The 2005 Barolo Monprivato is a very pretty, harmonious wine endowed with tons of purity in its fruit. All of the telltale aromas and flavors of Monprivato are there ' geraniums, roses, spices and flowers ' but backed up by quite a bit of heft and body as well. Today, the 2005 Monprivato is quite tannic, but it should come around with a few more years in bottle. In some ways, the 2005 reminds me of the 1999, another vintage in which the Ca d'Morissio was not produced. Monprivato is typically one of the hardest wines to accurately assess when young, and only time will tell what heights it ultimately reaches. For now, the future certainly seems bright. This is a mysterious, seductive Monprivato that will be fascinating to follow. Mascarello was especially selective with his Monprivato and only bottled about 50% of his production. He also blended in the juice kept separately for the Ca d'Morissio, which in this vintage is about 20% of the final blend as opposed to the more typical 10% in vintages when the Ca d'Morissio is produced.

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A lean, sinewy style, with eucalyptus, briar and tar notes. Opening with air, this shows a suppleness that needs time to manifest itself. A tighter expression than the Cà d'Morissio, this reflects the vintage.

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