Neb Knights Monprivato Barolo
@ Hearth, East Village, NYC, 1/30/2026
A motley group of old friends/Nebbiolo lovers got together at Hearth restaurant
in NYC to taste a vertical selection of Barolo from the Monprivato vineyard
in Castiglione Falletto.
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This was the first night of this incredible weekend of wine, food, and friends.
The second evening was a
Giacosa and Roagna with Luca Roagna
at Chez Goldberg in NYC.
We met at Hearth,
403 East 12th Street (at 1st Avenue) in the East Village at 7pm.
It was too cold to take a photo outside, so this is from last September.
The menu and the excellent bread with fresh ricotta:
Flight 1: 1989, 1990
Market Radishes in buttermilk, pickled peppers, soft herbs.
For me, the overwhelming vinegar made this inedible.
Brovia made a Monprivato in 1989 and 1990 from a small plot owned by
Giovanni Sordo, the only part of Monprivato that G. Mascarello does not own.
The two Brovia wines are lovely in their own right, but lack the depth and
complexity of the Mascarello wines. Still, anyone who owns them should enjoy
drinking them.
-
1989 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Lovely nose of dark red fruit and boullion.
Tart red fruit in the mouth. Long, dry finish. A lovely wine, just not in
the class of the 89 Mascarello. (92 points)
-
1989 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Dark and rich nose of red fruit and licorice.
Big and rich in the mouth with plenty of tannin. Long and complex.
This wine really hasn't changed much in many years.
Still a beast and still excellent. (95 points)
-
1990 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted at 10am.] Juicy red fruit nose. Long red fruit and tar
in the mouth. Still showing some tannin. Surprisingly, more than the 1989.
(93 points)
Flight 2: 1996, 1999, 2000
Maccheroni with pork ragu, whipped ricotta, fried rosemary.
My favorite dish here by a mile. Great with the wine.
Like the Brovias above, the 2000 Mascarello pales next to the 1996 and 1999
which are great wines. If you own it, you should enjoy drinking it in the
near future. No rush on the other two.
-
1996 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for one hour at 10am.] Amy tasted a little while it was decanted.
She said it was great. All fruit. Next time I'll try pop and pour.
At dinner: Dark rich nose of black and red fruit, licorice and roses.
Big with thick, rich red fruit in the mouth. Long and complex. Still tannic,
but I love it. Others like the 1999 better because it's not so tannic, but to
me this is a great Barolo. (97 points)
-
1999 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around noon.] Black fruit nose with some cocoa and tar.
Thick and silky rich in the mouth. The fruit to tannin ratio here is
noticeably higher than the 89 and 96. Quite typical for 1999, this wine has
plenty of power and longevity, but with a silkiness. Kind of reminds me of
1982 Bordeaux in that way. These will live a long time, but drink well
throughout their lifetime. (96 points)
-
2000 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Pop & pour.] Red fruit nose. Dry dusty tannins.
A good wine, but not in the same league as the 89, 96, and 99.
(91 points)
Flight 3: 2001, 2004, 2006
Wild Striped Bass in a wild mushroom conserva, with celery root and
kombu (edible kelp).
This was delicious and the fish was excellent, but addition of a fair amount
of lemon made this a poor pairing with the wines.
All on the young side, but a great future for each.
-
2001 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around noon.] Black fruit and minerals in the nose.
Still backward and tannic. Long and complex. A great future, but I'd wait
another decade on this beast. (94–98 points)
-
2004 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Muted nose of black fruit and licorice.
Sweet and silky up front, but tart red fruit on the finish.
Not fully together yet. Potential 95–96 down the road. (93 points)
-
2006 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted the night before out of logistical necessity.]
Red fruit and roses in the nose. Red fruit in the mouth, dusty tannins.
A hard one for me to judge. (93 points)
Flight 4: 2005, 2008
This flight was actually tasted the next day due to an error, but I included
here for completeness. Both excellent wines.
-
2005 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 5pm. Actually tasted the next day due to an error,
but included here for completeness.] Beautiful black fruit nose.
Full and rich in the mouth. Long and complex. (94 points)
-
2008 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato -
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 5pm. Actually tasted the next day due to an error,
but included here for completeness.] Bright red fruit in the nose.
Typical 2008 with cool dark fruit and a nice richness.
Lacking a little something on the finish at this point. (93 points)
Flight 5: 2013 Ca d'Morissio Riserva
Grass-Fed Brisket Peposo with red onion agrodolce, broccoli rabe,
and sourdough breadcrumbs.
(Peposo is a sauce made with red wine and black pepper.)
The black pepper was overwhelming. For me, this was inedible.
Ca d'Morissio Riserva is made from the best part of Monprivato using only the
Michet clone.
Dessert
Olive Oil Cake with tangerine and vanilla crème fraîche.
Wonderful. A great ending.
People Pix
Top: Tom, Joe.
Bottom: Greg, Todd, Steve, Henry.
Not pictured: Ben, Jamie, me.
Summary
A great time with old friends and some great wines.
My tasting notes posted from
CellarTracker.
All original content © Ken Vastola
