2022 Freisa Langhe
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Tasting notes
This wine comes to market two years after the harvest. The Bartolo Mascarello 2022 Langhe Freisa goes through nine months in large oak casks and spends a little extra time in glass. The reason the wine is kept longer in bottle, Maria Teresa Mascarello explains, is because traditional interpretations of Freisa were left with some fizz from a second fermentation in bottle. But by 2020, and with a changing climate, the team was having a hard time achieving that second fermentation with increased alcohol levels. "It was a very painful decision for us to stop a tradition that has lasted so long," she says of eliminating the bubbles. However, it does stay in bottle for a full year nevertheless. Fruit comes from the foot of the Monrobio di Bussia site, with 22-year-old vines planted across a tiny 2,000-square-meter patch. "This area makes Freisa with substance," she says. With blueberry and wild cherry, the wine offers a charming but slightly rustic personality. The 2022 is a little darker and more concentrated (with more dry extract) than the norm due to less liquid in the pulp of the fruit.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Mid-to-deep crimson. Deep nose of pure, sweet blueberry with hints of black pepper and mace. Fluid blackberry fruit, elegant and with bittersweet, grainy tannins. (WS)
The 2022 Langhe Freisa is another fine offering in this range from Maria Teresa Mascarello. It shows the fruit richness of Barbera but boasts the tannic presence of Nebbiolo. That's a pretty appealing combination in my book. Dark red cherry, leather, cedar, iron and menthol build over time.
About the producer
Bartolo Mascarello is one of the most respected, traditionalist Barolo producers. The Piedmont estate makes one of the region’s finest expressions of Nebbiolo.