2013 Mascarello Monprivato pre-shipment offer
The hills of Piedmont make a wine which compares to few others. Within the boundaries of the Langhe, Giuseppe Mascarello make a set of Barolos like no one else. The paleness of colour and fineness of tannin can mislead even those familiar with Barolo, but time and again they prove to be some of the most age-worthy wines in the denomination. It is always the scent that strikes you first. Surely these are amongst the most beguiling of all Barolos. Then that silky texture, which can make some Vosne-Romanées seem coarse and pedestrian.
2013 was a rollercoaster year. A very wet start meant a huge amount of work was required in waterlogged vineyards. Those who put the work in were rewarded with a very long, warm autumn which allowed an all-important late harvest. Harvesting so late has meant that the 2013 has softer, finer tannins and more expressive fruit when tasted alongside the sterner, classical 2010. The 2013 Monprivato gives nothing away in terms of complexity versus the 2010, but the tannins are rounder, the fruit more generous. Will it eclipse the mighty 2010? I don't know but on this showing it will be giving a lot more pleasure a lot earlier.
As ever Monprivato is accompanied by its siblings, the Villero and Perno. Highly desirable cru Barolos in their own right, these have excelled this year. Villero is a near neighbour of Monprivato in Castiglione Falletto but is more approachable and I find it more complex early on. It is sandier than Monprivato, which makes a big difference. Its co-owners - among them Giacosa and Brovia - are proof of the quality of the terroir. Santo Stefano di Perno is a ripe cru from the warm side of Monforte d'Alba and the richness is balanced by the Mascarello delicacy. These stellar wines are must-haves for the lover of the delicate, the elegant and the seductive. /EE
