2011 Bartolo Mascarello Langhe Freisa

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 88.2 points

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  8/15/2017 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 90 Points

  This is at a much better stage than 3 years ago. The nose is of dark fruits and game. On the palate, the effervescence is gone. There are flavors of soil and sap. The tannins have subsided and the mouthfeel is silky. Finish is of mid-length. Glad I waited for this to come together. I think it can still keep for a couple more years but it is at the peak of maturity now.

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  8/23/2015 - Eric Guido wrote:

  Unfortunately, I was very disappointed here. I recall enjoying this wine in past vintages, but I also recall an effervescence to the wine that was not present in this bottle. The nose was full of dark fruit with a hint of bitter licorice, but on the palate, there was very little to speak of at all. Fruity, dark grape flavor with good acidity lingered, but at this price point it's far from impressive. I am a patient taster and open-minded to the extreme, but the 2011 Bartolo Mascarello Freisa just never came around. In case this was an off bottle, I've decided not to include a score.

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  9/29/2014 - MJHDC wrote:

  This is traditional, with a rustic, wild fruit nose, very dark color, and a bit of spritz. According to a retailer, M-T passes the juice through the leftover crushed nebbiolo grapes to add structure and tannin. This is kind of the vinous equivalent of throwback sports uniforms. The retailer recommends decanting and serving with a slight chill, and so do I, as it improved in the glass

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  7/5/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 85 Points

  Five days in Barolo: A visit at Bartolo Mascarello (Barolo, Pedimont): This was actually drunk a couple of days after our visit to the Cantina, but I wanted to include it here since they didn't offer it at the winery. There are just 1800 bottles of Freisa made in an average year. The entirety of the production can fit within two small 800 liter botti. Alan commented that there are only 8 or 9 producers of the traditional style of Freisa within Barolo. He commented that the grape stops fermenting naturally with 3-5 grams of residual sugar (most dry reds are are 1-3), so it feels a little sweeter in the mouth.
  
  In glass for 1 hour. Aromas are fairly light, perhaps showing a bit of metallic covered plums and prunes, along with herbs, Palate is a little astringent, showing some grit and large grained tannins, but not an excessive quantity. The thing is there isn't much in the way of flavor, so the dominant notion is that of pretty robust tannins and not much fruit or otherwise. Puckering, slightly bitter finish, with more of the large tannins and some tobacco notes. I love her Barolos, so I think I'll stick with those. One of my least favorite Freisa's on our trip. Of note, I didn't get any of the spritz that others have noted, though.

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  6/23/2014 - Drankard wrote: 88 Points

  Very dark in color. Sprizty with funky/gamey notes and a touch of violets. This is like Lambrusco meets Freisa. I love Bartolo wines and have been impressed by one or two Freisa but this failed to impress especially for the price.

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