The winery and the vineyards:
For many years I have been visiting the Azienda Agricola Elio Grasso in Monforte d’Alba, located on a hill in Monforte with spectacular views of the vineyards of the region, including the famous Francia Vineyard owned by Roberto Conterno. The winery started bottling their first wines in 1978 and holds excellent plots in the important but large and pretty heterogeneous Ginestra vineyard. The Grasso family farms around 18 hectares of vineyards, and additionally more than 20 hectares of forest. As it is tradition in the Langhe, the family farms Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, and also added a small parcel of Chardonnay, of which the Chardonnay “Educato” is made, a pretty Chardonnay raised in large barrels and some small oak, too.
The winery’s style is classic, pretty rich, with excellent complexity and silky but present structure. Both of the Barolos (Casa Mate and Gavarini Chiniera) are raised in large botti, after long maceration, and only the Riserva Rüncot is seeing some new oak, but a hefty dose of it. Surprisingly, the oak beautifully integrates due to the wine’s richness and body. For me the Casa Mate and the Gavarini Chiniera are some of the most beautiful expressions of Ginestra or even Monforte. I have been buying these wines for many years and opening one of them barely ever disappoints. For the Dolcetto, the Barbera and Nebbiolo, they are beautiful wines to accompany a plate of local food, while the Barbera shows a surprising depth and ageability. Elio Grasso is one of the known and very respected, but also still kind of not so hyped and therefore realistically priced options in today’s Barolo landscape. Every time we are tasting here, I am deeply impressed by the transparency to terroir of Elio Grasso’s wines, with the Gavarini Chiniera being the more red fruited, elegant and fresher Barolo and the Casa Mate the more structured, deeper and darker rendition of Ginestra. Both plots are a stone-throw apart and the wines are vinified identically.
During our last visit, we were reaffirmed our believe that today, Elio Grasso is one of the very best producers in the Langhe with incredible consistency and excellence, even in more challenging years.
The following wines were tasted:
2023 Elio Grasso, Nebbiolo Langhe Gavarini, 89 points
From younger Nebbiolo from the Gavarini vineyard, with average age of 20 years. Vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel, made in a fresh, lighter style to drink over the first 5 years. Shiny lighter ruby color, notes of rose petals, some violets, also some fresh strawberries, and some spices. It‘s lighter-medium bodied, with just a hint of silky tannin and some good medium-high acidity adding nice freshness. A crunchy, easy-to-drink, perfumed style of Nebbiolo.
2021 Elio Grasso, Barbera Vigna Martina, 92 points
A Barbera from a particular plot, 35 year old vines, picked late, 380 m above sea level, then aged 15 months in oak, of which 50% new and 50% one year old. Deep purple color. Still very primary, with some vanilla and oak spices on the nose, which will integrate with time. Notes of darker red plum too and some sweet cherries. Some graphite minerality too. It‘s medium-full bodied, with high acidity and some lower-medium tannin. Very good length. Excellent Barbera with great potential. I have tasted several older vintages of this and this is aging really well, will integrate the oak completely and is usually stunning after 5 – 10 years.
2020 Elio Grasso, Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, 97 points
From the excellent Gavarini plot of Ginestra, 35-45 year old vines, more sandy soil than the Casa Mate, also slightly higher in altitude of 350 – 400 m abovfe sea level. Medium ruby color. Super perfumed, with layer over layer of red berries, cherries, some red currant, balsamic notes too, also some crushed violets, some cedar wood, mint, also some subtle herbal notes. It‘s medium-full bodied, with great elegance, this has medium-high tannin that is super silky, with pretty high acidity adding freshness and tension. Superb length. A great Barolo of the highest level.
2020 Elio Grasso, Barolo Casa Mate, 97 points
65 year old vines, more clay, different exposition and altitude. Slighty darker ruby color. More tense, a little more austere, with darker tonalities, darker red berries, menthol, some pine tree, tar, tobacco, darker plum too, it‘s deeply mentholated, with so much depth. Full-bodied and powerful, with high but super silky tannin and high acidity adding excellent freshness. A superb Casa Mate that is surprisingly accessible but has the structure and fruit to age.
2016 Elio Grasso, Barolo Riserva Rüncot, 99 points
From a small plot of clay / limestone based soil in the Ginestra vineyard, with South exposition. Raised in barriques for four years (100% new). Perfect ruby color. Still reticent and very young. Deep darker red and some darker fruit, some vanilla and oak spices at this young age, notes of tar, graphite, tobacco leaf, leather, menthol, some spices, anise, licorice. Its full-bodied, dense and powerful, but with such an incredibly velvety mouthfeel, with high acidity and high tannin that is superbly silky. Super long finish. A virtually perfect Barolo. This will need some time to integrate the oak, but an absolutely stunning wine of great complexity and length.
Markus Kumschick, WSET III
June 2024