Barolo 2013 Bartolo Mascarello

Description

The Cantina Bartolo Mascarello is one of the legendary and historic producers of the Barolo appellation. The winery has stood as a beacon of staunch Barolo traditionalism since its official inception in 1918.

The roots of the estate in fact go back further, to the 19th century when the Mascarello family produced grapes which they sold to large wine producing houses in the nearby township of Bra. At around the turn of the century, though, a dozen or so producers including Bartolomeo Mascarello – Bartolo’s grandfather – established a much smaller entity, called the ‘Barolo Co-operative Winery’, and Bartolomeo became the cellar master there. Eventually, the Co-Operative closed, and Bartolo’s father, Giulio, just back from fighting in World War I, decided to take the plunge and produce some wine under his own label, a true rarity for that era. Although some of the wine was sold as actual bottles, much of the production was also sold in demi-johns to restaurants and other consumers who undertook the bottling of the wine on their own. Over time, the estate acquired small parcels of choice vineyards in the communes of Barolo and La Morra. The winery was later transitioned to Giulio’s son, Bartolo, in the 1960’s where they worked in tandem until Giulio’s death in 1981. Over that period, the winery began to gain more prominence. When Bartolo died in 2005, the baton was passed then to his only child, Maria Teresa.

Today, Maria Teresa produces Barolo along with tiny amounts of Dolcetto, Barbera, Freisa and Langhe Nebiolo. The Barolo is a blend of Canubbi (1 ha), San Lorenzo (.25 ha), Rue (.5 ha) and Rocche di Annunziata (1.2 ha). Given the steep terrain of the zone, all vineyard work is done by hand, including of course, the harvest. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used as well.