A complex and restrained traditional wine with aromas of licorice, embers, dried red cherries, potpourri, eucalyptus, tar, minerals, quinine and bark. Full-bodied with firm and dusty tannins. It’s a bit angular yet ripe and savory, with long, refreshing acidity and a full-flavored finish showing vermouth-like richness. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
97 points, Aldo Fiordelli, James Suckling (Mar 2026)
Set for release in the fall of 2026, the 2022 Barolo pours a youthful ruby red color with a light orange tinge. On the nose, it opens with cherries, anise, and menthol. On the palate, it’s grippy and structured, revealing dry extract, orange peel, and cranberries, with warmth kept in check by a bright spine of acidity. Despite a very challenging season, thoughtful assemblage across vineyards played a key role in the wine’s success, with Canubi severely reduced in yield while Rue came closer to normal in both quantity and character. Production was down significantly, with just under normal levels bottled. There are roughly 11,000 bottles produced, which is a decrease in production by nearly 7500 bottles for them. This is not a classic vintage, but it’s a convincing and successful one for the estate’s practice of blending from across the region and their holdings. Drink 2027-2042.
96+ points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (Apr 2026)
The Bartolo Mascarello 2022 Barolo is shaped by one of the driest and most relentlessly hot growing seasons in recent memory. Maria Teresa Mascarello described 2022 as a vintage "surrounded by heat and drought on all sides," with little meaningful rainfall from budbreak through harvest after the vines had already exhausted their water reserves during the dry 2021 season. Unlike years marked by alternating heat and cooler periods, temperatures remained consistently high through October, prompting an unusually early Nebbiolo harvest between 20 and 23 September, nearly two weeks ahead of the historical norm. Yields were reduced by approximately 40%, yet the wine emerges surprisingly approachable, offering generous fruit, warmth and immediate appeal. The palate is broad and expressive, revealing the ripeness of the vintage while maintaining the balance and understated elegance that define Bartolo Mascarello. Despite the hardships of the growing season, this is a beautifully rendered Barolo with a welcoming, accessible personality.
95 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Jul 2026)
An early harvest between 20-23 September, though not the earliest on record. Macerations lasted 32 days, but the estate chose not to submerge the cap in order to avoid rustic tannins. This is a beautiful feat – youthfully expressive with a gorgeously complex nose recalling dried rose, orange and plum blossoms, macerated red berries and beeswax. Quite dense and mouthfilling with oodles of flavour, its succulent cherry is perfumed with violet and lavender. Powdery, al dente tannins wrap seamlessly around the palate, trailing off with blood orange and iron. Almost ready.
95 points, Michaela Morris, Decanter (Nov 2025)
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