Producers: Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio

There is no family connection to the congenial Bartolo Mascarello in the municipality of Barolo, despite the similarity of the names, but there is definitely a philosophical connection in terms of land and wine. The two Mascarellos, together with the two Conternos (Aldo and Giacomo), form the absolute top of the great traditionalists, totally connected to nature. The family around Mauro Mascarello began their tradition as simple farmers on the estate of Marchesa Giulia Colbert Faletti di Barolo, before the family took the plunge in the 19th century and acquired their own estate. Today, the family's vineyards cover 15 hectares. All the vineyards are within the classified Barolo growing area. Through acquisitions in the 1980s, the Barolo Cru site of MONPRIVATO belongs solely to the Mascarello family. The vineyards are planted with about 4,000 vines per hectare. The actual annual production at Mascarello averages 5-6 tonnes per hectare, depending on the vintage, which corresponds to 35-42 hectolitres per hectare; at MONPRIVATO, the yield is even significantly lower. The soils of the vineyards are composed of algae deposits and shell limestone, plus a lot of white clay interspersed with metals, together with the microclimate one of the recognised best terroirs in the Barolo area. The soil is a testimony to prehistoric times; the sea was once in this place, and tectonic movements brought the land to its present shape. The soil is now cultivated organically (without being certified), which is also a more than effective means of increasing quality and naturally limiting yields. Giuseppe Mascarello, like his father, is fully committed to the tradition that some people now call modern, or at least it is "state of the art": the yield is extremely limited, the vines are constantly thinned out so that the perfect grapes are not affected, and of course the grapes are harvested by hand. Perfect organic work in the vineyards. Spontaneous fermentation. The wines are traditionally matured in large Slovenian oak barrels. Giuseppe Mascarello vinifies the grapes from each vineyard separately. Even though the technical possibilities have evolved over time, the philosophy of the Mascarello family has remained the same.