Visiting Cantina Giuseppe Mascarello & Figli is in some ways a bit like traveling back in time: the winery is full of ancient, enormous botti, and though the largest casks are no longer in use, the family traditions still reign. Fermentations are slow, in concrete and steel; aging is long, in large oak botti ranging from 20 to 70 years of age. There are no tricks to doll the wines up. Farming decisions are made with an eye not only to the current vintage, but to future generations of Mascarellos.

However visiting Mascarello isn’t just stepping into the past: a visit is being welcomed into a space where you can feel the profound connection between the present and what has come before, the thread that ties today’s Piedmont to its rich and wonderful history.

Elena and her brother, Giuseppe, are the latest Mascarellos to carry the thread forward, and they're doing it beautifully, which shows in the wines. The family has some of Piedmont's greatest terroirs, including Monprivato (often called “the Musigny of Barolo”). They do what they need to do to allow those terroirs to shine year after year, in each new vintage’s unique voice.

What importer Polaner Selections has to say about this wine...

Varietals
Freisa
Vineyard
Toetto vineyard in the village of Castiglione Falletto. Very close to Monprivato.
Soil
Clayey, calcareous composed of grey marl and brown clay of marine origin.
Viticulture
Hand harvested in the first two weeks of October.
Vinification
Traditional-style, floating cap fermentation of selected estate-grown grapes for 15/20 days.
Aging
The wine is matured in medium-sized Slavonian oak barrels for approximately 15 months.