2012 Barolo Monprivato

Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio, one of Barolo's benchmark estates, has arrived at a crossroads. I have been buying, cellaring and drinking these wines for more than twenty years going to back my college days in Boston, where the wines were widely available and well priced. Since the 2009 vintage, quality has dipped below the level that had been customary here for several decades. Mauro Mascarello has been at the helm of his family's estate since the late 1960s/early 1970s, which makes him the most tenured active winemaker in Piedmont I know. Mascarello's contributions to Barolo are far beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say Mascarello has crafted numerous epic, thrilling wines over the last five decades. I have been fortunate to taste most, if not all of them. But there are worrying signs, including the state of the Monprivato vineyard, which is in dire need of help. Mauro Mascarello has more than done his part. The responsibility now must fall to his children, Giuseppe and Elena, to bring back the estate to the level Barolo lovers have been accustomed to. I have tasted and drunk many of Mauro Mascarello's Barolos recently, including epic bottles of the 1996 Monprivato and Ca' d'Morissio, both of which were unforgettable. Then there were bottles of the 1982, 1989 and 2004, all of them stellar. Sadly, I don't see anywhere near that level of quality here today.