Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A deep red/purple-toned color, the 2021 Barbera D'Alba Scudetto is lush with a pretty perfume of lavender oils, boysenberry, blue fruit, and sweet herbs. The palate is full of life and has fantastic balance and energy. It’s just a pleasure to drink now, with fantastically balanced ripe fruit, refreshing acidity, and a long finish. I love this wine and would drink it over the next several years to capture its joyful freshness.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Giuseppe Mascarello 2021 Barbera d'Alba Scudetto reveals extra concentration and richness with dark blackberry fruit and blackcurrant. The wine has a hint of sweetness at the back but remains bright and plump overall. Hints of chalk and dusty mineral appear on the finish.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.