2011 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo

Inner strength; outer finesse

Mascarello are favourites of ours at Uncorked. They are a family of very traditional values and this is one of the key tenets of their winegrowing too. They inhabit the same earth as their vines and are as deeply rooted, having been there since 1881 and despite all the traumas of the 20th century. They observe the hierarchies and are as complex as any creation of Dostoyevsky, Morrison or Shriver. And of course they are delightful to meet. For real complexity, however you have to encounter their wines. In them you'll find the flowers, the earth and the ancient rocky mother-lode comingling; wines of the air, yet grounded.

The terroir and their clones of Nebbiolo: how simple it sounds. But carefully transmuting that base metal into gold leaf so fine it floats in the air takes a rare intuition and a restrained hand. There's no beating these wines into submission. It is true that the wines can sulk for a period when young, but they always emerge as a ballerina on a tightrope; balanced, with perfect posture and elegance. The 2011 vintage here makes wine that is initially more attractive than the 2010s, so far, so vintage typical. But these will age. Their almost invisible structure can fool those more used to the over-extracted, but these wines have an inner core strength, beautifully suited to their ethereal character.

Join us at the shop this lunchtime to meet Italian expert Michael Palij MW as he shows a small selection of his Italian agencies and you might - just might - get a glimpse of the 2011 Mascarellos. Rumour has it that he has about his person rare and exclusive cask samples. /CW

View all 2011 Barolo listed so far

Offered subject to confirmation for shipment winter 2015/16

The following notes are from Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, March 2015

Barolo Perno: 'Cask sample. Pale crimson. Just a little grey-looking. Heady and sweet – almost ‘cooked’ nose. Lots of acidity. Pretty drying finish at the moment. 16.5+ points.'

Barolo Villero: 'Cask sample. Pale rust colour – much paler than the Santo Stefano di Perno. Heady nose with masses of early appeal. Hugely seductive. Great, even if tightrope, balance already. Utterly transparent. Great lift, though the tannins are quite difficult to discern under all that rosy fruit. What a charmer! 18 points.'

Barolo Monprivato: 'Cask sample. Pale ruby. Hidden depths of autumn mulch on the nose. Transparent and lifted and this could not possibly be any wine other than a fine Barolo! Real tingle and excitement though oddly forward. 17.5 points.'