Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio, Barolo, Monprivato 2013

These wines from Mauro Mascarello and his family all need more time to open, but rest assured they are heading down the right path. Like the others, the 2013 Barolo Monprivato is taking its sweet time. The wine opens to a brilliant ruby hue. This beautiful color intensity and even tonality is very characteristic of this cooler vintage. The wine is still on the nervous side, with tight tannins and cooling acidity. But it is also very elegant and fine in terms of its aromatic output. It will gain more volume and intensity with time. My score seeks to underline where this wine will be in a decade or more.

The 2013 Barolo Monprivato is perplexing. Light in color, intensity and structure, the 2013 offers only modest depth, even by the standards of this typically restrained Barolo. The orange peel, rosewater, rhubarb and cranberry flavors are tart and washed out. There is lovely persistence and a touch of grip on the finish, but that's about it. Few growers have done more for the image of Piedmont and Barolo over the last several decades than Mauro Mascarello. The estate has recently replanted major sections of their vineyards, including Monprivato. Perhaps there was something going on in the fields that has affected the quality of these wines of late. It's hard to say. But there is simply no getting around the simple fact that this is the fifth year in a row Mascarello has underperformed.