Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Jason Heller — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 17:10:05 GMT

Sorry that the formatting isn't working out. Hopefully it can be followed.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Jason Heller — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 17:09:20 GMT

My tasting group (some who made up members of this original tasting), got together to recreate a part of this tasting again. Dan Petroski had acquired a FOSS machine at Larkmead so we decided to taste the wines to 1. calibrate his machine compared to the ETS numbers 2. Look at a broader spectrum of Maria Teresa's wines then we did the first time around. 3. Enjoy some great wines, because that's what it is all about anyhow (and our group is in the midst of a "year in Piemonte")

Tasted this time were the following wines:

Bartolo Mascarello - 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012

Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato - 2010

The numbers:

Wine Vintage pH TA VA RS ABV

Bartolo 2012 3.61 6.2 0.74 0.2 14.2

Bartolo 2011 3.66 6.2 0.59 0.5 14.3

Monpriv. 2010 3.65 6 0.54 0.04 14.1

Bartolo 2009 3.61 6.1 0.69 1.35 14.5

Bartolo 2008 3.56 6.4 0.58 0 14.5

Bartolo 2007 3.55 6.3 0.68 1.0 14.8

Bartolo 2006 3.51 6.3 0.84 0 14.1

Bartolo 2005 3.48 6.5 0.82 1.5 14.1

Bartolo 2000 3.63 6.2 0.66 0.8 14.2

Shocking again were the RS levels on the 2009, 2007 and 2005. That is a good deal of sugar in a "dry" red wine.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Lily Berry — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 17:40:40 GMT

This is an awesome piece - love the empirical data!

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Joshua Thomas — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 18:57:08 GMT

This is a great piece. Educational as well as interesting. Thank you Matt.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

john nocera — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 02:43:55 GMT

I would imagine the effect is a lot like harvesting Sauv. Blanc. in a very warm place like Australia. you pick some early to get acidity, then later to get more ripeness, then later to get more sugar for body then blend together to make an appealing balanced wine.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Anthony Anselmi — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:39:34 GMT

One important note on Bartolo, the four vineyards that the Barolo is sourced from are harvested at different times (naturally). When the first vineyard is harvested, the grapes are put equally into the 4 concrete tanks and begin fermentation. As the other vineyards are picked they are also layered into the 4 different concrete tanks. In the end you have all 4 vineyards in all 4 tanks but picked at different times. What is the effect of this? Great wine, to be sure.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Cameron Porter — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:42:15 GMT

Great tasting! I'd be curious to know if it's solely changes in sugars at harvest that were affecting Bartolo's alcohols between the '90s and '00s, or if it's also a different conversion rate. Do we know if the cultured strains Maria Teresa utilizes (when she does) are the same used by Bartolo? And Jason, the numbers on those '01s are insane! Some borderline illegal VA on a couple of those.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Max Day — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 22:13:59 GMT

Brilliant read. Not only was this comparitive tasting more useful for you, Matt, but it was more useful to me as the reader. Encore?

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

FRANK SEIDL — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 20:16:07 GMT

Thanks for "sharing", Matt! Very interesting correlation of higher VA occurring in the wines with higher RS. Isn't research fun?

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Jason Heller — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 13:39:09 GMT

This was a very fun and educational tasting. Hell, it's just great to pull a bunch of corks on great wines with your friends.

I was suprised by the outcome as I had done this same type of tasting before. it was in 2011-12 time frame and it was all 2001 Barolo. Though most of the sample reports are gone I do still have the below data. Though the list is all "modern" producers, minus Cavallotto, the tasting did have G. Conterno, Giacosa, G. Rinaldi etc. the numbers are quite different from our current tasting and enlightening.

2001 Barolo Tasting Analysis

ID Ethanol Gluc/Fruc Malic Acid pH Total Acid VA

2001 Roberto Voerzio Barolo 14.880 1 0.05 3.58 5.8 1.04

2001 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva 15.000 1.1 0.05 3.46 6.5 0.82

2001 Luciano Sandrone Barolo 15.390 1.3 0.05 3.58 6.1 0.95

2001 Aldo Conterno Barolo 15.220 1 0.05 3.45 7.1 1.10

2001 Paolo Scavino Barolo 15.270 1.2 0.05 3.49 6.8 1.06

This was Dan's explanation after I shared this data with he and Matt after our tasting:

"When you deal with extended macerations and have trouble finishing fermentation (like these did, still with RS) your volatile acidity continues to creep up as the wines go unsulfured for quite some time. I think why we didn't see such high VAs with the traditionalists was because the majority converted most of their sugar and the VA doesn't have much to feed as they are still protected with the CO2 in the must; as for the two Bartolo wines with VA, we'd have to have some more info to explain."

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Christopher John — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 00:33:29 GMT

Really cool thoughts about wines with more sugar showing more VA. It makes sense because the more ripe cherry I get generally the more VA.

I do want to add a point about Aldo. 1997 is a bummer of a vintage to taste. Aldo turned the reigns over to his children in the early 90's (perhaps 90 is last great Granbussia). Giacomo makes it a point to say that his father let them then find their own way and make their own identity. It is generally considered that things have been pretty awkward there up until the 2010 vintage when they are now returning to long maceration (up to 6 weeks with Granbussia) and about half that with the three sub plots. In addition, slashing yields and volume of bottlings of the top cuvees.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Travis Hinkle — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:19:39 GMT

Fascinating stuff. Thanks Matt!

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Jimmy Hayes — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 18:55:03 GMT

Great notes Matt! Thanks for posting.

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Admin User — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:43:17 GMT

Another tasting 10 years on is clearly the only way to solve that question!

RE: Mascarello vs. Mascarello, by the numbers

Admin User — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:42:42 GMT

Arvid, I think our tasting bore that out—there was a lot more purity and consistency in the younger bottles. Although I also thought it a bit unfair to characterize the younger wines as more consistent, when the '90s wines have had a decade longer to diverge...