NV Barolo Monprivato Vertical (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 – ex Rino Fontana)

1998 Barolo Monprivato The 1998 Monprivato from Giuseppe Mascarello perfectly embodies the quality of the vintage. This is a relatively. slender, accessible Monprivato, yet all of the elements are perfectly in balance. The sweet aromatics meld seamlessly into a soft palate of fruit framed by ripe, silky tannins. The 1998 is a great introduction to Monprivato, and is one of the more beautiful, harmonious and accessible wines of the vintage. Today, the 1998 does not appear to be built for the long haul, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I am underestimating the wine's potential longevity given how gracefully wines of lesser vintages have aged. 92Pts Antonio Galloni 1999 Barolo Monprivato The 1999 Barolo Monprivato is once again stellar. In this tasting, it is the wine's flamboyant fruit and super-expressive aromatics that jump from the glass. Sweet red cherries, pomegranate, hard candy, rose petals and mint meld together as this generous, resonant Barolo shows off its pure and total sense of majesty. Spices and a hint of blood orange develop in a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors. In 1999, Monprivato is just about as good as it gets. Mauro Mascarello did not bottle his Riserva Ca' d'Morissio in 1999; instead all the best fruit was blended into the Monprivato. Today, the 1999 is utterly thrilling. It's as simple as that. 97Pts Antonio Galloni 2000 Barolo Monprivato Mauro Mascarello's 2000 Barolo Monprivato is a pretty wine laced with red berries, rose petals and licorice. Sweet spice notes appear as the wine shows off its gorgeous inner perfume. The 2000 is a beautifully open, expressive Barolo yet it appars to have enough density to age well for another decade-plus. The wine is delicious in bottle, but it is even better in magnum. 94Pts Antonio Galloni 2001 Barolo Monprivato The 2001 Barolo Monprivato is striking. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and richness to match its highly expressive, compelling aromatics. The wine has begun to soften a touch. Though not at all forbidding at this stage, the 2001 Monprivato remains an infant with at least two more decades of fine drinking ahead. This is a gorgeous effort from Mauro Mascarello. 95Pts Antonio Galloni 2003 Barolo Monprivato Mascarello's 2003 Barolo Monprivato blossoms beautifully in the glass with gorgeous volume, polished tannins and lovely overall balance. Red cherries, plums, spices, tobacco and crushed flowers all open up in an effortless Monprivato with plenty of near-term appeal. Here, too, the heat of the vintage is evident, but it is the structure that gives the wine its sense of proportion. 90Pts Antonio Galloni 2004 Barolo Monprivato The 2004 Barolo Monprivato is utterly magnificent in its freshness, nuance and delineation. Sweet floral notes meld effortlessly into hard candy, wild flowers, rose petal and pomegranate, all supported by super-fine tannins. I very much admire the sense of energy here. The 2004 is striking today, but it is also quite young. Readers who are seeking fully mature flavors will want to give the 2004 at least a few more years in bottle. 96Pts Antonio Galloni 2006 Barolo Monprivato Medium polish red; less saturated than the 2007. Less fruity and floral and more earthy/spicy on the nose than the '07, exuded notes of red berry liqueur and underbrush with air. Then tighter and more penetrating in the mouth, conveying more force than the '07 and a much more austere texture. Seems large but at the same time lower in alcohol. This very precise, powerfully structured wine finishes dry, long and youthfully imploded, with subtle spice and floral nuances. More classic than the 2007 but also far less agreeable today: forget this one in the cellar for a decade, at which point it may make my early rating look stingy. 93+Pts Antonio Galloni 2007 Barolo Monprivato Medium red. Subtle, reticent, very pure nose offers perfumed scents of wild red cherry, rose petal and wild herbs; the most refined of Mascarello's 2007 Barolos. Wonderfully silky and fine-grained on the palate, but with terrific calcaire precision and lift. The wine's highly aromatic red cherry and floral flavors saturate the palate without leaving any impression of weight. This vintage of Monprivato includes about 4% each lampia and rose, the rest is michet, including the juice that normally goes into Mascarello's limited Ca d'Morrisio bottling. The very long finish features harmonious acidity and firm but suave tannins that reach the front teeth. A beauty. 94+Pts Antonio Galloni 2008 Barolo Monprivato Mauro Mascarello's 2008 Barolo Monprivato is a much more lifted and translucent wine than the 2006 Le Vigne. A wine that needs considerable air, the 2008 only starts to blossom with a few hours in the glass. Monprivato is often quirky, but the 2008 is a real moving target. Just this week alone I have tasted six bottles of the 2008 and found the wine a bit all over the place, especially compared to other wines from the same year. Still, with patience, the 2008 really sings. Ideally, readers should plan on cellaring the 2008 for at least another few years. 95+Pts Antonio Galloni 2009 Barolo Monprivato The 2009 Barolo Monprivato is the deepest of the four Barolos. About a month before bottling Mauro Mascarello added the Ca'd' Morissio cask to the Monprivato, which should have had a positive effect, as it had in the past, but I have yet to see evidence of that here. Antonio Galloni 2010 Barolo Monprivato Mascarello's 2010 Barolo Monprivato shows good depth and volume in the gloss, but the flavors are also a touch forward, which is a bit unusual for the year. Sweet red cherry, raspberry, mint, white pepper and orange peel linger on the delicate finish, all supported by silky, polished tannins. The 2010 is a bit more fully formed than it was a few months ago, but I don't find the pedigree of the best years, and I say that after having had the 1989, 2004 and 2008 in the days leading up to this visit. 89Pts Antonio Galloni 2011 Barolo Monprivato Mauro Mascarello's 2011 Barolo Monprivato is soft, open-knit and surprisingly ready to go today. Dried cherry, anise, crushed flowers, mint and sweet tobacco all find support in a pretty fabric framed by silky, inviting tannins. The 2011 is not a huge Monprivato, but it does offer good balance in a restrained, mid-weight style, even by this wine's historical standards. I have seen Monprivato gain considerable depth and intensity in bottle. It will be interesting to see what happens here. In 2011, Mascarello did not bottle their flagship Riserva Ca'd' Morissio. Instead, all the fruit went into the straight Monprivato. 92Pts Antonio Galloni 2012 Barolo Monprivato The 2012 Barolo Monprivato is an attractive, mid-weight wine. Bright red cherry fruit, orange peel, mint and sweet, exotic spices all lift from the glass. Silky tannins accompany the finish in an airy, lifted, understated Barolo. As attractive as the 2012 Monprivato is, it also tastes more like a top Langhe Nebbiolo rather than a Barolo from one of the region's undisputed grand cru sites. 91Pts Antonio Galloni 2013 Barolo Monprivato The 2013 Barolo Monprivato is perplexing. Light in color, intensity and structure, the 2013 offers only modest depth, even by the standards of this typically restrained Barolo. The orange peel, rosewater, rhubarb and cranberry flavors are tart and washed out. There is lovely persistence and a touch of grip on the finish, but that's about it. Few growers have done more for the image of Piedmont and Barolo over the last several decades than Mauro Mascarella. The estate has recently replanted major sections of their vineyards, including Monprivato. Perhaps there was something going on in the fields that has affected the quality of these wines of late. It's hard to say. But there is simply no getting around the simple fact that this is the fifth year in a row Mascarello has underperformed. 89Pts Antonio Galloni 2014 Barolo Monprivato The 2014 Barolo Monprivato is one of the finest Barolos I have tasted from the Mascarello family in a number of years. That is all the more remarkable considering a challenging growing season in which conditions were so tough that Mauro Mascarello did not want to show me his vineyard that summer. In the glass, though, the 2014 is gorgeous. Perfumed, bright and gracious, the 2014 captures all the best that was possible. Sage, mint, lavender and dark red/purplish berries add nuance to this super-expressive, transparent Barolo. Although the 2014 is not an epic Monprivato, it is a very beautiful wine. More importantly, let's hope it represents a return to the level of quality that was the norm at this reference-point estate up until 2009. 93Pts Antonio Galloni 2015 Barolo Monprivato Not yet scored 2016 Barolo Monprivato Not yet scored 2017 Barolo Monprivato The 2017 Barolo Monprivato is elegant, classy and nuanced. Crushed red berry fruit, spice and blood orange lend and exotic flair to this silky, mid-weight Barolo. The 2017 loses some of its persistence with air, but it offers tons of immediacy and sheer allure. Best of all, the 2017 will drink well with minimal cellaring. This is one of the better recent vintages of Monprivato the Mascarello family has released. 93Pts Antonio Galloni 2018 Barolo Monprivato The 2018 Barolo Monprivato is gorgeous. Aromatic and gracious, the 2018 is silky, expressive and very nicely balanced. The 2018 is a bit light and ethereal, as Monprivato is these days, but the tannins are impeccably balanced and all the elements are beautifully put together. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, spice, dried flowers and orange peel lend nuance throughout. This is a fine effort in a highly irregular year. 94Pts Antonio Galloni 2019 Barolo Monprivato Not yet scored