Barolo Cantina Bartolo Mascarello 1971 (1.88L)

96 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: " (Cantina Mascarello Barolo Red) The 1971 Barolo is a real thrill to taste and drink. Let me emphasize that second point. So often, wines like this are tasted among many other wines. On this night the two of us savor every last drop of the 1971. I have had very mixed results with the 1971, to the point I stopped seeking it out. In the 1970s (and later) Barolo was bottled only when it was sold, so it is very likely, if not probable, that the 1971 was bottled botte by botte over a period of years, which naturally leads to a certain amount of bottle variation. On this night, the 1971 is positively stellar. Deep, complex and potent, the 1971 captures all the richness of the year in its multi-faceted personality. More importantly, this bottle does not have any of the barnyard aromas and flavors that are unfortunately common in the Mascarello 1971. Simply put, this is what Barolo from the 1970s is all about. Readers who own pristine bottles can look forward to another two decades of exceptional drinking if storage is perfect. (Drink between 2018-2038)" 9/18.

96 Points, John Gilman, View from the Cellar:" "(Barolo- Bartolo Mascarello (Barolo)) The 1971 vintage from Bartolo Mascarello is one of the finest wines that he produced over his very long and illustrious career, but this is also one of the great examples of the vintage that I would let sleep in the cellar for at least a handful more years, as the wine is still climbing in quality and clearly not yet at its peak. The bouquet is pure and beautifully expressive today, wafting from the glass in a complex mix of red and black cherries, camphor, roasted squab, a very refined base of soil tones, a touch of anise and a topnote of hazelnut. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and still fairly structured, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent soil signature, tangy acids and excellent focus and grip on the very long and still moderately tannic finish. This is hardly difficult to drink today, but it is going to be better still with further bottle age! (Drink between 2018-2055)" Nov/Dec 2018, #78