There are few names in Barolo as resonant and revered as Giuseppe Mascarello, and among its wines, none more mythic than Monprivato. For decades, this vineyard in Castiglione Falletto has stood as one of the great reference points of Nebbiolo, embodying the delicate balance of structure, perfume, and longevity that defines the appellation at its highest expression. To understand Monprivato is to enter the soul of Castiglione Falletto itself—where ancient soils, family dedication, and a precise winemaking philosophy converge into bottles that have become among the most sought-after in Piedmont and beyond.
History of the Winery
The Mascarello story reaches back to the mid-19th century, when the family first began cultivating vines in the Langhe. By the early 20th century, Giuseppe Mascarello had moved the family’s focus to the heart of Castiglione Falletto, where the winery was officially founded. Across generations, the estate has remained family-run, preserving a continuity of vision that is increasingly rare in the modern wine world.
The most significant turning point came under Mauro Mascarello, Giuseppe’s grandson, who took over in the 1960s. At a time when Barolo was increasingly leaning toward modernization—with shorter macerations and small new oak barrels—Mauro reaffirmed his loyalty to traditional methods. His choice to produce Monprivato as a single-vineyard cru starting in 1970 was nothing short of visionary, asserting the importance of terroir decades before it became the prevailing language of Piedmontese wine. Since then, the estate has steadily built its reputation, not through marketing or expansion, but by quietly crafting some of the most profound and ageworthy Nebbiolo in the region.
The People
The Mascarello estate is still family-driven, with Mauro Mascarello as the central figure of its modern era. His philosophy is one of patience and respect—for the vineyard, for the grape, and for tradition. He is joined by his wife Maria Teresa and their son Giuseppe, who represent the continuity of values passed down from earlier generations.
Mauro’s vision has always been guided by restraint: he believes the winemaker’s role is not to impose but to allow the vineyard to speak. The family works with a small team, deeply rooted in the local community, who share this ethos of stewardship. Every decision, from pruning to fermentation, is shaped by a philosophy of minimal intervention and maximum fidelity to terroir. This has earned Mascarello a reputation not only among collectors but also among sommeliers and producers worldwide as a benchmark of authenticity.
Vineyards & Terroir
The beating heart of the Giuseppe Mascarello estate is Monprivato, a vineyard that has long been counted among the finest in Castiglione Falletto and indeed all of Barolo. Historical documents from the 17th century already mention the site, a telling sign of its enduring reputation. Its six-and-a-half hectares of undulating slopes are blessed with a near-perfect exposition—mainly south to southwest—allowing Nebbiolo to ripen steadily while retaining its essential freshness.
What sets Monprivato apart is its soil composition. It lies within the Sant’Agata Fossili di Formazione, a mix of calcareous marl and clay formed in the Miocene epoch. The high proportion of limestone, coupled with finely textured clays, gives Nebbiolo the tension, minerality, and aromatic lift that connoisseurs so readily identify in these wines. It is a soil that naturally tempers vigor, limiting yields to modest levels even without aggressive intervention. This balance between restraint and vitality is why Monprivato delivers wines of haunting perfume—red roses, violets, orange zest—and a tannic architecture that seems built for decades, if not half a century.
Mauro Mascarello has long emphasized that Monprivato is not a single uniform block but a tapestry of micro-parcels. Within it lies the celebrated Cà d’Morissio parcel, replanted in the 1980s with a particularly fine Nebbiolo Michét clone. This tiny subsection, just over one hectare, produces grapes of such concentration and finesse that they are vinified separately in the rarest vintages to create the Cà d’Morissio Riserva. With yields typically below 30 hectoliters per hectare, the wine is the very definition of scarcity, and yet it remains profoundly expressive of Monprivato’s character—floral, tightly wound, and immensely ageworthy.
The estate also tends parcels outside Monprivato, each contributing distinctive qualities to the broader Mascarello range. The vineyard of Santo Stefano di Perno, situated in Monforte d’Alba, offers higher altitude and a cooler microclimate. Its sandier marl soils accentuate Nebbiolo’s spiced, earthy side, producing Barolo that is more robust and brooding, often requiring extended bottle age to show its full depth. Villero, another historic cru in Castiglione Falletto, leans toward richer, more structured wines, with clay-heavy soils that amplify tannic grip while still allowing Nebbiolo’s floral notes to emerge with time.
Bricco vineyards, perched on steeper exposures, contribute to the estate’s Dolcetto and Barbera, grapes that thrive in the clay-limestone mix and deliver wines that, while less grand than Barolo, are marked by precision and authenticity. Even these so-called “everyday” wines are treated with the same meticulous vineyard work: hand harvesting, strict selection, and an avoidance of chemical treatments in favor of sustainable, low-impact practices.
The Mascarello approach to the vineyard is anchored in the belief that quality begins with balance in the vine itself. They practice careful green harvesting in challenging years to ensure concentration, and pruning is done with long-term vitality in mind rather than chasing short-term yields. Herbicides and synthetic fertilizers are rejected, the family preferring natural cover crops and organic composts to nourish the soils. While they do not pursue official certification, their farming is guided by a philosophy of preservation—protecting the biodiversity of the vineyard and maintaining soil health for generations to come.
It is this deep-rooted commitment to place that elevates Monprivato beyond a single famous vineyard. In the wines, one finds not just the personality of Nebbiolo but the fingerprint of centuries-old marl, the cadence of gentle slopes, and the steady hand of a family that has allowed terroir to remain the truest guide. The outstanding quality of Monprivato is not an accident of geography alone but the patient, deliberate work of those who understood its potential long before the wider world recognized it.
Wine Portfolio
The Mascarello wines are an elegant articulation of Piedmontese tradition. The flagship, Barolo Monprivato, is crafted from pure Nebbiolo, vinified with long macerations—sometimes lasting up to a month—and aged for several years in large Slavonian oak botti. This method, unchanged for generations, yields wines of astonishing longevity. A bottle of Monprivato is not made for immediate pleasure but for contemplation after a decade or more of aging.
In exceptional vintages, the estate produces the rare Cà d’Morissio Riserva, a bottling from a special parcel of Monprivato planted with a prized Nebbiolo clone. First produced in 1993, Cà d’Morissio is one of the most coveted wines in all of Barolo, made only in the best years and released in minuscule quantities after more than a decade of aging.
Alongside these, the estate crafts Barolo from Santo Stefano di Perno and other traditional bottlings, including Dolcetto, Barbera, and Freisa. These wines, while often overshadowed by the grandeur of Monprivato, are equally expressive of Piedmontese heritage and provide a glimpse into the everyday wines that have sustained the region for centuries.
Five Notable Wineries Nearby
To understand Monprivato in context, one must also appreciate the rich winemaking culture of Castiglione Falletto and its neighboring communes. Just beyond the Mascarello estate, several other legendary producers shape the mosaic of Barolo.
Bartolo Mascarello in Barolo proper represents another bastion of tradition. Like Mauro Mascarello, Bartolo resisted modernization, producing a single blended Barolo rather than cru bottlings, insisting that the true character of the appellation lies in unity. Today, his daughter Maria Teresa continues his work, crafting wines of breathtaking subtlety and integrity.
Bruno Giacosa, based in nearby Neive, was one of Piedmont’s most celebrated winemakers, famed for both his Barolo and Barbaresco. His ability to capture the essence of each cru, combined with his obsessive attention to detail, made his wines among the most collectible in the world. The Giacosa legacy continues today under the stewardship of his family and long-time collaborators.
Cantina Cavallotto, located in Castiglione Falletto itself, is another historic estate with deep roots in the Bricco Boschis vineyard. Known for its commitment to organic viticulture and long aging in large casks, Cavallotto produces Barolos that marry power with elegance, often rivaling Monprivato in reputation.
Paolo Scavino, founded in 1921, represents a more modern but equally influential approach to Barolo. Known for meticulous vineyard work across multiple crus, the Scavino family combines tradition with innovation, producing polished wines that nonetheless retain the distinctive stamp of their terroirs.
Vietti, in Castiglione Falletto, is one of the region’s most dynamic estates, with a portfolio spanning both traditional and innovative bottlings. The winery has become a global ambassador for Barolo, thanks to its pioneering single-vineyard releases and its dedication to expressing the individuality of each site.
Together, these estates form a constellation around Monprivato, each illuminating a different aspect of what Barolo can be.
In the end, Monprivato is not just a vineyard or a wine—it is a legacy. It is the story of a family who chose patience over haste, tradition over fashion, and fidelity to place over commercial trends. For sommeliers, wine lovers, and producers worldwide, it remains a touchstone: a reminder that the greatest wines are born not in the cellar but in the soil, and that true greatness comes from listening to what the land has to say.
The wines
1971 Monprivato – One of the earliest bottlings after Mauro Mascarello’s decision to isolate Monprivato as a single cru, and today regarded as a legend. Still vibrant after half a century, it offers haunting aromas of dried roses, truffle, and tar, with a silken tannic frame that seems to have dissolved into pure harmony. A benchmark of traditional Barolo, and proof of Monprivato’s extraordinary longevity.
1989 Monprivato – The vintage is widely recognized as one of Piedmont’s all-time greats, and Monprivato rises to the occasion. The bouquet bursts with red cherries, leather, and violets, underpinned by firm yet perfectly integrated tannins. Still youthful in energy, this is a Barolo of power and refinement, capable of evolving for decades more.
1996 Monprivato – A cooler year that yielded wines of structure and precision. The 1996 Monprivato remains taut and classical, defined by notes of cranberry, rose petal, mint, and a touch of iron minerality. The tannins are firm but noble, promising further development even now. This vintage epitomizes the austere elegance that traditionalists adore.
2001 Monprivato – A vintage of near-perfect balance, showing both concentration and finesse. The wine exudes aromas of ripe cherries, sweet spices, and dried herbs, with layers of licorice and tobacco emerging on the palate. The texture is polished yet firm, with a finish that lingers for minutes. Among the finest Monprivato releases of the modern era.
2010 Monprivato – Universally praised, 2010 produced Barolos of great purity and poise. Monprivato from this vintage is breathtaking in its balance: fragrant with roses and blood orange, lifted by freshness, and anchored by fine-grained tannins. Still youthful, it promises decades of evolution, destined to be spoken of in the same breath as 1971 and 1989.
2016 Monprivato – A contemporary classic, capturing the precision of a near-ideal growing season. The aromatics are crystalline—red currant, pomegranate, rose petal—while the palate shows density without heaviness. A wine that will likely define Monprivato for a new generation of collectors, with a future measured not in years but decades.
