The Greatest Monprivato?

Posted by CrushWine

"...Barolo Monprivato in particular remains a steal relative to other world-class wines. Monprivato is one of the handful of Italian wines that can hold its own with the best being made anywhere in the world."
- Wine Advocate

Mauro Mascarello's Monprivato is one of the great expressions of Barolo. Very few achieve the Burgundy-like finesse that Mauro, somehow, coaxes from this hallowed site.

Since the day our doors first opened we have championed this wine and it has been amazing to watch its reputation grow over the last three years. Make no mistake about it, Mascarello's Monprivato is quickly becoming one of the most collectible Barolos, right up there with the best bottlings of Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarello - though at a fraction of the cost!

The 2004 edition will only increase the speed of the meteoric rise of this stunning traditional Barolo. 2004 is widely regarded as the vintage of vintages, Piedmont's answer to 2005 in Burgundy and Bordeaux. And Mauro has not missed the opportunity, producing what is possibly the greatest Monprivato of his career, a wine that certainly will equal and may surpass the legendary 1978, 1982, and 1989.

2004 in the Piedmont is by all accounts an extraordinary vintage.
The best Barolos and Barbarescos from this vintage flaunt an outrageous concentration that is styled into a framework that is muscular, while at the same time being extraordinarily elegant. Our trusted friend and the Wine Advocate's Italian wine guru Antonio Galloni has high praise for the vintage:

"Quite frankly, I have never tasted young Barolos with this level of sweet, perfumed fruit and silky, ripe tannins. These are wines of extraordinary elegance, balance and finesse...the 2004 Barolos combine the sweetness of 2000 with the classicism, perfume and freshness of 2001. It is tempting to compare 2004 to 2001, two vintages which share many attributes... Today the 2001 Barolos appear to be more powerful, structured wines and they may eventually prove to be longer-lived. The 2004s, on the other hand, come across as more elegant and refined... While both vintages are similar in terms of quality, I give a slight edge to 2004 for the remarkable finesse of the wines..."

Considering the finesse that Mauro is able to give even his Monprivatos from lesser years, it's almost frightening to think about what he has done with this wine in 2004! The vintage is perfectly suited to the strengths of Monprivato - which explains the extraordinary critical acclaim!

Click button below to see our real-time online inventory of 2004 Monprivato: