2003 Barolo Villero
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Tasting notes
Moderately saturated medium red. Deeply aromatic nose combines cherry, redcurrant and tobacco, with a riper whiff of prune. Very rich, sweet and deep; a fairly full style with lovely inner-mouth floral perfume rare for the vintage. Finishes with substantial granular tannins and good lingering sweet fruit. Mascarello emphasized that he did not pick Barolo in 2003 until the last days of September.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2003 Barolo Villero isn't as convincing. It presents a lovely core of sweet fruit and the typical mentholated, balsamic notes that are typical of this site, yet it comes across as somewhat awkward in its aromatics and d isjointed in structure. With air it improved, but only to a limited extent. The higher sand content in the vineyard vis à vis Santo Stefano and Monprivato seems to have penalized the wine in the scorching 2003 vintage.
The 2003 Barolo Villero isn’t as convincing. It presents a lovely core of sweet fruit and the typical mentholated, balsamic notes that are typical of this site, yet it comes across as somewhat awkward in its aromatics and disjointed in structure. With air it improved, but only to a limited extent. The higher sand content in the vineyard vis ? vis Santo Stefano and Monprivato seems to have penalized the wine in the scorching 2003 vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2021. Mauro Mascarello is one of the few producers who prefers his 2003 Barolos to his 2001s as he finds they have more power and intensity while also maintaining finesse and a sense of classicism. The wines certainly have more power, but I am not sure I would agree they have more finesse. In any event, his 2003 Barolos are among the best of the vintage, in particular the Santo Stefano di Perno and Monprivato. I also tasted the 2003 Ca’ d’ Morissio from barrel a few months ago, and it is shaping up to be a remarkably rich wine very much in keeping with the style of the vintage. Mascarello hasn’t decided when he will release the 2001 Ca’ d’ Morissio, but it, too, is promising, as is his entire range of 2004 Barolos. Importers: Doug Polaner, Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484
The 2003 Barolo Villero isn’t as convincing. It presents a lovely core of sweet fruit and the typical mentholated, balsamic notes that are typical of this site, yet it comes across as somewhat awkward in its aromatics and disjointed in structure. With air it improved, but only to a limited extent. The higher sand content in the vineyard vis ? vis Santo Stefano and Monprivato seems to have penalized the wine in the scorching 2003 vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2021. Oct 2007, www.robertparker.com