2016 Bartolo Mascarello Barbera d'Alba

Bartolo Mascarello is a 12-acre estate in Barolo, in the Piedmont region of Italy. The estate was founded in 1919 by Giulio Mascarello and was known as Cantina Mascarello until Giulio’s death in 1981. Giulio’s son Bartolo began working with his father in the late 1940s and Bartolo changed the label to "Bartolo Mascarello” in 1982. Until his passing in 2005 Bartolo continued to make traditional, widely-admired Barolos in the small winery under his house. After his death, his daughter Maria Teresa took over the winery, and she continues to make Barolo in the plain but distinctive style championed by her father and grandfather. The estate produces just one Barolo, which is made from a mix of grapes from the family’s four Nebbiolo plots in Cannubi, Rue, Roche di Annunziata and San Lorenzo. The fruit from the four vineyards is co-fermented in concrete vats by indigenous yeasts without temperature controls. Other wines produced are Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo and Langhe Freisa. Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading wine journal, has noted that Maria Teresa has followed her father’s legacy “with that special Mascarello way of crafting truly authentic bottles from traditional, unhurried maceration and aging in large barrels. (These are) wines that will endure for decades.”

Barbera d’Alba is a DOC centered around the town of Alba, and it is considered home to some of the best wines made from the Barbera grape. Barbera is the most frequently planted grape in Piedmont, thanks to its adaptability and vigorous character. It is easier to grow and less susceptible to adverse weather than Nebbiolo, which is grown in neighboring appellations. Barbera in general has relatively low tannins but high acidity, and the wines tend to have flavors of ripe currant and cherry. The Barbera DOC was created in 1970 and the DOC wines must be 100% Barbera.

This red wine is from Piedmont. It is known for low tannins and high acidity, which makes it taste both light-bodied and rich. Barbera most often drinks early, but some variations can be cellared. The wine is relatively inexpensive and flexible for pairing.