Kicking off five days of 2012 Nebbiolo harvest reports this week, here I interview Maria Teresa Mascarello of Barolo producer Cantina Mascarello Bartolo in her Cannubi vineyard.

Maria Teresa’s satisfied with the quality of her Nebbiolo fruit, especially when one considers what the vine has had to put up with this year:  a late, shock minus 15 celsius couple of weeks, a cool damp spring, hot and very humid summer, two hail storms… Indeed just when it looked as if there might be a grain of truth in ten year weather patterns (1982?,1992, 2002, 2012…) the bunches have been gathered in intact. Her final judgement on the quality of the harvest being withheld until the wine’s been made.

(Cantina Mascarello Bartolo’s 2008 Barolo in bottle and 2007 in magnum are available)

Visit the blog again tomorrow for another 2012 harvest report from one of Berrys’ Nebbiolo producers.