Barolo Nebbiolo

Earth driven wine with loads of dried tobacco aromas, dried rose petal, anise seed and black truffle. Kirsch liquor and cherry pit with vibrant tannins and acidly. Long persistent finish that lingers.

Corked

Very light. Cherry and light still acidity. Soft and long. Maybe needs a bit more time in bottle to really shine. Surprising given the vintage

Deep fruit. Poised and dark cherry with dark gnarly fruit. Light acidity. A great bottle

The 2019 Barolo is a potent, layered wine, within the super-classic style that is the house signature. Dark cherry, plum, spice, leather, licorice and menthol add to an impression of brooding intensity. There's real weight and substance here that needs time to emerge. Dried herbs, sage, mint, tobacco and cedar linger on the vibrant, tense finish. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2024)

The 1990 Barolo (magnum) is in fine shape. Sensual and racy, the 1990 is a fabulous example of the year. Dried cherry fruit, spice, worn-in leather, tobacco and mint show the signs of well-worn age. I wouldn’t hang on to the 1990 too much longer, as it is not going to improve. It sure is delicious now, though. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2023)

Potent and explosive in feel, the 2006 Barolo (magnum) is a brooding, imposing wine. Dark fruit, menthol, spice and mocha infuse the 2006 with notable depth. As impressive as the 2006 is, there is a slightly advanced quality that is worth watching over the next few years. It’s hard to say if that nuance has always been present, or if it simply made more evident because of the presence of so many strong vintages in this tasting. Either way, it seems pretty obvious that the 2006 doesn’t reach the level of more recent vintages. Of course, it is also possible this particular magnum was not totally perfect. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2023)

The 2004 Barolo (magnum) is soft and silky, but it is also more forward than I expect, or want, to be honest. Dried flowers, leather, spice, game and dark-fleshed fruit fill out the layers. Vertical tastings serve, among other things, to shine a bright light on a single wine over many vintages. In this context, the 2004 does not live up to my original enthusiasm. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2023)

The 2016 Barolo (magnum) is obviously a very, very young wine and yet its inclusion in this flight is essential, both for getting a glimpse of the wine at this early stage and also for understanding its place among recent vintages. Supremely elegant and classically austere in bearing, the 2016 is sublime. The vibrancy of the flavors is captivating, as is the wine’s energy. All the 2016 needs is time. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2023)

Still embryonic, Mascarello’s 2010 Barolo (magnum) shows all the classicism it did when I first tasted it from cask many years ago. There is a feeling of crystalline purity and translucence here that is simply captivating. This is Nebbiolo and Barolo in all its glory in what has turned out to be an epic vintage for the estate. Time in the glass brings out scents of lavender, dried flowers and dark fruit, all wrapped together by huge swaths of tannin. Readers lucky enough to own the 2010 are in for a tremendous treat. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2023)