Today, we have some 1961 Barbaresco in excellent condition (pictured above) from Giuseppe Mascarello. The 1961 Giuseppe e Figlio Mascarello Barbaresco is a rare and compelling snapshot of traditional Piedmontese winemaking from a benchmark vintage. At the time, the Mascarello family was already deeply established in the Langhe, with vineyard holdings in both Barolo and Barbaresco and a reputation for classical, long-aging Nebbiolo. While the estate later focused exclusively on Barolo, this Barbaresco reflects their early work in the appellation, sourced from old vines in prime hillside parcels and fermented in concrete, followed by extended aging in large Slavonian oak casks. The 1961 vintage is one of the great post-war years in Piedmont, marked by warm, balanced conditions that produced structured, age-worthy wines. Now fully mature, the wine shows tertiary aromas of dried cherry, rose petals, tobacco, and truffle, with fine-grained tannins and a lifted, savory finish. A collector’s piece from a great year, made by one of the Langhe’s most respected traditionalists.
John Gilman 91 pts! As Mauro Mascarello’s father, Gepin Mascarello, was blending his wines back in this era (the first single vineyard wine from the Mascarello family was the 1970 Monprivato), there is no vineyard designation on this wine, so I do not know if this is the product of a single vineyard, or if Signor Mascarello purchased grapes from several different crus to produce this bottling of Barbaresco back in 1961. In any event, the wine is really a lovely and à point bottle of Barbaresco, wafting from the glass in a blend of cherries, a touch of fennel seed, sous bois, sweet onions, fresh herb tones and a lovely, smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and fully mature, with lovely transparency, fine focus and balance, a gorgeous sense of transparency and a fine grip on the very long and tangy finish. This is fully mature, but still has really lovely structural integrity and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
1961 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barbaresco
1961 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barbaresco
Today, we have some 1961 Barbaresco in excellent condition (pictured above) from Giuseppe Mascarello. The 1961 Giuseppe e Figlio Mascarello Barbaresco is a rare and compelling snapshot of traditional Piedmontese winemaking from a benchmark vintage. At the time, the Mascarello family was already deeply established in the Langhe, with vineyard holdings in both Barolo and Barbaresco and a reputation for classical, long-aging Nebbiolo. While the estate later focused exclusively on Barolo, this Barbaresco reflects their early work in the appellation, sourced from old vines in prime hillside parcels and fermented in concrete, followed by extended aging in large Slavonian oak casks. The 1961 vintage is one of the great post-war years in Piedmont, marked by warm, balanced conditions that produced structured, age-worthy wines. Now fully mature, the wine shows tertiary aromas of dried cherry, rose petals, tobacco, and truffle, with fine-grained tannins and a lifted, savory finish. A collector’s piece from a great year, made by one of the Langhe’s most respected traditionalists.
John Gilman 91 pts! As Mauro Mascarello’s father, Gepin Mascarello, was blending his wines back in this era (the first single vineyard wine from the Mascarello family was the 1970 Monprivato), there is no vineyard designation on this wine, so I do not know if this is the product of a single vineyard, or if Signor Mascarello purchased grapes from several different crus to produce this bottling of Barbaresco back in 1961. In any event, the wine is really a lovely and à point bottle of Barbaresco, wafting from the glass in a blend of cherries, a touch of fennel seed, sous bois, sweet onions, fresh herb tones and a lovely, smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and fully mature, with lovely transparency, fine focus and balance, a gorgeous sense of transparency and a fine grip on the very long and tangy finish. This is fully mature, but still has really lovely structural integrity and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
