Another Great Loss

From Decanter.com:

"Italy's Bartolo Mascarello – the patriarch of Barolo – died at his home in Barolo on Saturday at the age of 78."

In as much as Hans Selbach kept a steady course in the the German wine world, Bartolo Mascarello did the same for Barolo. I have been fortunate to have had a few of his wines and they are without a doubt as 'traditional' as one will find. Most recently, I tasted his Dolcetto. This grape, when in the hands of most winemakers, can make anything from kool-aid in a fancy bottle to something that approaches a memorable wine. Not so with Mascarello. His Dolcetto drank more like a Barbera on steroids. Unbelievable.

It is truly sad that we continue to lose the older winemakers. Of course, this is the nature of things and I can only hope (and I do on a daily basis) that the offspring of these masters recognize the beauty of traditional winemaking and the importance of fighting fashion. Here's are a couple of great quotes:

'Mascarello spent most of his life tending four small vineyards in prime locations: Cannubi, San Lorenzo and Rué in Barolo, and Rocche in La Morra. He favoured the old-school practice of blending from those four plots, rejecting the modern style of single vineyard crus. He always argued, 'We don't even have a word for cru: we have to import it from France.'

and

'He began hand-painting his labels, many of which became collectors' items. One such was the famous 'No Barrique, No Berlusconi' label, which lampooned the prime minister. Mascarello said at the time, 'No Barrique, because I am against the use of barriques in Barolo. No Berlusconi because I don't like his type of politics.'

From the New York Times: (subscription needed - it's free)

'In recent years, Mr. Mascarello's little town house was a destination for visitors from all over the world. Sitting in a wheelchair, he would offer his philosophy, which he boiled down to a mantra: "No barriques, no California, no cabernet, no chardonnay, no wines with made-up names."

Fare ye well, Mr. Mascarello....you will be missed