2011 Barolo, Bartolo Mascarello, Piedmont, Italy

Maria-Theresa Mascarello's 2011 Barolo is one of the more refined wines of the year, with less size than many other 2011s and plenty of immediacies. Racy and giving on the palate but with a good underlying structure, 2011 impresses for its juxtaposition of the riper elements of the vintage and more classic attributes that are such signatures at this address.Bright red stone fruits, strawberries and crushed flowers are some notes that grace the exquisite finish. 2011 is an excellent choice to drink while some more age-worthy recent vintages sleep in the cellar. I will not be surprised to see 2011 improve from where it is today. Drink 2018 - 2041antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (November 2014)

The 2011 Barolo is a very expressive wine with more determination and muscle than you usually get in Bartolo Mascarello. The bouquet opens to plush flavours of red fruit and cherry with grilled herb, tobacco and mineral delineation. Its structure is yielding and round, and the finish is ripe with soft fruit flavours.Make no mistake, it doles out complexity and an ethereal sense of balsam herb, cola and liquorice that is the hallmark of this historic estate with a tiny garage winery in the town of Barolo. The alcohol reading here is 14.5% compared to 14% in the 2010 vintage. Drink 2017 - 2035 monica_larner, Wine Advocate (June 2015)