Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo 2013

Maria Teresa Mascarello's 2013 Barolo is a stunning, drop-dead gorgeous beauty. The 2013 speaks to elegance above all else: Vibrant, crystalline and exceptionally nuanced. There is an exotic quality to the aromatics that adds to the wine's total sense of seduction. As captivating as the 2013 is today, there is no shortage of underlying grip and structure.

Dark cherry, plum, spice, menthol and liquorice are some of the many notes that grace the palate. But the 2013 is a wine of completeness rather than elements. And the 2013 simply has it all. In 2013, Mascarello opted for short-ish fermentation with limited post-fermentation maceration because the skins were a bit fragile. The result is a delicate wine that shows just how finessed young Barolo can be.

I can't say I am surprised by Maria Teresa Mascarello's 2013 Barolo because the wine was breathtakingly beautiful every time I tasted it from barrel. Mascarello describes 2013 as a vintage from another era, a time when growing seasons were cooler, and harvests took place later than they generally do today.

Drink 2023 - 2053

An opulent Barolo with lots of dried berry, plum, caramel and hints of milk chocolate. Full-bodied, tannic and creamy textured. So long and intense. So beautiful. 

Drink in 2021

Bartolo Mascarello's 2013 Barolo is made with the estate's traditional blend of vineyard sites. This includes the San Lorenzo cru that will go offline starting with the 2015 vintage. This is a classic and traditional interpretation of Nebbiolo with an absolutely pristine and polished flavour profile. The bouquet opens to pressed violet, cassis, liquorice, wild sage and cola. There is also an elegant mineral imprint with rusty iron and iodine. This edition is evermore solid and centered compared to the warmer 2012 vintage. It will also require extra bottle ageing to bring out its natural but nuanced intensity.

Drink 2019 - 2040