The third producer in the trinity of Barolo behemoths (the other two being Giacomo Contorno and Bruno Giacosa), Giuseppe Mascarello has the Italian wine world at his feet. With his feet firmly planted in the past but eyes set towards the horizon, he straddles the old world and the new with ardent panache. Dedicated to long ageing in old botti (barrels), according to Antonio Galloni, “Mascarello makes some of the most compelling, traditional wines in Piedmont.”

The estate is today in its fourth generation of Mascarellos, and has been since the 1960s. Mauro is the figlio in the name, the son of Giuseppe (although the original Giuseppe and son were his great-grandfather and grandfather). Still, what’s in a name when the heritage and savoir faire date back to the mid-1800s when Giuseppe Mascarello made a name for himself managing the vineyards of wealthy landowners, and which eventually ended up in the purchase of his own vineyards and cellars in 1881 in the village of Monforte d’Alba. Mauro owns Monprivato in its entirety, having purchased all the parcels he could since his tenure. This is great news for Italian wine investors as single vineyard wines, particularly those made with a traditional approach age superbly. Simply put, this is a brilliant Barolo that all other Barolo producers look to for inspiration.

However, it is common knowledge that not all change has met with universal success. Despite firm refusals from Elena Mascarello (Mauro’s grand-daughter), something has shifted in recent years. While it is undeniable that vintages from Mauro’s time are considered among Italy's best wines, (1986, 1988, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2008), recent experimentation (or not, depending on whom you believe) means that newer vintages have so far not managed to reach the zenith of the past upon release. That is not to say that they are not excellent examples of not just Barolo but all Italian wine - simply that when the bar is stratospherically high, it can perhaps be hard to reach consistently. But we must remember that these are wines built for ageing. For true Barolo lovers, the Monprivato is the model for what Barolo - especially traditional Barolo - should be.