange peel, mint, tobacco, dried cherry and anise make a strong first impression. The 2005 appears to be going through an adolescent stage where the primary fruit has faded, but secondary and tertiary notes have not fully developed, so I suggest cellaring the wine for at least a few years to allow it to go through this phase. Initially quite delicate, the 2005 puts on considerable weight with air. This is going to be a fascinating Barolo to follow in the coming years and decades.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Barolo Monprivato is a very pretty, harmonious wine endowed with tons of purity in its fruit. All of the telltale aromas and flavors of Monprivato are there - geraniums, roses, spices and flowers - but backed up by quite a bit of heft and body as well. Today, the 2005 Monprivato is quite tannic, but it should come around with a few more years in bottle. In some ways, the 2005 reminds me of the 1999, another vintage in which the Cà d'Morissio is produced. Monprivato is typically one of the hardest wines to accruately assess when young, and only time will tell what heights it ultimately reaches. For now, the future certainly seems bright. This is a mysterious, seductive Monprivato that will be fascinating to follow. Mascarello was especially selective with his Monprivato and only bottled about 50% of his production. He also blended in the juice kept separately for the Cà d'Morissio, which in this vintage is about 20% of the final blend as opposed to the more typical 10% in vintages when the Cà d'Morissio is produced.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good bright, dark red. Lovely floral nebbiolo perfume of strawberry, cherry and violet complicated by licorice, bitter chocolate and wild herbs; I was reminded of the northern Cote de Nuits. Silky, generous and layered, with lovely aromatic, expressive nebbiolo character and much more inner-mouth perfume today than the 2004. The tannins are fine-grained but this wine nonetheless possesses serious backbone. An excellent showing. This wine now includes 7% or 8% of the rose clone of nebbiolo, which Mascarello replanted here in 1996.
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.
