Wine Advisor
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio, Barolo Monprivato 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Mascarello’s 2006 Barolo Monprivato is incredibly primary at this stage. The 2006 is an explosive Monprivato endowed with layers of ripe red fruit backed up by firm, muscular tannins that speak with great eloquence. I expect the 2006 to go through a period of stubbornness - as it often does - but it should begin to show well at around age ten or so. From time to time, the wine shows glimpses of its nobility. The 2006 is shaping up to be a profound Monprivato. The only thing it needs is time. This is a fabulous effort from Mascarello. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036. Proprietor Mauro Mascarello makes some of the most compelling, traditional wines in Piedmont. Mascarello’s signature Barolo, Monprivato, rarely shows well when young, yet it has a proven ability to transform magically in the bottle, something I have witnessed first-hand with more vintages than I can remember. The irony is that by the time the wines start showing well they are long gone from the market or have appreciated dramatically in price. Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Mascarello's 2006 Barolo Monprivato is incredibly primary at this stage. The 2006 is an explosive, muscular Monprivato endowed with layers of seamless fruit backed up by firm, muscular tannins. As is often the case, I expect the 2006 to go through a period of stubbornness, but it should begin to show well at around age ten or so.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium palish red; less saturated than the 2007. Less fruity and floral and more earthy/spicy on the nose than the '07; exuded notes of red berry liqueur and underbrush with air. Then tighter and more penetrating in the mouth, conveying more force than the '07 and a much more austere texture. Seems large but at the same time lower in alcohol. This very precise, powerfully structured wine finishes dry, long and youthfully imploded, with subtle spice and floral nuances. More classic than the 2007 but also far less agreeable today: forget this one in the cellar for a decade, at which point it may make my early rating look stingy.
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.
