Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 2020

Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio is a family estate founded in 1881 and long regarded as one of Barolo's finest growers. Monprivato is its flagship single vineyard, acquired in 1904, planted to the Michet clone of Nebbiolo on the marl and limestone soils of Castiglione Falletto. These calcareous soils and the cool, hilly Langhe climate, with its long autumn and wide day-to-night range, give Nebbiolo its pale colour, high acidity, firm tannin and complex aromatics. The fruit is fermented in cement tanks lined with epoxy resin and in stainless steel, then aged thirty months in large foudres. The big oak casks allow slow, steady oxygen exchange that softens Nebbiolo's powerful tannins without adding obvious oak flavour, preserving the grape's transparency to site. The colour is medium garnet with a brick rim. The nose is red cherry and raspberry with rose, dried herbs, liquorice and a savoury, leathery, earthy note. The palate is medium to full bodied, firm and structured, with the grippy tannins and bright acidity that mark traditional Barolo and a long, persistent finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting an hour or two ahead. It suits braised beef, game and truffle dishes.