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B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
Described as "gorgeous, vivid Barolos that capture the best the year had to offer" by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, this duo of classically styled 2019 Elio Grasso Barolo Cru offers rich aromatic Nebbiolo fruit with rich depth and finely etched acidity, each reflecting its unique vineyard origins and both bargain-priced for Barolo collectors to enjoy over the next several decades.
Returning home to run his family's grape growing business in the late 1970's, founder Elio Grasso has always considered himself a farmer or "contadino" before a winemaker, producing his Barolo wines from 18 hectares of sustainably farmed estate vineyards in Monforte d'Alba, the remaining 24 hectares maintained as forests and meadows to preserve biodiversity. Now run by his son Gianluca, Elio Grasso matured the single vineyard 98 pt. 2019 Gavarini Chiniera and the 97 pt. 2019 Ginestra Casa Mate in the same manner utilizing traditional large 25-hectoliter barrels of Slavonia oak for four years with a further year in bottle, reflecting the "impeccable house style that distinguishes the wines of Elio Grasso" according to the Wine Advocate's Monica Larner and allowing each wine to reflect the uniqueness of its south-facing vineyards. Situated at a higher elevation on the northerly, sandier amphitheater-shaped Gavarini, Elio Grasso's Chiniera parcel produces wines known for their refined elegance in contrast to the slightly lower, clay-rich parcel in Casa Mate which produces richer flavors with a broad texture, both wines aged in the Grasso's state-of-the-art cave tunneled out of their hillside overlooking the rolling ridge of Ginestra. Describing it as "gorgeous right out of the gate," Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls the 98 pt. 2019 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera "superb," while declaring the 97 pt. 2019 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate "a wine of unbridled intensity" with a "huge, substantial finish," both rewarding a few years of patient cellaring with years of evolution.
From an exceptional vintage described as "classic" by Decanter's Aldo Fiordelli, Elio Grasso's 98 pt. 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera and 97 pt. 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate reveal the distinctive aromatic layers of fruit and minerality of each Cru balanced by vibrant acidity, "some of the most fairly priced, age worthy wines on the planet" according to critic Antonio Galloni, a dynamic duo of terroir-driven Cru Barolo wines built for savvy collectors to enjoy from the cellar for years to come. |
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The 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is just superb, with layers of pure fruits and spices interwoven with vibrant cherry liqueur, candied roses, incense, and baking spice. Harmonious and balanced from the start, it offers ripe tannins, a seamless spine of fresh acidity, and fantastic length that leaves me wanting more. As it opens, it reveals more nuanced notes of apricot and saline earth. An outstanding medium to full-bodied red, this is one to cellar for a few years, as it has a ways to go before its full spectrum is revealed. Drink 2026-2050.
98 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (May 2023)
With vines adjacent to forests on white chalky soils, the Elio Grasso 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a luminous and very beautiful wine. Vintner Gianluca Grasso called this "the helicopter vintage" because he actually rented a helicopter to fly over the vines for 45 minutes to dry them from rain right before harvest. As he tells it, this was a costly but good decision because 15 minutes after he finished harvesting on October 26, heavy rain came and lasted an entire week. Thanks to these dramatic measures, the grape skins were excellent, and maceration with submerged cap lasted 55 days. That's how perfect the skins were. This balanced wine shows extreme precision and elegance.
97 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Aug 2023)
The 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is classically austere and just gorgeous right out of the gate. Soaring aromatics and fine, sculpted fruit race out of the glass. Crushed rose petal, cinnamon, orange peel and mint are all beautifully delineated. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2019 is going to need years to be at its best, yet it has that embryonic inner sweetness that characterizes the very finest wines here. Superb.
96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jan 2023)