Tag Archives: bartolo mascarello

Barolo 2019

Posted on by
Reply

Barolo 2019

Before we dive into Barolo 2019, I want to just touch on something quickly. One can go on an on  about rainfall, temperature, weather conditions, natural disasters and more, but in the end, you can’t judge a wine before you have it in a glass in front of you. I am not saying that weather isn’t important. And it definitely affects the wine. I am just saying that because vintage is defined as “warm” or  “cold” or “dry”, doesn’t mean that all wines in that vintage reflect the general characteristics that go with that classification. If you catch my drift?

Anyways, a lot of good things have been said about Barolo 2019, and the vintage 2019, and I find I tend to agree. I’ve tried a few 2019’s, and my immediate thoughts are: concentrated, intense, aromatic. Now, that’s not to say that every Barolo 2019 is intense, or aromatic. But looking over my notes, those are words that pop up frequently. 2019 will most likely be remembered as a “classic” vintage, but the temperatures were quite high, which is probably what contributed to the fairly high concentration in the wines. I’m no expert, so feel free to refer to Masnaghetti or Berry Bro’s for a more detailed vintage report.

Now, moving on to the reason you’re here: Barolo 2019 tasting notes!
PS: they are in alphabetical order

Chiara Boschis Barolo 2019

Tasting Notes

Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2019
Beautiful, clean, crisp nose. Complex, delicious. My notes literally say “Mouth is amazing. Full of tastes”. Smooth, but big at the same time. Round tannins. Quite high in acidity, so it has a good aging potential!

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Camilla 2019
Beautiful nose. Aromas of dark fruit, with some spice notes. Very different from the 2019. More tension, bigger tannins.

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo bricco Ambrogio 2019
Vegetal, herbal. A bit closed on the nose, needs some time to open up. More tension in this one as well, compared to the 2018.

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Badarina 2019
Beautiful nose, less vegetal than the Bricco Amborgio. Balsamic, herbal and fruity. I even caught a glimpse of some chocolate. A super wine!

Cavallotto Barolo 2019
Floral notes, with a hint of spices. Clean and crisp. Round in the mouth, with a long aftertaste. An approachable, balanced Barolo.  

Chiara Boschis Barolo Cannubi 2019
The Cannubi is often a favorite of mine, and the 19 is no different. It’s such a beautiful wine. Aromas of red fruits, maybe a hint of strawberry? The 19 is intense, but the tannins are round. Good body with a long finish. And I think maybe I detect a hint of herbs?

Chiara Boschis Barolo Mosconi 2019
The Mosconi is slightly more masculine. The fruit is darker, and there is a hint of balsamic. The nose is intense. Although the tannins are more intense, they are still round. This is a wine with good body and a long finish.

Chiara Boschis Barolo Via Nuova 2019
The Via Nuova is even more masculine than the Mosconi. The fruit is not as dark in this wine, but there is a stronger hint of balsamic. A very intense wine. The tannins are also more intense, but not overpowering.

Cristian Boffa Barolo del Comune di la Morra 2019
An aromatic and intense wine, with a beautiful nose. Floral aromas, as well as red fruit, cherry. A mineral and crisp nose. Quite easy to drink, very approachable tannins, with a long finish.  

Cristian Boffa Barolo Capalot 2019
More aggressive tannins in the Capalot, compared to the Comune di La Morra, but not overpowering. A beautiful, intense nose. Quite complex. Has good aging potential!  

Elio Altare Barolo Arborina 2019
Beautiful nose, has that typical La Morra feel to it. Floral and fruity. Good tannins, with a little bit of oomph.

Luigi Pira Barolo Serralunga 2019
Their classic Barolo contain grapes from multiple vineyards including Marenca, Margheria, Sorano and Rivete. It’s aged in big barrel for 24 months. Beautiful, typical Barolo nose. Floral with hints of leather and balsamic. Big tannins, but still very fruity. A good bodied wine with a long finish.

Luigi Pira Barolo Margheria 2019
The Margheria is quite a bit more aromatic than the Serralunga. Crisp with aromas red fruit and hints of herbs and spices. Very crisp in the mouth. An elegant wine with quite approachable tannins.

Luigi Pira Barolo Marenca 2019
The Marenca spends 12 months tonneaux and 12 months in big barrels. The nose is similar to the Margheria. Maybe a bit more balsamic. The grapes come from a steep hill. The bunches are smaller, more concentrated. This is a bit more punchy, with bigger tannins.

Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda 2019
Now on the to grand finale: Vignarionda! The Vignarionda has a bit more masculine nose with aromas of tobacco and herbs. Powerful, but elegant. Tannins are big but not punchy.

Marengo Barolo 2019
The classic Barolo has an intense nose with aromas of red fruit, flowers, tobacco and a hint of spices. The tannins are smooth. Round in the mouth, with good balance and quite long finish.

Marengo Barolo Bricco Delle Viole 2019
Beautiful nose on the Bricco Delle Viole. More explosive than intense. A bit more floral and fruity than the classic Barolo. Bigger tannins, but still smooth. A balanced, beautiful wine.

Marengo Barolo Brunate 2019
The Brunate was, not surprisingly, a bit more complex than the other two. Beautiful nose with aromas of red fruit and spices, with a hint of floral notes. Bigger tannins, more structure, yet smooth. Good balance with a long finish.

Freisa

Posted on by
1

Freisa is not something I hear about often. On the contrary, I very rarely hear about people drinking Freisa. I don’t really see it in my social media feeds either. But why? What happened to the formerly well-established grape variety? And is it perhaps making a comeback?

Freisa dates back to the 1800s, and it was a fairly popular grape variety back in the day. But we don’t see it a lot these days. I won’t dive deep into the potential reasons for this, but it might have something to do with the increased popularity of Nebbiolo. Many other grape varieties suffered the same fate there, including many white piemontese varieties. Fortunately, like with these white grape varieties, Freisa is slowly but surely making a comeback.

Four different Freisa

Freisa – Nebbiolo’s brother from another mother?

I’m just kidding. Kind of. Freisa is related to Nebbiolo, but they are not siblings. It is believed they share a parent-offspring relationship, and Nebbiolo is most likely one of the parents of Freisa. The other parent is still unknown. Nevertheless, this means that they share very similar DNA. Which again explains why they share so many similarities. They have a similar color. They both have tannins and acidity, which gives them the ability to age.

They are similar, but they have their differences. And their differences might explain why one gained popularity and the other one didn’t. While Nebbiolo is fairly elegant and quite complex, Freisa might be considered more rustic and a bit less complex. In an online discussion I had with Nadia Curto she described Freisa as “a country wine, because the smell is not only roses, it’s also leather and herbal notes.” She goes on to say that “we love very much this wine. We open with a smile. It’s a wine of our tradition and probably also the grandparents when they drink Freisa they are reminded of the past and it’s very nice.”

Freisa – still or sparkling?

There are a few different ways to make Freisa. Outside Langhe it’s not uncommon to make it sparkling or sweet. While in Langhe, the only sparkling one I know of is the one made by Maria Teresa. I also recently learned that it was common to “pass” Freisa over Nebbiolo, to give it a stronger character.  Today, wines are generally made “pure”, i.e Langhe Nebbiolo is 100% Nebbiolo and Barbera d’Alba is 100% Barbera. Besides, the Freisa we know today doesn’t need any help from Nebbiolo to get a strong character. This has a lot to do with climate change and warmer seasons, but I won’t get into that right now.

Freisa Tasting Notes

I recently tasted four different Freisa, from four different producers and four different vintages.

Rinaldi 2013
This wine has aged beautifully! I was impressed with the level of tannins and acidity. There were some hints of tertiary aromas on the nose, but still fresh and fruity. Truly a beautiful example of Freisa.

Bartolo Mascarello 2015
As usual, the onefrom Maria Teresa was sparkling. Personally, I prefer my Freisa “still”, but this is nevertheless a very good wine. It’s also more on the rustic side, especially compared to Rinaldi and Cavallotto.

Cavallotto 2019
The one from Cavallotto was quite concentrated with aromas of dark fruits. There was also quite some grip in the tannins. Some leather aromas in this one. Good acidity with a long finish.

Cavallotto 2021
Clean nose, mineral, floral with some spice notes. The tannins are quite hefty, but it’s still round in the mouth with good acidity. Quite rustic, which is fairly typical for this variety.

La Vedetta 2021
Very fresh and crisp. Fruity, with aromas fresh red fruit. Easy to drink, with elegant tannins.

News at Vinmonopolet

Posted on by
Reply

Mostly new vintage releases, but there is a new kid on the block. Below are some of my tastings notes, in alphabetical order:

Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba

Although I have not tried this vintage from Maria Teresa, I stand by her wines. Sad her wines are so expensive in Norway, especially when she sells them way cheaper directly from her cellar.

Cigliuti Barbera d’Alba

Concentrated with aroma of dark fruits and berries. Long aftertaste.

Diego e Damiano Barale Dolcetto d’Alba

Fruity and fresh, yet complex, both on the nose and in the mouth. Violets and dark berries on the nose. The vines, grown in San Giovanni, are 50 years old.

Diego e Damiano Barale Langhe Nebbiolo

A very drinkable Nebbiolo from Monforte, with vines planted by their grandfather in the San Giovanni vineyard about 40-50 years ago. The brothers use 2nd or 3rd passage tonno because they prefer to taste the natural tannins. One interesting aspect of the vinification is that they take out the seeds, a practice they learned from Vajra. A beautiful nose, elegant tannins and a long finish.

Elvio Cogno Dolcetto d’Alba Mandorlo

Typical 2019 Dolcetto – Powerful and more structured than the past few vintages. You can read more about Dolcetto 2019 here. Elvio Cogno Dolcetto 2019 – Aroma of dark berries and other dark fruits.

News @ Vinmonopolet

Posted on by
Reply

It’s officially Spring, which means that the newest vintage is making its way to stores. The same is true in Norway. So if you’re living in Norway, mark your calendars for May 8th!

In addition to new vintages, there are also new “kids on the block”! Keep reading to find out more!

Diego Morra Rosato 2019
For the first time you’ll find Diego Morra wines in Norway! This wine, a Langhe Rosato, is made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes and is what I would call a “food rosè”, perfect with summer salads or fish.

Ghiomo Inprimis Langhe Arneis 2019
Fasten your seatbelts, because this is a newcomer in Norway as well. The Ghiomo winery is located in Guarene, a commune bordering on the more well known wine regions in Piemonte like Barolo and Barbaresco. The Langhe Arneis Inprimis is a fresh and fruity white wine that pairs well with fish and shellfish. Perfect for summer!

Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto 2018
There is not much to say about Mascarello that has not already been said. And unfortunately I’ve not tried the 2018 vintage yet, but 2018 looks more promising for Dolcetto than 2017 was. I guess time will tell.

Burlotto Barbera Aves 2018
As far as Barbera goes, this might be one of my absolute favorites. His classic Barbera is good, but the Aves is just on a whole other level. I can’t wait to try the 2018 vintage!

Nadia Curto Barbera 2017
Did you know that you could get Nadia’s wines in Norway? You can! And the 2017 Barbera will be available Friday May 8th! Modernist or Traditionalist? If there is anyone I know that doesn’t “belong” in any boxes, it’s Nadia Curto. Her winemaking style is influenced by both her father and her uncle, and she applies the different methods to different wines. Does it matter what style you prefer, if your wines are good? I don’t think so.

Wine Moments 2019

Posted on by
Reply

Blindtasting

Quite a few blind tasting’s take place throughout the year. It’s how I learn. And it’s fun. Looking back on the year, two tastings stick out.

A 2014 lineup with three Barolo:
Trediberri Rocche dell’Annunizata: this was a little closed on the nose at first, but after a while a bouquet of red fruits appeared. The wine had good acidity, good balance and an excellent finish. For a “young” barolo it was very fresh and approachable.
Bartolo Mascarello Barolo: Notes of red fruits, strawberries and some spices. High acidity, round tannins and well balanced.
Fratelli Alessandria Monvigliero: Dark fruits, some ripe fruits on the nose. Good acidity, fresh tannins and a good finish. This bottle had been open for about 24 hours (with the cork “put back in”) so it was very approachable.

A more “diverse” lineup:
Elio Altare Barolo 2004: When tasting this blind, it still had so much “oumph” that it could have been mistaken for a fresh nebbiolo! This was wine of the night for me.
Giacomo Conterno Barbera Vigna Francia 2014: I have always thought the barbera from Contero has a very distinct nose, a nose very different from other barbera’s. This was really hard to figure out next to the other wines.
A Chianti Classico 1993: Curveball! Could tell this wine had some age, with notes of toffee both on the nose and in the mouth. In my opinion, this was past it’s prime. Impossible to identify blind in this lineup.

Wineglasswriter

Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2009

Vietti never ceases to amaze me. After some air, this wine from 2009 (10 years old) blew me away with its fresh fruit, round tannins and unbelievable finish. In my opinion, this wine is not even close to reaching it’s potential!

Ester Canale Rosso Langhe Nebbiolo 2015

This wine “had” to be tried. The new project of Giovanni Rosso gained quite a bit of fame, and I had to see what all the fuss was about. The wine is good. Is it worth the price? Let me put it this way, here are many other wines I would buy before this one. However, it will be very interesting following this project going forward!

Diego Morra Monvigliero

2019 would be the year I discovered quite a few new wineries. One of my favorites is Diego Morra. And one of the wines in their portfolio is a Monvigliero. You might have heard of it. Antonio Galloni gave a 100 points to the Monviglerio of Burlotto in 2013. So it’s safe to say it’s quite famous. And the one from Diego Morra is very good!

Diego Mora Monvigliero 2015 had some truffle and wet soil on the nose, quite strong tannins (typical of this cru), but still very elegant and floral.

Pylsa & Barolo

Posted on by
1

Pylsa og Barolo lineup

Happy birthday, dad!

It’s that time of year again. Pylsa & Barolo. Hot dogs and red wine.

Pylsa & Barolo 2018 went off without a hitch and as you can see we drank some good wines. We started the night off with champagne from Pierre Peters (a bubbly that even I enjoy) and moved into 2011 barolo while eating hot dogs flown in from Idsøe in Stavanger.

2011 is supposed to be a very approachable vintage now, but for me it is still too young. We all know I prefer older barolo. Unfortunately I did not make it to all of the wines as many disappeared long before they reached my table. But some of my favorites include Vietti Castiglione, Marengo Brunate and Bartolo Mascarello. I had some Altare Cerretta, and although this is a very good wine, for me it is a little too masculine and should have stayed in the cellar another decade.

#BaroloNightOslo

Posted on by
2

Barolo Night Oslo

Remember the Barolo Night I had in Sweden? This weekend was Barolo Night 2.0 Oslo edition! Oh man did we drink some good wines. The layout of these Barolo Weekends are starting to form, and so on Friday we eat pizza and drink Pizza Wines. Check out these amazing Pizza Wines in the picture below.

Friday lineup

Represented in the first night were some amazing producers: Rinaldi, Alessandro Veglio, Vietti, Bartolo Mascarello and Azelia. And we hit all the typical Piemonte/Barolo categories: Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo and Barolo.

Barolo Night Oslo 2

Saturday is the big wine tasting night, with blind tasting and tasting sheets. This time it was 9 wines and 4 people – maybe a tad much but we went with it. We do 3 and 3 wines at a time, taking time to smell and taste and discuss before we reveal. And once we are through all the wines, we just drink and enjoy.

Barolo Night Oslo

Below are the wines of Barolo Night 2.0. More detailed description and tasting notes will follow, but for now just enjoy the view!

Barolo Night Oslo Lineup

Barolo by Barolo Mascarello: Wine of the Week

Posted on by
Reply

Barolo 2008 Bartolo Mascarello

Of all the Barolo wines, this might be considered one of the best. Wine is all about tastes and is a very personal matter, but Maria Teresa is a legendary wine maker in Piemonte. If you have the chance to taste her wines or even visit her, you should. This wine is well balanced with smooth tannins and powerful notes on the nose and the palate. You can keep this in your cellar for at least another decade, 10 years is still way too young!

Barolo

Wine: Barolo

Producer: Bartolo Mascarello

Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy

Grape varieties: Nebbiolo

Vintage: 2008

Eye: garnet red

Nose: floral notes, spices, dark red berries, licorice

Mouth: smooth tannins, well balanced, red fruits, earth tones

Price Point: $96

Available at Vinmonopolet: usually yes, but sold out as of right now

Available at Systembolaget: no

Bartolo Mascarello: The Woman, the Myth, the Legend

Posted on by
1

Bartolo Mascarello: A legend

Maria Teresa Bartolo Mascarello is an incredible woman. If you haven’t been to her winery, you definitely should. You’ll find her in Barolo (the town), but don’t try to find her email adress to make an appointment. She doesn’t really use email. Or the internet. So call or ring the bell.

Bartolo Mascarello

MT is a busy woman so you may be shown around by Alan, a wonderful man from the United States who has worked with Bartolo Mascarello for years. Before Maria Teresa was the boss, her dad Bartolo was the boss. This winery has always been firm “traditionalists”, which means they only use big botti (and not small barrique).

Bartolo Mascarello

Winemaker Selfie

Maria Teresa is one of the most passionate winemakers I have ever met. She makes wines because that’s what she loves, and she’s not shy about it. Hearing her talk about her work is enchanting and I love listening every time I get to do it.

Looking for a good summer wine?

Posted on by
1

In need of good a summer wine?

Wines are good all year, but some work better than others as “summer wine”. Below are a few of my favorites to drink during the summer months (or weeks if you live in Norway!)

Summer wine 2017

Starting from the left, we have Ettore Germano’s Herzu. It is by far one of my favorite whites from Piemonte. I don’t usually enjoy riesling, but this wine is superb, especially on a hot day. Next up is Cavallotto’s Langhe Chardonnay. Always a good choice.

Moving away from white to red, we have Freisa by Bartolo Mascarello. I am not usually very fond of freisa for some reason, but it can be quite enjoyable in the summer time (don’t know why it tastes better than in the winter, but whatever). Now, dolcetto might be my all time favorite wine to drink in the summer. A glass of slightly chilled dolcetto is hard to beat. Mauro Veglio and Elio Altare make excellent dolcetto, so you can’t go wrong there! After dolcetto comes barbera and Vietti’s La Crena might be the best of the best! Although it is a heavier wine and might be best to enjoy with food, barbera is still a very good choice! Last but not least we have Langhe Nebbiolo. The Rinaldi “nebbe” is fresh and not too heavy (although world class and on Barolo level) so if you can get your hands on this, you will not be disappointed!

Notice I did not mention barolo. Not because barolo is bad or because I don’t drink barolo in july, but because when I think of summer wine barolo is not the first thing that comes to mind. On a hot summer day I prefer a light wine, without too many tannins, and the wines mentioned above fit my “criteria”.

Do you have any favorite summer wines?

Most of these you can find at Vinmonopolet (or they should have them) but they may be sold out. I always recommend checking online.