October 17, 2022 - Maybe my bottle is flawed (cooked) but this tasted over ripe and port like. My experience does not resemble other recent tasting notes.
March 20, 2020 - Rich nose, plum and tobacco, smooth and soft. Sticky tannins. Delish
December 13, 2019 - This was outstanding tonight. There are many different sides of barolo that I appreciate, and this showed one of those in abundance -- black tea. The essence of tea can be found on the nose here as well as the palate, and both come across very positively. This is textbook Serralunga fruit. Darker, but still translucent, this has some tarry notes and menthol but the tea is the thing. Really outstanding. I favor long decants for most baroli but my taste upon decanting showed this to be an exception to that rule. The nose was heavily perfumed right out of the bottle and the palate was open for enjoyment. As with many of these wines, the nose faded and the acids hardened up a bit over 5-6 hours, but the first two hours were pure magic (so don't dump this in a decanter and miss that early window -- decant and immediately enjoy). The final few hours were quite good as well, it just showed more like an adolescent barolo in that window. No surprise there. Based on other reviews, I find this wine to be fairly under-rated........especially for Serralunga aficionados.
January 24, 2019 - At Bishan. Barolo night. Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of rose petals, tarry earth, sweet tea leaves, red cherry fruits. Developing.
On the palate, dry, vibrant bright high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), initially melt in the mouth sticky high tannins that become more structured and grippy with air, medium+ probably deceptively full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of red licorice, concentrated sweet red cherries, sour red cherries, sweet tarred earth, layer of stony minerality, bit of cool menthol. Structured long finish.
Very very good quality. Traditional Barolo. Confirmed no new oak at all here! Lots of red fruit concentration. Surprisingly approachable already, but can definitely age and develop more over the next 5 years.
Traditional, floating cap fermentation for 15-20 days. Aged in large Slovenian oak casks for 36 months.
From the Santo Stefano vineyard plot within the Perno Cru in the commune of Monforte d'Alba.
November 27, 2017 - Pale ruby, slight red hues, slight orange rim; Medicinal notes, bitter root, mullberry, anise/licorice, dried rose petal, gravel dust; cherry skin, tangy with raspberry-strawberry note; Hi acid, pretty high alcohol at 14.5%, chalky fine tannic finish. Really like this, but such a baby, still has great fruit, amazing structure. Wait another 5-10 yrs. Blind at store and home.
Had this again a week later after coravin: fantastic, even better sitting in my glass after 20 minutes. I'll hold onto the other bottle for at least 5-10yrs. But this is just starting its journey. (With NY strip steak I brought home from Jean-George in Vegas!)
November 5, 2017 - I’m not sure what’s going on here. Perhaps it will develop over time but last night this one was thin and shut down. Popped and put the wine in a decanter and it didn’t budge over three hours. I hope I remember to leave my remaining bottle for 10 years. Perhaps the wine was flawed in some way.
January 8, 2017 - Meat, rosemary, medicine. Dense, but very smooth and delicate texture.
January 27, 2016 - Approachable. Still developing. Dis jointed nose. Rose petals, tar. Silky mouth feel with fresh finish. Fruit is present throughout but subtle.
May 21, 2014 - It took 3 hrs to come around. A wine that is vibrant, pure and delivers with such completeness and harmony. This is Mascarello!