Barolo Monprivato 2017

The wine in this vintage

2017 was a hot, drought-stricken year in the Langhe, with spring frosts and a torrid summer that cut yields and brought harvest forward. The best Barolos combine ripe fruit with substantial tannic structure, and they required a careful hand to keep their balance. Barolo Monprivato 2017 succeeds thanks to the vineyard's position and the estate's classic style: dark cherry, plum, dried rose, spice, tobacco and a balsamic touch, with a full palate, firm yet polished tannins and a warm, persistent close. Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5/20. The wine is already enjoyable, but its structure allows it to keep evolving: a few years in the cellar will refine its texture and broaden its complexity.

The producer · Giuseppe Mascarello

Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio, based in Monchiero, is one of the most uncompromising guardians of Barolo tradition. Its story is closely bound to Monprivato, a historic vineyard in Castiglione Falletto that the family acquired in the early twentieth century and has bottled separately as a cru since 1970. Mauro Mascarello, the driving force behind that decision, later selected a Nebbiolo Michet biotype within the vineyard, the source of the Riserva Cà d'Morissio, made only in the finest years. Today his son Giuseppe runs the estate in the same spirit: long, patient fermentations, extended macerations, ageing in large Slavonian oak casks and no concessions to fashion. Alongside Monprivato, the family farms parcels in crus such as Villero and Santo Stefano di Perno. Its Barolos are wines of transparency and finesse, with delicate fruit and silky tannins, able to evolve for decades and treasured by collectors worldwide.

Critics' scores

• 94 Wine Spectator
• 93 Antonio Galloni
• 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Giuseppe Mascarello

Region

Piemonte

Country

Italia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2017

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

93.5/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0580117