Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Monprivato, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2020

The release of the majestic 2020 Barolo Monprivato from Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio. The Monprivato vineyard is widely considered to be one of the greatest vineyards in Barolo, and indeed in all of Italy. It is often compared to the grand cru vineyards of Burgundy, such as Chambertin and Richebourg. The Mascarello family has been making wine from Monprivato for generations, and their wines are consistently among the most sought-after and expensive Barolos on the market. The Monprivato vineyard is in the town of Castiglione Falletto, in the heart of the Barolo region. It is a six-hectare vineyard that is beautifully situated facing southwest. The soil is composed of limestone-rich marl, which is ideal for growing Nebbiolo grapes. The Mascarellos produce a single-vineyard Barolo from Monprivato that is known for its power, elegance, and longevity. The wine is typically aged for several years in oak barrels before it is released. It is a wine that can be enjoyed now, but it will also age gracefully for many years to come. In 1985 and 1990, the Mascarellos purchased small plots from neighboring landowners, giving them complete ownership of the Monprivato vineyard. This makes Monprivato a monopole, which is a rare and prestigious distinction.

A bright, silky, and fragrant wine with wild red berry fruits. It is expressive and well-balanced, with crisp, tight, and complex tannins, but also with energy and intensity. It is deep and ethereal, packed full of fruit and spice, but also with great freshness and precise, crisper tannins than ever before seen in a young Monprivato. Castiglione Falletto is one of the finest and most hallowed vineyards in the whole of Barolo. It is a steep, southwest-facing vineyard with a very white limestone-based soil that produces profound, mineral wines. The wine is aged for 36 months in large oak vats.