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Bartolo Mascarello’s 1989 Barolo (magnum) is all freshly cut roses, plums, prunes and sweet spices. The aromas and flavors continue to emerge with notable vigor and intensity, framed exquisitely by firm, silky tannins. Grace and class come to mind as apt descriptors for a wine that balances exceptional depth yet also floats on the palate with ethereal qualities that are hard to do justice to on the printed page. The finish is long and wonderfully pure, with overtones of licorice and menthol that invite a second (and third!) taste. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(Barolo-Bartolo Mascarello) I have no doubt that the 1989 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo will prove to be one of the greatest vintages in the long and consistently excellent career of this maestro, but it is only just starting to show its secondary layers of complexity and desperately deserves more time in the cellar to really reach its apogee. The bouquet is deep, pure and very promising, offering up a blend of cherries, beef bouillon, roasted gamebirds, a touch of wild bay, complex, autumnal soil tones and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is very pure, full and sappy at the core, with great soil inflection, ripe, fine-grained tannins, outstanding focus and grip and a very, very long, pure and complex finish. It is not a crime to be drinking this wine today- if you have enough bottles remaining in the cellar that you are not going to miss one ten years down the road- but this is a wine that is still climbing and its best days are still several years further out. (Drink between 2016 - 2060)John Gilman | 95+ JGOne of the most anticipated wines of the night, the 1989 Barolo is not as exceptional as it can be. I have tasted the 1989 mostly from magnum recently, so perhaps my expectations are a bit colored. Even from the big bottle, though, the 1989 has always shown slight imperfections, especially in the bouquet. In this tasting, my impression is that in the standard bottle those imperfections are more evident. There is plenty of texture and depth to the fruit, but it is the aromatics that are penalizing here.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Conterno’s 2000 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives an impression of accessibility only because it is so open relative to some of the surrounding vintages of this great, legendary Barolo. The 2000 has tons of fruit backed up with considerable tannic heft. With time in the glass sweet, balsamic notes make an appearance, but this is one of the few 2000s that needs considerable cellaring to show all of its cards. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPI am thrilled to see how well the 2000 Barolo Riserva Monfortino shows in this tasting, as it is a vintage that can sometimes get lost between the 1999 and 2002 in this era. My impression is that the 2000 still hasn’t truly shown its true potential just yet. On this night it remains closed and not particularly expressive. The seductive qualities the 2000 showed as a young wine aren’t especially apparent today. Time in the glass brings out pretty floral overtones. Overall, the 2000 comes across as a Monfortino that is more finesse than power. Even so, readers have to be patient here.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGDark ruby red in color. Subtle and reserved on the nose, with blackberry, tea, sandalwood and blueberry. Opens to coffee and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with an amazing, condensed palate of ultraripe fruit and silky tannins. Fresh and superlong. Very tight and fresh. Needs so much time to open and come around. Like a genie in the bottle. Best after 2014. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

I had not crossed paths with a bottle of 2001 Santo Stefano from Bruno Giacosa in at least five years, but, I was not surprised to see that this superb wine is still a solid decade away from blossoming. The still tight and promising nose offers up a complex blend of red and black cherries, road tar, gamebirds, woodsmoke, a great base of soil and a bit of new leather in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied and very pure, with impressive, nascent complexity, a rock solid core, firm, well-integrated tannins and stunning length and grip on the seamless and very youthful finish. This will be a brilliant wine in the fullness of time, but at least a solid decade’s worth of patience is really required before this wine starts to hit on all cylinders. (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2001 Barbaresco Santo Stefano wafts on the palate with Christmas cake, plums, spices, menthol and licorice. It shows lovely class and an understated personality that is highly appealing. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPI am shocked (pleasantly, I must say), by how closed the 2001 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is. Powerful, tightly wound and totally closed down, the 2001 exudes class. Orange rind, tobacco and smoke add striking aromatic complexity to the intense dark fruit. Today, the tannins are surprisingly intense and raw, so readers will have to be patient. The 2001 is superb, but the wine’s full personality will not be on display for at least another few years. There is a good bit of upside here.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGSubtle aromas of freshly sliced plums, blackberries and peaches. Full-bodied, with lots of fruit and a backbone of firm tannins. Toasted oak on the midpalate. This is a bold, structured red that needs time. I like this better than the 2000. Best after 2008. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS