I have tried the 1997 and the 1993 Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato Barolo the last week, off the excellent wine list at the Kittle House. We really are lucky to live so close to this excellent restaurant with one of the best wine lists anywhere.
The 1997 is obviously the better wine, better fruit, structure and finish but it's more of an intellectual effort. The wine is very far from being ready, the tannins are harsh and mask the fruit almost completely, and it needs a lot of swirling to coax anything out the glass at this point.
The 1993, on the other hand, is a bit diluted and watery with a sour acidity and yet, paired with food it transforms itself into a delicious friendly wine. This for me is how Barolo should be - yes, tar and violets on the nose, that's obvious, but more specifically, after the 10-30 years time to shed the harsh tannins, a food friendly wine should emerge. Complex and interesting as opposed to fruit forward like the new wave wines.
To sum up, the 1996, I will absolutely love in ten or fifteen years, and the 1993 I love now with food, but I will drink Mascarello Monprivato Barolos from any year anytime.
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