I must admit that this behemoth did not change a lot over the last 2 years when tasted last. Still incredibly young with captivating tannins but also already indicating its grandeur ahead. After an hour in the glass a kaleidoscope of fragrances develop with red berries, violets, some tar and interesting umami notes develop. I would give it another 5 years to get into a first drinking window and enjoy the decades to come.
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Opened for 3 hours. Color is brick red with a hint of orange on the rim. On the nose: Tar, strawberry, cherry, rose and forest floor. On the palate: Soft Strawberry and cherry, tar, orange zest, licorice and forest floor. Extremely elegant, tannins are very soft. Finish is very long. This wine is beautiful and it’s still a baby. An example of how great Barolo can be.
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Half a glass at a work dinner and what a memorable half a glass it was. Beautiful nebbiolo with a kaleidoscope of floral notes on the boquet... it almost made me dizzy smelling this wine. And perfectly pure dried cherry fruit with tar on the palate with a soft, delicate texture. I could have put the whole bottle away but this one went very quickly. A heavenly wine even at a young age and I can only image the heights it will reach in another 10 - 20 years. 97+
La Festa del Barolo: Rare Wine Dinner - Bartolo Mascarello (Legacy Records): From a magnum. Reminds me a lot of the ‘08 in style. A bit of sweetness and lovely fruit and very classic and pretty in style. Lightly floral. It holds together very nicely. Much too young at the moment, but there’s a lot to like here and it’s still approachable.
The ‘16 Barolo showed similarly to what I recall from 2020, although I found it a bit awkward on the palate, which can likely be chalked up to being in an adolescent stage.
The aromatics are super fresh and lifted, with tons of sheer energy, with pure red berry fruits, fresh orange fruit, fresh roses, and spices. The nose stands out for the combination of sweet, pure red toned fruit and a citrus top note. On the palate, the wine shows a similar profile, with sweet red berry and red roses and citrus tones, with high acidity, medium body, with great finesse. While all the components are there, tonight (tasted as a single glass in a large tasting) this wine didn’t show as well as the 2010 or 2013 alongside it, which both showed a bit more cohesiveness.
I would rate this in the 96-97 range; my best guess is it’ll show better with a few more years to settle down, and a 96 will begin to look conservative.
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Very aromatic nose, ripe orchard fruit. Elegant on the palate, very complete. Very present tannins and still a little awkward at this stage - a baby but very promising.
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Like so many '16s this shows wonderful aroma and perfume, good depth and concentration but without much palate weight. As such it pretty much wafts over your palate.
It's a bit of a bummer I only have a 6 pack of this elixir
tasted alongside rinaldi brunate 2016 and burlotto monvigliero 2016
rather closed at the beginning, we opened and poured, but then decided to decant, which I would absolutely recommend to do (even hours before tasting) puristic and clear nose, red berries, less herbacious than the rinaldi 16, some characteristic rose hip on the background
on the palate less closed, masculine tannins, rather expressive and chewy red and dark fruits, touch of licorice and sweet wood, cinnamon. got better by the minute, opened up more after some time. recommended decanting time: 2-3h before tasting.
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Crimson red in colour, classical restrained nose, showed lovely fruit yet reserved, supremely balanced yet with plenty of structure. Absolutely regal. Everything is there. Scored as found today but with upside in spades. 94+++
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Too young by decades, but this is a future supernova. The fruit here is super bold and super pure, but this is still block of marble--not the masterpiece that will emerge as time sculpts it. Still, the sense of balance, presence, and indeed grandeur is awesome and I can't wait to see where this ends up. The score here is for the joy of drinking it now--and that joy is real--but this may end up in the stratosphere if time does what I expect it will.
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Absolutely brilliant Barolo from Maria Teresa. Interestingly enough, her wines in their youth are often less restrained than some other of the top producers. In 2016 it’s a little the other way around. Had to try a Coravin glass tonight, after a first quick try at the cantina a few month ago. The bouquet starts with sour cherries, violets, limestone minerality and some blood oranges. The palate comes with massive, but refined tannins. I would not really open a bottle before the age of 10, but guess that the prime drinking window does not start before 2030. Probably another legend in the making after 2010 and 2013 at Cantina Bartolo Mascarello with potential to get even a higher score.
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Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2016. Selvfølgelig meget ung, men de vakreste roser, mørke bær, krydder og asfalt. Så rent, elegant og klassisk vakkert. Duften hopper ut av glasset. Enorm konsentrasjon av sublim fruktkvalitet. Stor dybde og nydelig nerve. Strukturert, uten å gå på bekostning av finesse og eleganse. Drikker bra nå - vanskelig å begrense seg. Helt magisk! Tipper den vil lukke ned etterhvert. De som har allokasjon på dette er noen heldige jævler. Meget lang finish med bestemte helt fine tanniner. Elsker dette! 96p+ med mer å hente.
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Blinded. Light red in color. Nose was fresh juicy red fruit, strawberries. Palate has hints of earth, black tea, with a slight sweetness to it. Good acidity, and then - the hammer drops. A wall of tannins comes in and shuts you down. This has to be a Barolo, and with that juicy red fruit, I guess 2016 Bartolo. boom! :)
Saturday blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Extremely bright and perfumed red fruit on the nose, as well as a slight dustiness. The palate is vibrant and bright, with lots of youthful red fruit. Clearly nebbiolo tannins, and although I hadn't tasted many examples of 2016 Piedmont yet, based on what I had read, I guessed this to be a 2016 as well, though I settled on Giacosa. All that said, I've been a huge fan of the last two big vintages of this wine (2013 and 2015) but this feels like a moderate step down on the initial impression. It's the bolder, more exposed structure which produces a wine that is sterner and less plush. I'm likely being conservative though, and fully expect this wine to improve with more time.
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Maria Teresa Mascarello's 2016 is a classically beautiful Barolo with a nose of raspberry, violet, white pepper, and earth. Medium bodied and elegantly styled with an early accessibility that I'd fight as hard as you can as this will be one of the wines of the vintage. Drink starting 2025.
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2016 Barolo Check-in: Delicate and pretty nose of violets, cherries, a hint of mint. Slightly less dark than some of the other Baroli, but so complex and deep. The palate has lots of tannins and nice acidity along with red berries, cocoa, red cherries, and leather flavors. Very long finish. This was getting better and better in the glass. A gorgeous wine that will be outstanding one day. Drink in 10+ years. 96-98+
Note: Bottle was opened a few days before tasting.
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Beautifully dense and beautiful feminine with aromas that you can smell for ages. Lovely red concentrated berries, roses, some mushrooms, sweat, cloves and tea. Full-bodied wine with this great touch that gives the ultimate delicate feeling of well-being of raspberries, wild strawberries, rosehips, sweat, salts, peppercorns and a hint of balsamic vinegar. Enough structure to carry the wine into half an eternity. The middle part and out can appear as a bit closed, maybe simply a bit in a phase, but the potential is sky high. Long and complex finish. Perfect acidity and tannin structure. This will just build. Sublime wine. 96 points. For now. (96-98p)
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Expressive nose of raspberry, cherry, rose petals and earth. It is pure and layered, with great volume and such engaging earthy nuance. It finishes with excellent cut and chew and whilst the wine's balance is such that it is thoroughly enjoyable now, there is so much more in the tank.
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A la cave. Très beau vin, les fruits explosent en bouche, le vin est puissant et élégant. Beaucoup de fraîcheur. Tannins fins. Un vin d'un équilibre parfait.
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The '16 Bartolo is a thrilling, classic Barolo, full of freshness, energy, and elegance. I found the nose to be high-pitched and very fresh, with dark red raspberry fruit, blood orange, menthol, anise, and fresh sage. On the palate, I found dark raspberry and blood orange fruit, violets and a touch of licorice, with a perfect balance of inner sweetness and acidity. Texturally, the wine is medium in body with tannins that emerge on the back end, but are so finely grained they are hardly noticeable.
Aromatically, the '16 Bartolo is a bit more austere than some of the '16s I've tried to date, but the wine impresses for its freshness, energy, and textural elegance, and most of all for its balance - there isn't a hair out of place here.
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4/29/2024 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Very young and quite closed. But still absolutely beautiful fruit and spice combo with wonderfully silky tannins. Try in 5 years.
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11/20/2023 - Klugi Wine wrote: 97 Points
I must admit that this behemoth did not change a lot over the last 2 years when tasted last.
Still incredibly young with captivating tannins but also already indicating its grandeur ahead.
After an hour in the glass a kaleidoscope of fragrances develop with red berries, violets, some tar and interesting umami notes develop.
I would give it another 5 years to get into a first drinking window and enjoy the decades to come.
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10/22/2023 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened for 3 hours. Color is brick red with a hint of orange on the rim. On the nose: Tar, strawberry, cherry, rose and forest floor. On the palate: Soft Strawberry and cherry, tar, orange zest, licorice and forest floor. Extremely elegant, tannins are very soft. Finish is very long. This wine is beautiful and it’s still a baby. An example of how great Barolo can be.
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10/8/2023 - signotim Likes this wine: 97 Points
Half a glass at a work dinner and what a memorable half a glass it was. Beautiful nebbiolo with a kaleidoscope of floral notes on the boquet... it almost made me dizzy smelling this wine. And perfectly pure dried cherry fruit with tar on the palate with a soft, delicate texture. I could have put the whole bottle away but this one went very quickly. A heavenly wine even at a young age and I can only image the heights it will reach in another 10 - 20 years. 97+
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2/2/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
La Festa del Barolo: Rare Wine Dinner - Bartolo Mascarello (Legacy Records): From a magnum. Reminds me a lot of the ‘08 in style. A bit of sweetness and lovely fruit and very classic and pretty in style. Lightly floral. It holds together very nicely. Much too young at the moment, but there’s a lot to like here and it’s still approachable.
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2/2/2023 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The ‘16 Barolo showed similarly to what I recall from 2020, although I found it a bit awkward on the palate, which can likely be chalked up to being in an adolescent stage.
The aromatics are super fresh and lifted, with tons of sheer energy, with pure red berry fruits, fresh orange fruit, fresh roses, and spices. The nose stands out for the combination of sweet, pure red toned fruit and a citrus top note. On the palate, the wine shows a similar profile, with sweet red berry and red roses and citrus tones, with high acidity, medium body, with great finesse. While all the components are there, tonight (tasted as a single glass in a large tasting) this wine didn’t show as well as the 2010 or 2013 alongside it, which both showed a bit more cohesiveness.
I would rate this in the 96-97 range; my best guess is it’ll show better with a few more years to settle down, and a 96 will begin to look conservative.
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12/7/2022 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Very aromatic nose, ripe orchard fruit.
Elegant on the palate, very complete. Very present tannins and still a little awkward at this stage - a baby but very promising.
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5/3/2022 - ubercuvee wrote:
Like so many '16s this shows wonderful aroma and perfume, good depth and concentration but without much palate weight. As such it pretty much wafts over your palate.
It's a bit of a bummer I only have a 6 pack of this elixir
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4/12/2022 - Decarlor wrote: 99 Points
Close to perfection
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3/25/2022 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 94 Points
tasted alongside rinaldi brunate 2016 and burlotto monvigliero 2016
rather closed at the beginning, we opened and poured, but then decided to decant, which I would absolutely recommend to do (even hours before tasting)
puristic and clear nose, red berries, less herbacious than the rinaldi 16, some characteristic rose hip on the background
on the palate less closed, masculine tannins, rather expressive and chewy red and dark fruits, touch of licorice and sweet wood, cinnamon. got better by the minute, opened up more after some time. recommended decanting time: 2-3h before tasting.
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3/25/2022 - Waedi Likes this wine: 94 Points
94+
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2/23/2022 - fussyeater Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crimson red in colour, classical restrained nose, showed lovely fruit yet reserved, supremely balanced yet with plenty of structure. Absolutely regal. Everything is there. Scored as found today but with upside in spades. 94+++
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1/10/2022 - rc@ughey wrote: 94 Points
Too young by decades, but this is a future supernova. The fruit here is super bold and super pure, but this is still block of marble--not the masterpiece that will emerge as time sculpts it. Still, the sense of balance, presence, and indeed grandeur is awesome and I can't wait to see where this ends up. The score here is for the joy of drinking it now--and that joy is real--but this may end up in the stratosphere if time does what I expect it will.
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11/25/2021 - Jowh wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic nose. Deep cherry. Silky. Long finish with some drying tannins. Very classical. Open as 7/11 after 20 minutes decanting.
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11/24/2021 - Klugi Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely brilliant Barolo from Maria Teresa. Interestingly enough, her wines in their youth are often less restrained than some other of the top producers. In 2016 it’s a little the other way around.
Had to try a Coravin glass tonight, after a first quick try at the cantina a few month ago.
The bouquet starts with sour cherries, violets, limestone minerality and some blood oranges. The palate comes with massive, but refined tannins.
I would not really open a bottle before the age of 10, but guess that the prime drinking window does not start before 2030. Probably another legend in the making after 2010 and 2013 at Cantina Bartolo Mascarello with potential to get even a higher score.
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11/23/2021 - evesnight Likes this wine:
Do not touch for at least 10 years
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8/8/2021 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2016.
Selvfølgelig meget ung, men de vakreste roser, mørke bær, krydder og asfalt.
Så rent, elegant og klassisk vakkert.
Duften hopper ut av glasset.
Enorm konsentrasjon av sublim fruktkvalitet.
Stor dybde og nydelig nerve.
Strukturert, uten å gå på bekostning av finesse og eleganse.
Drikker bra nå - vanskelig å begrense seg.
Helt magisk!
Tipper den vil lukke ned etterhvert.
De som har allokasjon på dette er noen heldige jævler.
Meget lang finish med bestemte helt fine tanniner.
Elsker dette! 96p+ med mer å hente.
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2/23/2021 - mye wrote:
Blinded. Light red in color. Nose was fresh juicy red fruit, strawberries. Palate has hints of earth, black tea, with a slight sweetness to it. Good acidity, and then - the hammer drops. A wall of tannins comes in and shuts you down. This has to be a Barolo, and with that juicy red fruit, I guess 2016 Bartolo. boom! :)
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2/20/2021 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Saturday blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Extremely bright and perfumed red fruit on the nose, as well as a slight dustiness. The palate is vibrant and bright, with lots of youthful red fruit. Clearly nebbiolo tannins, and although I hadn't tasted many examples of 2016 Piedmont yet, based on what I had read, I guessed this to be a 2016 as well, though I settled on Giacosa. All that said, I've been a huge fan of the last two big vintages of this wine (2013 and 2015) but this feels like a moderate step down on the initial impression. It's the bolder, more exposed structure which produces a wine that is sterner and less plush. I'm likely being conservative though, and fully expect this wine to improve with more time.
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2/20/2021 - rlove wrote: 95 Points
Maria Teresa Mascarello's 2016 is a classically beautiful Barolo with a nose of raspberry, violet, white pepper, and earth. Medium bodied and elegantly styled with an early accessibility that I'd fight as hard as you can as this will be one of the wines of the vintage. Drink starting 2025.
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2/9/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 97 Points
2016 Barolo Check-in: Delicate and pretty nose of violets, cherries, a hint of mint. Slightly less dark than some of the other Baroli, but so complex and deep. The palate has lots of tannins and nice acidity along with red berries, cocoa, red cherries, and leather flavors. Very long finish. This was getting better and better in the glass. A gorgeous wine that will be outstanding one day. Drink in 10+ years. 96-98+
Note: Bottle was opened a few days before tasting.
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1/7/2021 - Andre Brattland wrote: 96 Points
Beautifully dense and beautiful feminine with aromas that you can smell for ages. Lovely red concentrated berries, roses, some mushrooms, sweat, cloves and tea. Full-bodied wine with this great touch that gives the ultimate delicate feeling of well-being of raspberries, wild strawberries, rosehips, sweat, salts, peppercorns and a hint of balsamic vinegar. Enough structure to carry the wine into half an eternity. The middle part and out can appear as a bit closed, maybe simply a bit in a phase, but the potential is sky high. Long and complex finish. Perfect acidity and tannin structure. This will just build. Sublime wine. 96 points. For now. (96-98p)
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1/3/2021 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Expressive nose of raspberry, cherry, rose petals and earth. It is pure and layered, with great volume and such engaging earthy nuance. It finishes with excellent cut and chew and whilst the wine's balance is such that it is thoroughly enjoyable now, there is so much more in the tank.
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10/16/2020 - Dionysos 1920 wrote: 98 Points
A la cave. Très beau vin, les fruits explosent en bouche, le vin est puissant et élégant. Beaucoup de fraîcheur. Tannins fins. Un vin d'un équilibre parfait.
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9/6/2020 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 97 Points
The '16 Bartolo is a thrilling, classic Barolo, full of freshness, energy, and elegance. I found the nose to be high-pitched and very fresh, with dark red raspberry fruit, blood orange, menthol, anise, and fresh sage. On the palate, I found dark raspberry and blood orange fruit, violets and a touch of licorice, with a perfect balance of inner sweetness and acidity. Texturally, the wine is medium in body with tannins that emerge on the back end, but are so finely grained they are hardly noticeable.
Aromatically, the '16 Bartolo is a bit more austere than some of the '16s I've tried to date, but the wine impresses for its freshness, energy, and textural elegance, and most of all for its balance - there isn't a hair out of place here.
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