2018 Langhe Freisa, Bartolo Mascarello, Piedmont, Italy
About this WINE
Cantina Bartolo Mascarello
Cantina Mascarello Bartolo remains one of the most revered Barolo wine-making domaines. Founded in 1918, its reputation was secured by the late great Bartolo Mascarello and since 2005 by his daughter Maria-Teresa Mascarello, whose first vintage was in 1993.
The 5 hectare domaine lies in the Barolo village on prime sandy calcareous clay Tortonian soils, with the vineyards of Cannubi, San Lorenzo, Rue, & Rocche del Annunziata (La Morra) at its heart. Only one Barolo wine is made, a blend of all the crus, along with some Dolcetto and Barbera.
The style remains staunchly traditional. Vinification takes place in fifty year old cement & wooden cuves, without recourse to yeast or temperature control. The Barolo is aged for approx. 3 years in 25 hl Slavonian botte (all recently replaced), followed by 1 year in bottle prior to release.
Maria-Teresa believes quite simply that the key to great wine is to produce the healthiest, ripest fruit possible. She would also describe herself as (bio) logic & (bio) dynamic! Berrys are fortunate to have a tiny share of the 1,250 cases Barolo produced annually.
Freisa
Freisa is a red wine grape variety from the north-eastern Italian region of Piedmont. It is responsible for two quite different types of wine, from two seperate clones.
The first style, usually made from the Freisa Grossa clone, tends to be light and fruity, often made slightly frizzante and with a little residual sugar. This makes an excellent party or summer lunch wine.
The second, rather more serious style of wine is made from the Freisa Piccolo clone. This style is usually fermented to dryness and is completely still, has good body, violet and raspberry fruit flavours, good tannin and acidity and is capable of ageing for up to 10 years. A very good example of this style is Giuseppe Mascarello's version called Toetto.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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