1997 Giuseppe e Figlio Mascarello "Monprivato" Barolo

“Good saturated full red. Jammy, liqueur-like perfume on the nose. Silky, highly concentrated and quite penetrating, with an intriguing floral complexity. Boasts superb depth of fruit and inner-mouth perfume. Really builds on the back half, finishing with big, tongue-dusting tannins. (ST)” (09/2001)

“One of Piedmont's perennial stars, particularly in top vintages, Mauro Mascarello's 1997 Barolo Monprivato exhibits a dense ruby/garnet color as well as a sweet nose of cedar, black fruits, earth, tar, and rose petals. The explosive perfume is followed by a rich, seamless, full-bodied, unctuously-textured wine. One of the most precocious and accessible Monprivatos I have ever tasted, the 1997 is the finest since the glorious 1990. (RP)” (06/2001)