1985 Barolo Monprivato
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Mascarello’s 1985 Barolo Monprivato is a bit more forward in its aromatics than it is on the palate, where the wine still offers remarkable power and breadth, both signatures of the 1985 vintage. This is a good, but not remarkable, example of a Barolo that can be a real show-stopper.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1985 Mascarello Barolo Monprivato is absolutely stellar. Deep, powerful and also incredibly structured, Mascarello’s Monprivato is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage. If I didn't know better, I might have thought the wines in this pairing were inverted!
The 1985 Barolo Monprivato is breathtaking today. Though not the most complex or layered Monprivato to emerge from these cellars, the 1985 boasts a full-bodied, opulent expression of fruit that is impossible to resist. There is terrific richness and density in the glass that makes it very difficult to move on to the next wine. Although I usually prefer the 1982 when it is served next to the 1985, in this tasting it is the 1985 that delivers the most complete drinking experience. Well-stored bottles of the 1985 should be treasured by those fortunate enough to own them! It is remarkable juice.
Unfortunately our bottle of the 1985 Barolo Monprivato was not representative. It displays an evolved nose, and modest sweet perfumed fruit, but its compact, unyielding frame and dryish tannins suggest a less than perfect cork. I have been fortunate to taste this wine on two other occasions within the last 18 months (95+ points 05/05, 96 points 10/05) and sadly this bottle did not live up to our expectations. Well stored bottles of the 1985 Monprivato will offer a great mature-Barolo drinking experience in a similarly ripe, open-knit style as the 1990 tasted in this flight.