From magnun. Drunk along side the 2005 (in mag as well). Very nice. The 01 was the better drinker for current consumption, while the 05 seemed the slightly better wine looking forward.
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This was another excellent bottle; great cork seal; a simply beautiful nose with fresh red fruit, mint, dried tobacco, violet, and a hint of orange peel. The palate is admirably pure with great delineation and still feels quite young and fresh. Plenty of acidity alongside plenty of tannin. Needs food for sure. Drinking really well, but has plenty of time ahead in a cool cellar. I need to buy more of these wines.
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La Festa del Barolo: Rare Wine Dinner - Bartolo Mascarello (Legacy Records): From a magnum. Interesting because when this wine was first poured my initial impression was it was older than its years and time to drink up (and quickly). With some time in the glass though that blew off and then it was quite a nice wine - all red fruits and rose hips and the power and elegance of the wine shows through. Very pretty wine.
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01/04 pairing. Another terrific bottle of this 2001 with gorgeous red cherry fruit that is powerful yet elegant, and laced with floral, tar, leather, earth nuances. Benchmark, classic Barolo in an early peak window.
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"The stench is dissipating" (Chicago, IL): Fairly consistent with my previous bottle of this just over a month ago. Red fruited with plenty of acid and tannic structure, this is easily going to be a long distance runner. I've heard of some bottle variation on this wine, but the bottles from my case so far have been pretty top notch. No doubt a strong contender for the wine of the night for me.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VII (Chicago, IL): I preferred the more mature 1990 to this, but given the same amount of time, I think this would be the better wine because it felt that this had more acid and structure to go the distance, while still having similar amounts of fruit (though in this case, more red than black). Very much an old-school style of nebbiolo in terms of its structure. Quite tannic still (not unexpectedly), this has a lot of potential ahead.
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2001 Barolo and Barbaresco (Chez Wolff): [Double-decanted around 1pm.] Heavenly nose of dark cherries, licorice, and a hint of brown sugar. Long, expansive, and complex. Classic CBM style. Elegant and perfumed.
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Short answer - Amazing. Been holding onto this awhile to celebrate my sons 21st birthday (born in 2001) I could not get over the youth in this, fresh and good fruit balanced with great acidity. Hands down the best Barolo I've had (and better than the 1998 Mascarello had on my older sons 21st) so hard to find this near me - not sure it's imported in the same volume it has been in the past and the big uptick pricing reflects that. Definitely worth seeking out producer. Class in a glass.
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Double decanted at home in NJ then brought to The Inn at Little Washington for our 20th anniversary getaway. When poured the wine seemed more advanced and bricked than expected but I took only a very small hurried taste. It seemed a bit off but I have had old Baroli that were like this but with some air in the decanter have blossomed. After dropping off to the Somm in the afternoon, I asked to have it decanted before our dinner reservation time and to call our room if it seemed “off”. Sadly I got the call and the wine was quite clearly “corked”…I also tasted it when we sat down….Dominant TCA…URGH! Very Sad….Curiously, as I looked at the wine it has gotten more garnet and brighter than the earlier bricked color, much as I had hoped….Oh, well. I had searched the wine list for another 2001 vintage and found a 2001 Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin which was decanted before our dinner arrival…more on that in its tasting note.
A sound bottle. As classic as it gets here with pure cherry fruits made interesting with tar, leather and fresh cut florals. Fruit is still reasonably primary though now settled in and in harmony with the structure. Rich and dense on the palate but not at all heavy. Should age for 30+ years.
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The classic Barolo nose offers up a pretty bouquet of dried cherry, rose, tar, roast meat, iron, and licorice. Still noticeable, slightly grainy tannins and bright acidity frame concentrated dark cherry and mineral flavors that offer excellent breadth across the palate culminating in a persistent finish. As with many wines this vintage, this is an appealing and perfumed midweight wine, balanced and accessible. Bartolo Mascarello's 2001 is very good.
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Double decanted in the AM. Drunk that evening over several hours.
WOw. the sis a wide open, beautiful nose. Deeper and richer than the older offerings. Tar, roses, herbal and balsam notes not he nose. Rich, sappy, and expansive yet terrifically balanced on the palate. The embodiment of power and grace. This has the lift and balance to carry its large frame beautifully. A terrific wine just starting to drink in its window. Terrirific. 96
La Festa del Barolo Gala Dinner (The Pool in NYC): One of my favorites at the tasting. I just really love what she does with her wines. This was all red fruits and rose hips and a lovely freshness and elegance in style. Very old school which I appreciate. Will keep seeking these out. They are just wonderful.
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Old Barolo Night (Bar-a-Thym, Singapore): What a great start to dinner. This was superb. It had a lovely nose, masculine and strong, with notes of meat and mineral, dark plums and dusty earth, a twist of spice and just that classic kiss of tar and roses. What a knockout bouquet that was. With a quick decant, the palate was starting to drink beautifully, even though its was still very youthful, and very classically structured. Firm, sinewy tannins and bright acidity formed a noble frame for beautifully pure, clear flavours of dark cherries, blueberries and plums, seasoned on the midpalate with a lovely mouthful of peppery, smoky spice, and then trailing away with a minerally, earthy tail into a deliciously long, detailed finish. It tasted just a touch bittersweet at the very end at first, but this cleared quickly to be replaced by a lovely glow of red fruit and florals in the back-palate. This was perfectly balanced, brilliantly poised, and had a real effortless strength to it. Wonderful, ethereal stuff, that will continue to improve over the decades. Fabulous. This bested a brilliant bottle 2001 Aldo Conterno Colonello on the same flight by a whisker for me, by virtue of it being just a bit more elegant and transparent. To be fair though, a good half of the table preferred the more voluptuous Aldo Conterno.
2018 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium – Kelly, RJ, Justin and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/7/2018-11/11/2018 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Expressive old school nose displaying concentrated slightly dry cherry fruit, caramel, licorice, rare steak, tobacco, cinnamon and iron mineral. Excellent concentration, packed slightly dry sweet cherry, rich and chewy, balsamico, perfect bright acidity and iron mineral, still noticeable slightly rustic tannins and a long intense dry cherry and licorice driven finish with a hint of iron and dark spices at the end. It remains very youthful and drinking nicely. It is a masculine and rustic wine that is slightly lacking finesse.
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This was killer and better than anticipated. My first bottle of Bartolo Mascarello; the nose was beautiful, classic Nebbiolo with dried red berry fruit, tar, tobacco, damp leaf litter, mushroom, and dried rose petal. The palate is simply a study in elegance and class; beautiful flavors, resolved tannins, great depth, and a fabulous finish. I know this vintage has taken hits for being up and down and if true this definitely seems to be an up bottle. One of the best Barolo's I've had and just pure enjoyment.
Continued to be just as good on day 2.
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In a tie for wotn with 1999 Lewis cellar and 2004 brunello reserva from San fillipo This has hit a spot where earth and fruit are more integrated but still with youthful exuberance Wish I had more
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Double decanted to serve. Port like nose with dark fruit, herbs, and licorice. It does not have the rose petal note in many great mascarello. Palate has a rather short finish with medium tannins.
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The nose showed citrus-tinged red berry and pretty floral tones. On the palate, I found soft textures, unexpected so for an ‘01. There was also a lack of depth. This finish was dry with fine tannin and tart, mineral-infused tannin. I’ve heard stories of the ‘01 being a variable bottle, and tonight's wasn’t nearly as exciting as my last bottle.
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Cantina Bartolo Mascarello Vertical (Hearth Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted at about noon.] Woodsy black fruit nose. Sweet, balanced. Very young, but much more drinkable than the 1999 tonight. Moreover, this has a great sense of harmony characteristic of the best 2001s. Terrific! 96-?
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Such a gorgeous nose of licorice, dark cherries and spices but the palate doesn't quite deliver at this point. The wine seems to be young but it's certainly not integrated right now. Made during the supposed decline of the master where the wines from the mid-'90's thru the mid-'00's seem subpar. We'll see with more time. 88?
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Heady and alcoholic nose with high-pitched red cherry fruit and menthol notes. Stern palate with firm tannins and, again, lots of alcohol, to the extent where fruit is almost an accent at this point. VA? Some classic notes, and attractive red fruit, but hard to see a better whole past the component parts. Not my favorite Bartolo.
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Drank a well with 1 hour decant and held up all night. Balanced balsamic, herb, sappy red fruit. Medium acidity. Old school barolo in perfect balance, but perhaps missing an X factor at this stage in its development.
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Cinnamon and black cherries on the nose. Full bodied, showing great poise between grippy tannins and lively acidity. Long finish. Has the stuffing still to benefit from another 5 to 10yrs of cellaring. 14% abv.
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This is showing soft and smooth and not tannic, with a deep core of dark fruit that is still rather primary. Ray and I don't find this to be tannic, but Y says that's because we drink Barolo, to him this is tannic. Lovely, but needs years still. Bottle 1 of 12. Roberta's pizza in Bushwick with Ray and Yaacov.
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Barolo 2010 & 2001 (chez moi): (bottle from my cellar ) - upon opening young, tight, tannic - not very generous (tastes almost like the 2010); light and elegant, yes, but with plenty of old school acidity up front. It will gain with age, but will it ever become true friendly, I wondered? When tasting blind, I recognized the wine, but called it "straight forward" - one the day after it is great, open, classical, even with generous fruit (“straight forward) with softened tannins showing up in the aftertaste. This has many years to go.
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Impromptu Year End Dinner (L'Apicio): WAY young and tight despite being opened and decanted 3-5 hours before drinking, but showing gorgeous dark but bright red fruit notes, tar, rose petals, and tons and tons of minerality. Open in another 10 years?
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Rotating Dinner Series- A tour of 2001 Barolo (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: While the nose is somewhat on the tighter side, there is a perfumed quality to it with strawberries, rose petals, tar, red cherries, red fruits, some earth, and a touch of violets. There is excellent depth and this shows off a more feminine side.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and chewy tannins. The structure shows off its youth, but there is a pretty and feminine side with strawberries, rose petals, tar, red cherries, earth, and some red fruits on the back end.
Overall: This was surprisingly open given the producer and vintage. This showed off a real femininity and nuance that will show even better with more age.
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Chicago Rotating Dinner Series - 2001 Piedmont (Osteria Langhe - Chicago, IL): Dark aromas of florals, earth, and blackberries on the nose and a touch of sweetness. Pretty interesting how open this wine was - that definitely caught me off-guard. The fruit was juicy and dark, it had nice sweet tannins, and an earthy/floral note on the midpalate. Drinking nicely already, but it has a lot of life for the long haul too.
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An evening of Barolo and Barbaresco (Bern, Switzerland): Iron, iron, and more iron at first. With a swirl there are floral notes and mint with some tobacco. Wow what a palate. Seamless with perfect balance. Pure cherry fruit, vibrant, sweet and sour. This is really just perfectly enjoyable, peppery and tarry, so energetic. My clear #1 wine of the flight and #2 wine of the night.
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A Taste of Piedmonte in Switzerland (Bern): Tasted blind. Very pretty. Barrique, dried fruit, leather, tobacco, strawberry and rose petal. Elegant, soft, and pretty on the body, with pure red fruit showing a little bit of age. Silky, seamless balance with great acidity. Finishes with very fine tannins.
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2. day. Not much is left and the nose is much less expressive. But on the palate it's still all there, concentrated, intense, serious, without heaviness. Truly classic.
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Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): Dark black cherry nose. Tight, tannic, but with gorgeous complex red fruit. An ethereal wine with just enough structure and harmony that should drink well for at least 20 years more. I correctly guessed that this was the 2001.
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Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was classic, showing dusty cherry, cedar, crushed fall leaves moist earth and dried spice. On the palate, it was lean on entry with tart cherry and inner floral tones yet grew richer as it coated the senses with noble tannin. The finish was youthful with an acid, tannin tug across the palate, accentuated by lingering notes of dry red fruit, minerals and soil tones. Beautiful.
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Surprisingly dark in color. Intense acid—you can smell it before you taste it, if that makes sense. Just starting to get into the secondary aromas but still very much fruit-forward. You can tell there's a lot of potential here—roses, mushrooms, the slightest hints of mint on the mid-palate—but it's at least five years away from starting to show its true colors. Ordered off a restaurant list, this was not a winner in terms of quality-to-price ratio. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
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Terrific young Barolo just entering early maturity. Classic aromas of roses, dried plum and tea. Had this open for 2 nights and improved significantly from night 1 to night 2. Great now and would expect it to age really well.
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med garnet w/ tawny rim; med+ developed, crushed flowers, sandalwood, licorice, red plums, dried fruits, dates; dry, med acid, med+ tannin (grippy), full body/high alc, med intensity, med+ finish, licorice, black cherry syrup, rose petals, chocolate; very good, drink now - clear developed flavors, tannins still have plenty of life, almost port like
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Brick red color. The nose is a mix of balsam & sandalwood accented by some dark fruit. Smoky palate with some bing cherry & mineral quality on the mid. A massive wall of tannin greets you on the back of the palate. This received a short decant and certainly perked up with some wild mushroom pizza, but is in need of more bottle age or a lot longer time to breathe. Amazing wine, needed a gentler hand.
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This is open and generous on the nose with lots of red berries, plum and some hints of red fruit tart. The palate confirms the intuition that this is pretty primary and needs time to show all its material. Dense and powerful, but again, very primary. Firm tannins and sharp acidity will work well with food. However, I'd put this to sleep for another 7-12 years at least. I'm a real fan of Bartolo and this bottle is another great example of consistency.
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A bit brooding at the moment, but still drinks rather well. This is a big wine, but not in a new world kind of way. This is traditional as it gets. It's just a touch monolithic at the moment. Huge menthol tobacco notes with creosote, licorice, currants and sour cherry. Not a hint of new wood to be found thank goodness. Wonderfully smooth and balanced already, but this needs a little more time to bring out the more ethereal tertiary notes that it seems capable of producing.
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A classic Bartolo Mascarello. Sensational earthy nose. Pure elegance on the palate. A completely round wine with a lengthy finish. A wine to enjoy for many years to come.
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I was a bit disappointed after all positive reviews I have read. A very good Barolo, but for me not a great one - maybe me or maybe the weather, sorry...
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I am so pleased to be seeing these good reviews for this wine. For those who have some of these bottles, I wanted to let you know what the producer said about drinkability when I acquired mine. I met Maria-Téresa Mascarello at the winery--my wife and I were there in October 2006 for a tasting. The winery had almost sold out of the 2001, but Maria-Teresa agreed to sell us several bottles--but only after making me promise that I would not drink them before 2011. I have done as I promised, and will hold off for another year until next fall/winter. As good as it seems from the tasting notes I've read, I imagine it's going to be truly spectacular as it continues to age.
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Opened just a half hour or so before consumption. Not decanted after a brief taste confirmed that it was open and giving. Young, for sure, but remarkably fresh and open last night- fragrant notes of violet, fennel and earthy leaves, with just a bit of tar, followed by a clear, clean but remarkably powerful and balanced mouthfeel. Absolutely wonderful wine. Looking forward to tracking this for many years.
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Surprisingly plush and open knit. Great aromatics of cherries, tar, smoked meats, cedar, lipstick and red currants. Deep and rich in the mouth with some black fruits and plenty of iron and soot and a hint of balsamic. It finishes with sandy tannins and is extremely long.
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Group of us brought this bad boy to an Italian BYO restaurant... popped early and let it breath for an hour or so and then drank over the next hour with lamb and a variety of pasta dishes. This wine is still young, like a teenager... but not one of those kids that wants to fight everyone - definitely more restrained and well behaved. Signature notes of earth, roses, leather, dark fruit. Drinking real well - not overly tannic, but enough structure to hold up well for ages.
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My neighbors are moving away for a few years to take care of ailing parents, so I brought some Cali syrah to a going away party at their house. When that was done, I asked what people wanted and someone said Barolo. I walked across the street to rummage in my cellar, and I chose this. Popped and splash decanted hard into a Reidel "O" pitcher decanter, which is rapidly becoming my favorite. Initially, the wine was a bit subdued with clean pure red fruit, principally tart cherry, and some spice. However, as it sat in the glass and time passed in the decanter, it exploded with complex multiple flavors. There was earthiness, truffles and dusty dried herbs, with that creosote flavor that you get in Barolo that magically tastes good even though it makes no sense. This is the first of my 2001 Barolos that I have opened and if this is any indication of what to expect from that vintage, my only response is "Damn, I should have bought more."
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Hard, and showing little but structure. Hands off. Left half the bottle in the fridge for 4 days in hopes of wresting something from it, and after clutching at straws awhile I was rewarded. Complex nose of sour cherry, menthol, cured meats, lightly balsamic. A veritable kaleidoscope of flavors in the mouth. Palate follows the nose, plus beef broth and star anise, densely concentrated, with good fresh acidity. Still very tight, with a mouthful of chewy astringent, almost rustic tannins, but starting to unwind a bit and giving flashes of glory here and there. This probably needs a decade or more, but should be fascinating when it finally emerges from slumber.
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Musky notes on the nose are joined by subtle notes of seashells, mineral water, and light notes of asian spices and jam. In the mouth this is lovely and fresh with a bright feel and very fine tannins. Very fine notes of bitter cherry and rosehips in the mouth with subtle herb seed/coriander notes adding complexity. Finishes lean and sinewy with sneaky length.
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Medium perfumes of: black and red fruits, roses, leather and liquorice. Great structure, very firm tannins yet, with a beautifully purity of fruit and long spicy finish. This wine, must slumber in your cellar for at least 5 or 6 years.
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2001 Bartolo Mascarello – very laid back nose at first revealing only wet stones and juicy plums but with airing developes bright red fruits and a bit of apple skin before turning darker and revealing some blackberry liquor, dried herbs, and cherry pie spice – real sweetness on entry with tons of licorice and pumice with notes of leather and mulling spices supporting the red berry fruit, just a touch disjointed but showing great promise
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AIS tasting, 6 Barolos, 2005-10-14 Orange-red colour, clear/transparent. Heavy on the earthy, minerally, and balsamic characteristics; a little spice, no evident fruit. Tart, tannic, closed. I always wish to like Mascarello’s Barolos because I greatly admired the man, but even with optimal bottle age, they never come high up on my list.
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12/9/2023 - BradE wrote:
From magnun. Drunk along side the 2005 (in mag as well). Very nice. The 01 was the better drinker for current consumption, while the 05 seemed the slightly better wine looking forward.
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9/25/2023 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was another excellent bottle; great cork seal; a simply beautiful nose with fresh red fruit, mint, dried tobacco, violet, and a hint of orange peel. The palate is admirably pure with great delineation and still feels quite young and fresh. Plenty of acidity alongside plenty of tannin. Needs food for sure. Drinking really well, but has plenty of time ahead in a cool cellar. I need to buy more of these wines.
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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. Interesting because when this wine was first poured my initial impression was it was older than its years and time to drink up (and quickly). With some time in the glass though that blew off and then it was quite a nice wine - all red fruits and rose hips and the power and elegance of the wine shows through. Very pretty wine.
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12/27/2022 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
01/04 pairing. Another terrific bottle of this 2001 with gorgeous red cherry fruit that is powerful yet elegant, and laced with floral, tar, leather, earth nuances. Benchmark, classic Barolo in an early peak window.
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12/27/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
"The stench is dissipating" (Chicago, IL): Fairly consistent with my previous bottle of this just over a month ago. Red fruited with plenty of acid and tannic structure, this is easily going to be a long distance runner. I've heard of some bottle variation on this wine, but the bottles from my case so far have been pretty top notch. No doubt a strong contender for the wine of the night for me.
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11/12/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VII (Chicago, IL): I preferred the more mature 1990 to this, but given the same amount of time, I think this would be the better wine because it felt that this had more acid and structure to go the distance, while still having similar amounts of fruit (though in this case, more red than black). Very much an old-school style of nebbiolo in terms of its structure. Quite tannic still (not unexpectedly), this has a lot of potential ahead.
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10/14/2022 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
2001 Barolo and Barbaresco (Chez Wolff): [Double-decanted around 1pm.] Heavenly nose of dark cherries, licorice, and a hint of brown sugar. Long, expansive, and complex. Classic CBM style. Elegant and perfumed.
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6/3/2022 - vino777 wrote: 97 Points
Short answer - Amazing. Been holding onto this awhile to celebrate my sons 21st birthday (born in 2001) I could not get over the youth in this, fresh and good fruit balanced with great acidity. Hands down the best Barolo I've had (and better than the 1998 Mascarello had on my older sons 21st) so hard to find this near me - not sure it's imported in the same volume it has been in the past and the big uptick pricing reflects that. Definitely worth seeking out producer. Class in a glass.
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11/9/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Youthful, starting to come around, firm tannin… needs more air or time. Good but not great.
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8/5/2021 - oldwines wrote: flawed
Double decanted at home in NJ then brought to The Inn at Little Washington for our 20th anniversary getaway. When poured the wine seemed more advanced and bricked than expected but I took only a very small hurried taste. It seemed a bit off but I have had old Baroli that were like this but with some air in the decanter have blossomed. After dropping off to the Somm in the afternoon, I asked to have it decanted before our dinner reservation time and to call our room if it seemed “off”. Sadly I got the call and the wine was quite clearly “corked”…I also tasted it when we sat down….Dominant TCA…URGH! Very Sad….Curiously, as I looked at the wine it has gotten more garnet and brighter than the earlier bricked color, much as I had hoped….Oh, well. I had searched the wine list for another 2001 vintage and found a 2001 Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin which was decanted before our dinner arrival…more on that in its tasting note.
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5/26/2021 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
A sound bottle. As classic as it gets here with pure cherry fruits made interesting with tar, leather and fresh cut florals. Fruit is still reasonably primary though now settled in and in harmony with the structure. Rich and dense on the palate but not at all heavy. Should age for 30+ years.
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8/6/2020 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
The classic Barolo nose offers up a pretty bouquet of dried cherry, rose, tar, roast meat, iron, and licorice. Still noticeable, slightly grainy tannins and bright acidity frame concentrated dark cherry and mineral flavors that offer excellent breadth across the palate culminating in a persistent finish. As with many wines this vintage, this is an appealing and perfumed midweight wine, balanced and accessible. Bartolo Mascarello's 2001 is very good.
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2/1/2020 - cct wrote: 96 Points
Double decanted in the AM. Drunk that evening over several hours.
WOw. the sis a wide open, beautiful nose. Deeper and richer than the older offerings. Tar, roses, herbal and balsam notes not he nose. Rich, sappy, and expansive yet terrifically balanced on the palate. The embodiment of power and grace. This has the lift and balance to carry its large frame beautifully. A terrific wine just starting to drink in its window. Terrirific. 96
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1/31/2020 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
La Festa del Barolo Gala Dinner (The Pool in NYC): One of my favorites at the tasting. I just really love what she does with her wines. This was all red fruits and rose hips and a lovely freshness and elegance in style. Very old school which I appreciate. Will keep seeking these out. They are just wonderful.
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1/15/2019 - Paul S wrote:
Old Barolo Night (Bar-a-Thym, Singapore): What a great start to dinner. This was superb. It had a lovely nose, masculine and strong, with notes of meat and mineral, dark plums and dusty earth, a twist of spice and just that classic kiss of tar and roses. What a knockout bouquet that was. With a quick decant, the palate was starting to drink beautifully, even though its was still very youthful, and very classically structured. Firm, sinewy tannins and bright acidity formed a noble frame for beautifully pure, clear flavours of dark cherries, blueberries and plums, seasoned on the midpalate with a lovely mouthful of peppery, smoky spice, and then trailing away with a minerally, earthy tail into a deliciously long, detailed finish. It tasted just a touch bittersweet at the very end at first, but this cleared quickly to be replaced by a lovely glow of red fruit and florals in the back-palate. This was perfectly balanced, brilliantly poised, and had a real effortless strength to it. Wonderful, ethereal stuff, that will continue to improve over the decades. Fabulous. This bested a brilliant bottle 2001 Aldo Conterno Colonello on the same flight by a whisker for me, by virtue of it being just a bit more elegant and transparent. To be fair though, a good half of the table preferred the more voluptuous Aldo Conterno.
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11/7/2018 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
2018 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium – Kelly, RJ, Justin and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/7/2018-11/11/2018 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Expressive old school nose displaying concentrated slightly dry cherry fruit, caramel, licorice, rare steak, tobacco, cinnamon and iron mineral. Excellent concentration, packed slightly dry sweet cherry, rich and chewy, balsamico, perfect bright acidity and iron mineral, still noticeable slightly rustic tannins and a long intense dry cherry and licorice driven finish with a hint of iron and dark spices at the end. It remains very youthful and drinking nicely. It is a masculine and rustic wine that is slightly lacking finesse.
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10/15/2017 - JOsgood wrote:
A small taste. In a good place, earthy and elegant.
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10/15/2017 - the godfather wrote:
This drank like it was a year old, easily a 100 year wine. Remains an all time favorite producer
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6/7/2017 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was killer and better than anticipated. My first bottle of Bartolo Mascarello; the nose was beautiful, classic Nebbiolo with dried red berry fruit, tar, tobacco, damp leaf litter, mushroom, and dried rose petal. The palate is simply a study in elegance and class; beautiful flavors, resolved tannins, great depth, and a fabulous finish. I know this vintage has taken hits for being up and down and if true this definitely seems to be an up bottle. One of the best Barolo's I've had and just pure enjoyment.
Continued to be just as good on day 2.
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12/18/2016 - bugdoced wrote: 94 Points
In a tie for wotn with 1999 Lewis cellar and 2004 brunello reserva from San fillipo
This has hit a spot where earth and fruit are more integrated but still with youthful exuberance
Wish I had more
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10/30/2016 - Burgnick wrote: 88 Points
Double decanted to serve. Port like nose with dark fruit, herbs, and licorice. It does not have the rose petal note in many great mascarello. Palate has a rather short finish with medium tannins.
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8/24/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose showed citrus-tinged red berry and pretty floral tones. On the palate, I found soft textures, unexpected so for an ‘01. There was also a lack of depth. This finish was dry with fine tannin and tart, mineral-infused tannin. I’ve heard stories of the ‘01 being a variable bottle, and tonight's wasn’t nearly as exciting as my last bottle.
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8/22/2016 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
Cantina Bartolo Mascarello Vertical (Hearth Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted at about noon.] Woodsy black fruit nose. Sweet, balanced. Very young, but much more drinkable than the 1999 tonight. Moreover, this has a great sense of harmony characteristic of the best 2001s. Terrific! 96-?
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8/22/2016 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
This wine, like many of the vintage, is beginning to wake up after being asleep for the past 5 years. In my opinion it still needs cellar time.
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7/14/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 88 Points
Such a gorgeous nose of licorice, dark cherries and spices but the palate doesn't quite deliver at this point. The wine seems to be young but it's certainly not integrated right now. Made during the supposed decline of the master where the wines from the mid-'90's thru the mid-'00's seem subpar. We'll see with more time. 88?
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6/30/2016 - psmith wrote: 88 Points
Heady and alcoholic nose with high-pitched red cherry fruit and menthol notes. Stern palate with firm tannins and, again, lots of alcohol, to the extent where fruit is almost an accent at this point. VA? Some classic notes, and attractive red fruit, but hard to see a better whole past the component parts. Not my favorite Bartolo.
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6/24/2016 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank a well with 1 hour decant and held up all night. Balanced balsamic, herb, sappy red fruit. Medium acidity. Old school barolo in perfect balance, but perhaps missing an X factor at this stage in its development.
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6/21/2016 - DrakkarNoir Likes this wine:
Cinnamon and black cherries on the nose. Full bodied, showing great poise between grippy tannins and lively acidity. Long finish. Has the stuffing still to benefit from another 5 to 10yrs of cellaring. 14% abv.
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12/16/2015 - Pknut wrote:
This is showing soft and smooth and not tannic, with a deep core of dark fruit that is still rather primary. Ray and I don't find this to be tannic, but Y says that's because we drink Barolo, to him this is tannic. Lovely, but needs years still. Bottle 1 of 12. Roberta's pizza in Bushwick with Ray and Yaacov.
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3/31/2015 - beatles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Barolo 2010 & 2001 (chez moi): (bottle from my cellar ) - upon opening young, tight, tannic - not very generous (tastes almost like the 2010); light and elegant, yes, but with plenty of old school acidity up front. It will gain with age, but will it ever become true friendly, I wondered? When tasting blind, I recognized the wine, but called it "straight forward" - one the day after it is great, open, classical, even with generous fruit (“straight forward) with softened tannins showing up in the aftertaste. This has many years to go.
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12/22/2014 - Tartiflette wrote: 90 Points
Like my first bottle seemed somewhat over the top. Still enjoyable but drink up.
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12/21/2014 - Vinotas wrote:
Impromptu Year End Dinner (L'Apicio): WAY young and tight despite being opened and decanted 3-5 hours before drinking, but showing gorgeous dark but bright red fruit notes, tar, rose petals, and tons and tons of minerality. Open in another 10 years?
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10/27/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Rotating Dinner Series- A tour of 2001 Barolo (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: While the nose is somewhat on the tighter side, there is a perfumed quality to it with strawberries, rose petals, tar, red cherries, red fruits, some earth, and a touch of violets. There is excellent depth and this shows off a more feminine side.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and chewy tannins. The structure shows off its youth, but there is a pretty and feminine side with strawberries, rose petals, tar, red cherries, earth, and some red fruits on the back end.
Overall: This was surprisingly open given the producer and vintage. This showed off a real femininity and nuance that will show even better with more age.
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10/27/2014 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Chicago Rotating Dinner Series - 2001 Piedmont (Osteria Langhe - Chicago, IL): Dark aromas of florals, earth, and blackberries on the nose and a touch of sweetness. Pretty interesting how open this wine was - that definitely caught me off-guard. The fruit was juicy and dark, it had nice sweet tannins, and an earthy/floral note on the midpalate. Drinking nicely already, but it has a lot of life for the long haul too.
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10/25/2014 - Eric Likes this wine:
An evening of Barolo and Barbaresco (Bern, Switzerland): Iron, iron, and more iron at first. With a swirl there are floral notes and mint with some tobacco. Wow what a palate. Seamless with perfect balance. Pure cherry fruit, vibrant, sweet and sour. This is really just perfectly enjoyable, peppery and tarry, so energetic. My clear #1 wine of the flight and #2 wine of the night.
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10/25/2014 - dpolivy wrote: 94 Points
A Taste of Piedmonte in Switzerland (Bern): Tasted blind. Very pretty. Barrique, dried fruit, leather, tobacco, strawberry and rose petal. Elegant, soft, and pretty on the body, with pure red fruit showing a little bit of age. Silky, seamless balance with great acidity. Finishes with very fine tannins.
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10/25/2014 - gilrbo Likes this wine:
Barolo-Barbaresco 2001 (and perhaps older...). (Bern): Classic from the first sniff, a beautiful Barolo, with red fruit and floral notes. Intense palate, deep, dark, not at all heavy, very very good.
2. day. Not much is left and the nose is much less expressive. But on the palate it's still all there, concentrated, intense, serious, without heaviness. Truly classic.
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9/12/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): Dark black cherry nose. Tight, tannic, but with gorgeous complex red fruit. An ethereal wine with just enough structure and harmony that should drink well for at least 20 years more. I correctly guessed that this was the 2001.
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9/12/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was classic, showing dusty cherry, cedar, crushed fall leaves moist earth and dried spice. On the palate, it was lean on entry with tart cherry and inner floral tones yet grew richer as it coated the senses with noble tannin. The finish was youthful with an acid, tannin tug across the palate, accentuated by lingering notes of dry red fruit, minerals and soil tones. Beautiful.
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5/24/2014 - kevinacohn wrote:
Surprisingly dark in color. Intense acid—you can smell it before you taste it, if that makes sense. Just starting to get into the secondary aromas but still very much fruit-forward. You can tell there's a lot of potential here—roses, mushrooms, the slightest hints of mint on the mid-palate—but it's at least five years away from starting to show its true colors. Ordered off a restaurant list, this was not a winner in terms of quality-to-price ratio. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
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4/30/2014 - bill00 wrote: 95 Points
Terrific young Barolo just entering early maturity. Classic aromas of roses, dried plum and tea. Had this open for 2 nights and improved significantly from night 1 to night 2. Great now and would expect it to age really well.
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10/22/2013 - Tartiflette wrote: 90 Points
Still bright red color and a very earthy nose. Seemed quite developed with lots of licorice, plums and red currant. Only little tannins left.
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1/26/2013 - Obalde wrote:
med garnet w/ tawny rim; med+ developed, crushed flowers, sandalwood, licorice, red plums, dried fruits, dates; dry, med acid, med+ tannin (grippy), full body/high alc, med intensity, med+ finish, licorice, black cherry syrup, rose petals, chocolate; very good, drink now - clear developed flavors, tannins still have plenty of life, almost port like
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12/14/2012 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Brick red color. The nose is a mix of balsam & sandalwood accented by some dark fruit. Smoky palate with some bing cherry & mineral quality on the mid. A massive wall of tannin greets you on the back of the palate. This received a short decant and certainly perked up with some wild mushroom pizza, but is in need of more bottle age or a lot longer time to breathe. Amazing wine, needed a gentler hand.
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8/21/2012 - Lombardi wrote: 92 Points
This is open and generous on the nose with lots of red berries, plum and some hints of red fruit tart. The palate confirms the intuition that this is pretty primary and needs time to show all its material. Dense and powerful, but again, very primary. Firm tannins and sharp acidity will work well with food. However, I'd put this to sleep for another 7-12 years at least. I'm a real fan of Bartolo and this bottle is another great example of consistency.
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6/3/2012 - jahlove wrote:
A bit brooding at the moment, but still drinks rather well. This is a big wine, but not in a new world kind of way. This is traditional as it gets. It's just a touch monolithic at the moment. Huge menthol tobacco notes with creosote, licorice, currants and sour cherry. Not a hint of new wood to be found thank goodness. Wonderfully smooth and balanced already, but this needs a little more time to bring out the more ethereal tertiary notes that it seems capable of producing.
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3/3/2012 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
A classic Bartolo Mascarello. Sensational earthy nose. Pure elegance on the palate. A completely round wine with a lengthy finish. A wine to enjoy for many years to come.
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12/28/2011 - Rubinstein wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose with cherries, tar licorice and wood. Very poised and well structured with a nice grip a fresh acidity. Relatively light wine.
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12/7/2011 - kenv wrote: flawed
2001 Barbaresco and Barolo (Tolani Wine Restaurant, 410 Amsterdam Ave, NYC): Corked.
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1/11/2011 - nalle wrote: 89 Points
I was a bit disappointed after all positive reviews I have read. A very good Barolo, but for me not a great one - maybe me or maybe the weather, sorry...
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12/10/2010 - doctorw wrote:
I am so pleased to be seeing these good reviews for this wine. For those who have some of these bottles, I wanted to let you know what the producer said about drinkability when I acquired mine. I met Maria-Téresa Mascarello at the winery--my wife and I were there in October 2006 for a tasting. The winery had almost sold out of the 2001, but Maria-Teresa agreed to sell us several bottles--but only after making me promise that I would not drink them before 2011. I have done as I promised, and will hold off for another year until next fall/winter. As good as it seems from the tasting notes I've read, I imagine it's going to be truly spectacular as it continues to age.
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10/11/2010 - i musicisti di boston wrote:
Opened just a half hour or so before consumption. Not decanted after a brief taste confirmed that it was open and giving. Young, for sure, but remarkably fresh and open last night- fragrant notes of violet, fennel and earthy leaves, with just a bit of tar, followed by a clear, clean but remarkably powerful and balanced mouthfeel. Absolutely wonderful wine. Looking forward to tracking this for many years.
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8/14/2010 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Surprisingly plush and open knit. Great aromatics of cherries, tar, smoked meats, cedar, lipstick and red currants. Deep and rich in the mouth with some black fruits and plenty of iron and soot and a hint of balsamic. It finishes with sandy tannins and is extremely long.
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7/20/2010 - ksimback Likes this wine: 93 Points
Group of us brought this bad boy to an Italian BYO restaurant... popped early and let it breath for an hour or so and then drank over the next hour with lamb and a variety of pasta dishes. This wine is still young, like a teenager... but not one of those kids that wants to fight everyone - definitely more restrained and well behaved. Signature notes of earth, roses, leather, dark fruit. Drinking real well - not overly tannic, but enough structure to hold up well for ages.
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6/20/2010 - Jay Hack wrote: 94 Points
My neighbors are moving away for a few years to take care of ailing parents, so I brought some Cali syrah to a going away party at their house. When that was done, I asked what people wanted and someone said Barolo. I walked across the street to rummage in my cellar, and I chose this. Popped and splash decanted hard into a Reidel "O" pitcher decanter, which is rapidly becoming my favorite. Initially, the wine was a bit subdued with clean pure red fruit, principally tart cherry, and some spice. However, as it sat in the glass and time passed in the decanter, it exploded with complex multiple flavors. There was earthiness, truffles and dusty dried herbs, with that creosote flavor that you get in Barolo that magically tastes good even though it makes no sense. This is the first of my 2001 Barolos that I have opened and if this is any indication of what to expect from that vintage, my only response is "Damn, I should have bought more."
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11/13/2009 - il_diavolo wrote: 93 Points
nose of barnyard funk - burgundy all the way....but on the palate it is superb - great finesse and floral and even better with food.
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11/21/2008 - 5laton wrote: 93 Points
Hard, and showing little but structure. Hands off.
Left half the bottle in the fridge for 4 days in hopes of wresting something from it, and after clutching at straws awhile I was rewarded. Complex nose of sour cherry, menthol, cured meats, lightly balsamic. A veritable kaleidoscope of flavors in the mouth. Palate follows the nose, plus beef broth and star anise, densely concentrated, with good fresh acidity. Still very tight, with a mouthful of chewy astringent, almost rustic tannins, but starting to unwind a bit and giving flashes of glory here and there. This probably needs a decade or more, but should be fascinating when it finally emerges from slumber.
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5/18/2008 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 94 Points
Musky notes on the nose are joined by subtle notes of seashells, mineral water, and light notes of asian spices and jam. In the mouth this is lovely and fresh with a bright feel and very fine tannins. Very fine notes of bitter cherry and rosehips in the mouth with subtle herb seed/coriander notes adding complexity. Finishes lean and sinewy with sneaky length.
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2/29/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
barolo tasting (the bottle shop, wilmette IL): nose: nice full aromatic nose of rose petals, cherry, juniper, persimmon, and bits of tar and mint
taste: very firm tannins with cherry, rose petals, mint notes, and tar
overall: very nice aromatics on such a young barolo. Still a bit tight, but very elegant and brings a very nice lasting finish of mint and juniper
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2/15/2007 - 97mjr wrote:
Tight structured wine. Black fruit, heavy tannins. Would like to try it again but will not buy more
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10/19/2006 - BABA wrote: 92 Points
Medium perfumes of: black and red fruits, roses, leather and liquorice. Great structure, very firm tannins yet, with a beautifully purity of fruit and long spicy finish. This wine, must slumber in your cellar for at least 5 or 6 years.
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9/19/2006 - trankin wrote: 94 Points
Zachys Icons of Italy Tasting (Zachys): Light in color. Goregeous fruit, great structure, lovely wine. 94++ will definitely improve with time
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6/28/2006 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 91 Points
2001 Bartolo Mascarello – very laid back nose at first revealing only wet stones and juicy plums but with airing developes bright red fruits and a bit of apple skin before turning darker and revealing some blackberry liquor, dried herbs, and cherry pie spice – real sweetness on entry with tons of licorice and pumice with notes of leather and mulling spices supporting the red berry fruit, just a touch disjointed but showing great promise
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6/6/2006 - Barbara B wrote: 85 Points
AIS tasting, 6 Barolos, 2005-10-14
Orange-red colour, clear/transparent. Heavy on the earthy, minerally, and balsamic characteristics; a little spice, no evident fruit. Tart, tannic, closed. I always wish to like Mascarello’s Barolos because I greatly admired the man, but even with optimal bottle age, they never come high up on my list.
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