2008 Barolo Monprivato
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The 2008 Barolo Monprivato (magnum) remains a wine of total finesse. Deeply pitched aromatics give the 2008 its decidedly exotic flair. Blood orange, mint, hard candy and bright red-toned fruit all play in that same register, showing striking inner sweetness and tons of sheer allure. The 2008 has always been captivating. It is all that and more on this evening.
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Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Lovely stuff already mature enough to provide sweet autumnal pleasure yet so hauntingly Barolo. Leaf mould and nuance. Yes please. (JR)
Mauro Mascarello’s 2008 Barolo Monprivato is a much more lifted and translucent wine than the 2006 Le Vigne. A wine that needs considerable air, the 2008 only starts to blossom with a few hours in the glass. Monprivato is often quirky, but the 2008 is a real moving target. Just this week alone I have tasted six bottles of the 2008 and found the wine a bit all over the place, especially compared to other wines from the same year. Still, with patience, the 2008 really sings. Ideally, readers should plan on cellaring the 2008 for at least another few years.
Good medium red. Ineffable soil-driven aromas of strawberry, dried flowers, rust, mocha and pungent minerality. Juicy and highly complex, offering saline, savory flavors of strawberry, minerals and underbrush. This is about white soil perfume and subtlety, not weight but there's terrific intensity nevertheless. Finishes suave and vibrant, with uncanny subtle length. Built for a long and graceful life in bottle. Mascarello owns 6.5 hectares of this prime south-facing cru in Castiglione Falletto. He has mostly lampia clone planted here but also has 18% old-vines michet and 6% rose.