From a very good vintage in Piedmont, the Giuseppe Mascarello 2019 Langhe Freisa Toetto is a fun and cheerful wine made from a grape that is little-known outside its native home but that is much loved locally. This is a niche wine, with under 2,000 bottles made, that shows simple flavors, wild cherry, blue flower and hints of spice or white pepper. The fruit comes from Castiglione Falletto, where fresh acidity and equally bright berry flavors are always part of the equation.

I can't get enough Freisa, so I'm always happy to visit those producers who still make wine from this often forgotten grape. The Mascarello family's 2016 Langhe Freisa Toetto is made from just half a hectare of vines in Castiglione Falletto. Part of this site has now been replanted to Nebbiolo, and that means that only 3,000 to 4,000 bottles of Friesa are produced each year. Great care is taken in winemaking. Delicate pump-overs are done instead of punch-downs. The results are fresh, vibrant and teaming with wild berry flavors. The finish adds spicy sensations and fresh acidity that keeps the persistence long. What the wine lacks in complexity, it offers in terms of ease in drinking.

The 2014 Langhe Freisa Toetto is a fresh and forthcoming wine that would taste beautifully next to ricotta ravioli in butter sauce. The Freisa grape can often display subtle, but somewhat pungent aromas of raw fruit and crushed white pepper. This expression is more composed and elegant overall thanks to the greater sense of aromatic focus it manages so effortlessly. Dark fruit and blueberry aromas help to center and balance the wine. What it lacks in depth and complexity, if offers in terms of brightness and good cheer.

The 2009 Langhe Freisa Toetto opens to a savory dark color and dark fruit intensity. The results are luscious and spicy with deep layers of blackberry, resin and tobacco. There is a meaty and savory quality to this wine that you don't often get with the fresh and easy-going Freisa grape. One important point of consideration: Freisa is not usually made as a cellar-worthy wine. The Mascarello family breaks the rules and presents a wine with the structure and sturdiness for a five-year drinking window, possibly longer.

I have to admit the 2005 Langhe Freisa Toetto is an intriguing wine. Freisa is an indigenous red grape, but there aren’t too many producers making serious wines from this variety any more. Mascarello is one of them. The Toetto shows off pretty red fruit, herbs, anise and flowers in a somewhat austere, restrained style. Deceptively medium in body, the wine shows terrific balance and plenty of textural brilliance. This is a compelling, if eccentric, wine from Mascarello. It will be superb at the table, and at nearly six years of age, shows no signs of fading whatsoever. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. Proprietor Mauro Mascarello is best known for his Baroli, but his entry-level wines also merit considerable attention. The wines are always released on the late side, so finding the time to review them can be a challenge, hence their inclusion in this issue. I also had a chance to taste Mascarello’s 2007 Baroli from cask and they are living up to the immense promise I sensed when I first sampled them a few years ago. Importers: Doug Polaner, Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484