Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 2006 (Barolo, Italy)

Cork, €100
Source: Wine List
http://www.mascarello1881.com

Tasted Drunk two months ago, at Restaurant Bovio – which is the sort of Piedmont restaurant that has people (like me) taking too many pictures on their phone and shelling out mega dollars for too young Nebbiolo (ditto, though I blame my attractive companion – she let me do it).

Regardless of the evocative surrounds, there is a reason why this is still firmly etched in my mind – it’s fucking awesome. The note I found on my phone reads more like an ode than a critical tasting note, but bear with me – this wine is worth it.

Produced from the Monprivato vineyard, which has been celebrated for hundreds of years and is now effectively one of Barolo’s finest monopoles, owned by Mauro Mascarello since the 1980s (and now with it’s own little trademark too).

Fittingly for a monopole, this is a unique wine too – with the words ‘disarming’ written in my rather rambling tasting note.

Bovio View

What makes it so disarming is just how much fruit there is – the old adage of ‘Italian Burgundy’ is more than apparent here, as this is impressively generous (still quite red in colour too) and even quite silky. Indeed it carries the velvety mid-palate that you only ever see in the old-school Barolo producers (like Conterno), the tannins less of a full stop and more of an exclamation mark too, punctuating a wine that tastes as polished as a modern, ‘barriques and short ferments’ style Barolo as it does a ‘stick it in oak… forever’ classic Riserva.

Sure this 2006 is still way too young, and I did feel like I was only getting a glimpse of the glory as a result (it’s perhaps a little retentive for the moment), yet there is no questioning this wines style, beauty and glory.

A Barolo for all (if mainly the wealthy ones)…

Drink: 2013-2033
Score: 19/20, 96/100
Would I buy it? I wish I could buy more.