2006 Barolo Monprivato

Mauro Mascarello told me he loves the 2008 Barolos, but the wines won't be bottled until next summer. He's also a fan of the 2007 vintage. "The Barolos don't have great structure but they're elegant and aromatic," he said. "They'll be very agreeable for early drinking but will also age well. They're strong in extract, and the tannins are round and sweet." Mascarello told me that the 2009s will be less concentrated than the two preceding vintages and well suited for relatively early drinking. It's early days of course, but Mascarello believes that 2010 "has the possibility to be great." Given the structure and perfume of these Barolos, I was a little surprised when Mascarello told me that acidity levels here are normally between 5.3 and 5.8 grams per liter, which is not especially high. "At 6 grams, the wines become too hard," he explained. Also recommended: 2009 Dolceto d'Alba Bricco (86).

Proprietor Mauro Mascarello makes some of the most compelling, traditional wines in Piedmont. Mascarello's signature Barolo, Monprivato, rarely shows well when young, yet it has a proven ability to transform magically in the bottle, something I have witnessed first-hand with more vintages than I can remember. The irony us that by the time the wines start showing well; they are long gone from the market or have appreciated dramatically in price. On my most recent trip to Piedmont I was quite surprised to hear of the admiration two of Barolos top modern winemakers have for Monprivato.