Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio, Monprivato, Barolo, Italy, 2021

Overview of the Wine
Mauro Mascarello and his legendary Barolo Monprivato represent the culmination of more than 130 years of great Giuseppe Mascarello wines.

Visiting Cantina Giuseppe Mascarello & Figli is in some ways a bit like traveling back in time: the winery is full of ancient, enormous botti, and though the largest casks are no longer in use, the family traditions still reign. Fermentations are slow, in concrete and steel; aging is long, in large oak botti ranging from 20 to 70 years of age. There are no tricks to doll the wines up. Farming decisions are made with an eye not only to the current vintage, but to future generations of Mascarellos.

However visiting Mascarello isn’t just stepping into the past: a visit is being welcomed into a space where you can feel the profound connection between the present and what has come before, the thread that ties today’s Piedmont to its rich and wonderful history.

Elena and her brother, Giuseppe, are the latest Mascarellos to carry the thread forward, and they're doing it beautifully, which shows in the wines. The family has some of Piedmont's greatest terroirs, including Monprivato (often called “the Musigny of Barolo”). They do what they need to do to allow those terroirs to shine year after year, in each new vintage’s unique voice.

Mauro’s Langhe Nebbiolo is Barolo in everything but name only. The fruit comes mostly from the Santo Stefano Vineyard in Monforte, with a little Castiglione Falletto in the mix too, and is selected at harvest for this cuvée (vs. the Barolo). It is fermented with a slightly shorter maceration of 15-20 days and then aged in those same, big, ancient botti for 14 months. The idea is to produce a wine with the classic elegance and nuance of the estate that is ready to drink much sooner than the Barolo.

Winemaker
Mauro Mascarello

Grape / Blend
100% Nebbiolo

Origin
Piedmont, Italy

Tasting Notes
Barolo ‘Monprivato’ is one of Italy’s most famous single vineyard bottlings. The Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio estate—the motto of which—“Only the memory of the past can open the way to the future”—provides a succinct articulation of the estate’s ability to seam tradition with innovation. Monprivato is only bottled in outstanding vintages that live up to Mascarello's high standards. Those harvests that do not meet such expectations are utilized for the normal Barolo or sold as Nebbiolo Langhe.The wine is sourced from a 6-hectare plot in the famed Monprivato vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, which typically produces wines occupying a middle ground between the potency of those from Serralunga d'Alba and Monforte d'Alba, and the gentle, aromatic elegance of wines from Barolo and La Morra. The Monprivato vineyard sits on clay slopes facing southwest at 280 meters of altitude along the central valley of the Barolo zone. Owner, Mauro Mascarello believes Barolo’s finest vineyards produce wines that are essentially rich in flavor with sweeter, softer tannins than those of lesser sites. He is adamant that yields be reduced and traditional measures taken to allow minimal cellar intervention. Mascarello uses extended maceration and ages the wine for about 38 months in medium Slavonian oak casks to emphasize the leaner, more tannic side of Nebbiolo.

99 Points - Kerin O'Keefe
All about finesse, the 2021 Monprivato is a captivating wine offering intense aromas of violet, wild rose, camphor, dark culinary spice and a whiff of new leather. Classy and showing youthful tension, the compelling palate beautifully expresses the celebrated site and the fantastic vintage, delivering layers of Morello cherry, raspberry, star anise and mentholated notes. Taut, refined tannins and tangy acidity keep it well balanced.

97 Points - Vinous
The 2021 Barolo Monprivato is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Crushed flowers, wild red berry fruit, orange peel, mint and white pepper all grace this delicate, nuanced Barolo. The 2021 is naturally an infant, but its balance is sublime. It's one of the most refined young Monprivatos I can remember tasting.

96 Points - Wine Spectator
Light-bodied and elegant, this Barolo is nevertheless vigorous, displaying strawberry, cherry, rose, menthol, mineral and spice notes. Lively and lasting, revealing great finesse, with echoes of fruit and savory elements on the finish. Best from 2029 through 2047. 1,733 cases made. 

Product size: 750ml