Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Barolo Monprivato Riserva Ca d'Morissio DOCG 2016
(Piedmont, Italy) - [WS 98] [WA 97]

About the Winery:
The estate of Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio has a long and illustrious history in Piemont, and it is unequivocally one of the greatest Barolo producers. This traditionally-styled winery's origins date back to the mid-1800s, when Giuseppe Mascarello made a name for himself managing the vineyards of other landowners, and which ultimately culminated in the purchase of his own vineyards and cellars in 1881 in the village of Monforte d'Alba.

Mauro Mascarello has been the winemaker for the Giuseppe Mascarello estate since the late 1960s, succeeding his father, Giuseppe, and his grandfather, Maurizio, both legends in their time. And like them, Mauro is a traditionalist dedicated to long fermentations and aging in old botti. But Mauro has also made important changes, not the least of which was the creation of a single Barolo from the great Monprivato vineyard in 1970. Prior to that year, his family had always made their towering Barolos and Barolo Riservas by blending Monprivato fruit with grapes from other sites.

About the Wine:
Grape-variety: Nebbiolo (Michet)
Vineyard: Monprivato®, in the village of Castiglione Falletto (CN)
Grape Harvest: Towards the middle of October.
Wine-making process: Estate-grown bunches, thinned during the summer, undergo traditional-style, floating cap fermentation for 25 days. The wine is then matured in medium-sized Slavonian oak barrels for around 40 months.
Expected cellar life: 15/25 years
Bottling: After six years following the vintage

Tasting notes:
Colour: garnet red with orange-coloured highlights;
Nose: complex, very fruity, elegant, intense, spicy, with flowery touches;
Taste: excellent body with power and stuffing, demanding, masculine, long, full.
Type of bottle: Albeisa
Serving temperature: approx. 18°
Storage: Lying down in cool, dark surroundings
Pairings: Red meats in general, game, mature cheeses.

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Starting to transition to another phase of its evolution, this perfumed red offers woodsy, leather, tar and spice notes in its repertoire, along with a core of ripe cherry and plum fruit. Underlined by mineral details and a refined structure of acidity and tannins. Give this another five to seven years to show off its potential. Best from 2028 through 2045. 378 cases made." - Bruce Sanderson (Apr 2025)

97 Points - Wine Advocate: 
"The last time we saw this wine was in 2014, and I remember that vintage as magical. The Giuseppe Mascarello 2016 Barolo Monprivato Riserva Cà d'Morissio is the estate's benchmark wine. Thanks to this epic growing season, we have a clear window onto the excellence of Castiglione Falletto, where Monprivato is located, and the current state of affairs at this historic winery. I found this wine to be quite beautiful and profound, with dried fruit, cassis, earthy tones and pressed violet. It is also quite generous in terms of mouthfeel, with integrated tannins that are finely woven with hints of dried mint and bitter plum. The vineyards were planted with a massal selection of Mascarello family vines. The wine is persistent, especially at the back end of the palate, showing firm structure and power." – Monica Larner (Jan 2025)