Cellar Favorite: 1955 Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio Barolo

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MAY 18, 2026

The 1955 Barolo from Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio is a very rare wine and a real treat to taste. Maurizio Mascarello is a pivotal figure in the history of the Langhe. In 1904, Mascarello established the Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio winery. Sons Giuseppe and Natale took over the family business when Maurizio passed away in 1923. The brothers later had a falling out and separated their holdings. Giuseppe and his son, Mauro, continued to operate the existing winery and later gained considerable acclaim for their wines, including the iconic Barolo Monprivato, which they first made in 1970. Natale Mascarello took his vineyards and established the Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio winery. Natale passed away in 1979, at which point the other branch of the family purchased his holdings and added them to theirs, essentially reconstituting the original family estate.

In tasting, the 1955 Barolo is typical of a wine of its age. Scents of pipe tobacco, chocolate, new leather, incense, licorice, dried herbs and sweet dried cherry are beautifully lifted. Soft, fully resolved tannins and mid-weight structure complement a fully mature, hauntingly expressive Barolo that continues to open over time. The 1955 is delicate but also quite deep, a perfect example of what Nebbiolo can offer, that sense of understated intensity that is such a quintessential element of what these wines are all about. There’s no upside to cellaring the 1955 further. Well-preserved bottles will drink well for at least another few years. What a treat to taste this from a perfect bottle. 94/Drink 2026-2030.

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