Cantina (Bartolo) Mascarello Dinner: The Barolos of Giulio and Bartolo Mascarello 1952-1971

One of the most special evenings of wine and enthusiasm for wine that I have had the privilege to join. I am going to quote fellow enthusiast Ken Vastola, as he summed up the general feeling as well as anyone could: "I don't think I have ever started a youngest to oldest tasting with a 40 year old wine. I mentioned this to the group at the time, and there was a general murmur of agreement, and a clear sense that we were about to experience something quite special. The evening did not disappoint." (See, http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2012-04-16_Rare_Bartolo_BarBoulud/).

We started the evening with an aperitif: 2002 Le Mesnil - Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Le Mesnil (A co-op wine, perhaps the only co-op Champagne I've ever had). Somehow I didn't get a note on this. I think I was too excited for Barolo...

• 1971 Cantina Mascarello Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bricked rosy ruby. Fairly delicate but airy and beautiful nose of stone dust and tobacco. A little oxidized, a little tired; later, opening more, loads of baking spices, cinnamon, hints of clove. Palate shows good acid; stern tannin, but in check, with quite good length. It opened up at the very end of the glass. This clearly would have benefited from 8-10 hours open, slow-ox'ed (like all the best Piedmont wines seem to do, in my view).

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• 1970 Cantina Mascarello Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bricked ruby. Reticent but very pure nose of raspberry, cherry, rose -- simply glorious. Super sappy and pure; hauntingly complex and deep. Palate has great fruit, right up front, really polished, sweet. Lightish body, but very intense with fruit character; classic power without weight. Cherry, rosy palate; taught as a new G-string on an acoustic guitar. Good length, shy of great length. First-rate wine. Wow!

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• 1971 Giovannini Moresco Barbaresco Pajoré

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Very bricked, pale ruby. Deep notes of tobacco, leather, classic rose, but leaning decidedly to earth; with a few minutes, evident laquer and urine (not unpleasant). Piercingly lovely, complex nose. Palate decidedly sweet and rounded off, like a once-sharp stone worried smooth in your pocket over the last 41 years. Gorgeous! Palate of rose perfume, cherry, more leather. Wow! Utter silk, and extremely long. Incredible balance, and WOTF for me, easily. Heavenly.

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• 1970 Giovannini Moresco Barbaresco Pajoré

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Deep ruby, bricked but not as much as I'd expect. Reluctant nose running to cherry, a note of pleasing lacquer; complex; a prickly whiff of kitty's litterbox. Palate good but monolithic compared to its company in this flight; rather blocky cherry, leather. Tannic. OK length, but outclassed tonight.

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• 1967 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bricked pale ruby. Giant, billowing nose of book leather, cherry cough syrup, rose, baking spices. Spectacular and classic. Truffles, tar, saline, kelp. WOW!!! Palate is masculine, fantastic, good-to-superb balance, excellent length. Pine, orange peel, an elusive red fruit will-o-the-wisp dancing deep in a forest of leather. Later, a very distinct note of geranium showed up on the nose. A very special wine. Absolutely wonderful. I love the '67s in Piedmont, and this only reinforced that sentiment.

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• 1964 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Fully bricked, some ruby hanging in there in the center. Nose immediately a hit of paint thinner/acetone. Flawed. Palate is a little better, but still flawed. [I can't tell you how much I wanted this wine to break free of its chains; this is probably my favorite Piedmont vintage over the last couple of years. But it wasn't to be. It seems others found this more palatable than I did.]

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• 1964 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very deep ruby, bricked. Wonderfully deep, pure nose of cherry, raspberry, rose; very fresh; fruit for days; cherry liqueur. Later the nose developed a distinct fecal, "baby diapers" aroma (not unpleasant, just this wine expressing its earthiness). Palate very elegant and balanced. Good, sweet cheery cherry fruit. Long, with fantastic overall balance. Blind I might have thought this was a Volnay, perhaps a Clos des Ducs, because of the pure, red fruit on the nose. Wonderful wine, certainly the WOTF.

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• 1961 Cantina Mascarello Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very bricked, pale ruby. Nose instantly hits with a blast of fertilizer, then seriously big-time coffee ice cream, coffee, lacquer (antique furniture store), book leather, truffle. Lovely! Palate very similar to the nose, silken balance; ginger, orange peel, coffee, leather. Excellent length. Really, really delicious -- with the '61 Riserva coming next even more so. Splendid.

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• 1961 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bricked, beautiful ruby; pretty! Nose incredibly pure (again, like the '64 Riserva), bright; raspberry, absolutely the purest, most crystalline tea-rose bud in a hot-afternoon garden. Wow! Orange peel. Simply: glorious. Palate exquisitely balanced -- finest cashmere; bright, sweet cherry fruit; citrus flower. Outstanding length. Great wine, full stop. Brighter and fresher than the wonderful '61 normale.

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• 1958 Cantina Mascarello Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very pale, bricked ruby. Nose very pure, lifted, bright red fruit; cherry; a little hint of fertilizer; a touch of earthy mushroom not quite getting to truffle anymore. Palate tannic, a little stern; losing fruit. A little past its best, at this point -- though the nose still has some charm to offer.

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• 1958 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Same color as the '58 normale: very pale, bricked ruby. Heady, intoxicating fruit-cocktail nose, lush, very finely integrated with leather, crushed velvet; orange blossom. Wow! Palate very sweet, brown sugar; resolved, balanced, and simply lovely. Precise, poised, and almost delicate in a Burgundian guise. Much more fruit than the '58 normale. Exquisite, pinpoint balance and irresistibly delicious. Very long, savory, beef bouillon finish. Yummy!!! A great wine.

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• 1957 Cantina Mascarello Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pale, bricked ruby. Delicate but persistent nose; some vitamins, some cherry cola. Palate resolved, pretty fresh, but thinning with age (but how is this wine alive at all in this vintage…?). Medium length. Better than the '58 normale, but just by a hair.

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• 1955 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pale, bricked blood. Elusive nose, eucalyptus, cherry, strawberry, a little heat. Palate thinning and rather tannic. A bit past its best and the least of the Riservas tonight, but again still has some things to say on the nose.

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• 1954 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bricked, pale ruby. Rich, full nose of cafe au lait, leather, mellow nutmeg, chestnuts; most warm and inviting. Palate similar, nicely balanced and a little reserved, a hint of flint; maple syrup. Pure comfort. Heavenly and absolutely delicious. Long. A pleasing herbal note showed up on the nose very late. What a bottle of wine!

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• 1952 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pale, bricked, rose-ruby. Punchy, pointed nose, orange peel, almost grapefruit. Palate shows good cherry; drying out just a bit and a little dry, consequently, but that is no flaw here. Pretty good length. After sitting a bit: a very pure, piercing nose of crystalline rose. Beautiful, beautiful delicate crystalline finish. Wow. This wine just edged out the Riserva of the same vintage, the first time this happened tonight.

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• 1952 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bricked blood. Delicate, elusive nose; rose petal; bewitching; orange peel. Lots of rose. Palate quite virile, cherry, cream. Nicely balanced. Delicate, but fresh and complex. Excellent length, with lingering notes of gooseberry.

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