The Elio Grasso 2021 Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté opens with intensely floral aromatics of rose and violet before unfolding into licorice, crushed flowers and a dense yet lifted aromatic core. The palate is broad and profound, combining power with elegance, as crunchy fruit texture and fine, chalky tannins carry the wine through a graceful and resonant close. Sourced from higher-elevation vineyards at 400–410 meters with a greater clay component and earlier harvest timing, this site-driven Barolo underscores the importance of precise phenolic maturity in shaping one of Gianluca Grasso’s most compelling wines to date.
97 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Jan 2026)
The 2021 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate displays a bit more ruby and deeper pigment in the glass and has notes of raspberry liqueur, sweet sage, pressed flowers, cedar, and licorice. It’s very pretty on the nose and carries more sapidity to the palate while also retaining lovely purity, with ripe tannins, slightly broader shoulders, and a long finish. Both of the Barolo have a tremendous amount to offer, but with distinctive personalities, and for my taste, this one has a slight edge. (I also wouldn’t be surprised if that were to flip with a different mood and tasting.) The perfumes of both the wines are exceptional in this fantastic vintage. Drink 2027-2057.
97 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (May 2025)
The 2021 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is fabulous. Bright and transparent, with captivating depth, the 2021 is a stunning beauty. Enveloping balsamic notes make a strong opening statement that remains a theme here. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and blood orange all come alive in the glass. What a wine!
97 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jan 2025)
A complex Barolo with a layered nose of licorice, vibrant red cherries, blood oranges, sweet violets and earthy minerality. Full-bodied, it shows elegance of extraction with red fruit flavors, freshness and integration. Velvety and savory tannins with excellent length. Try from 2026.
96 points, James Suckling (May 2025)
Just 300m away from Gavarini Chiniera, Casa Matè sits slightly lower, between 300 to 350m. Characterised by richer clay soil and full south exposure, it is always the first to bud and to be picked, usually 10 days earlier than Gavarini Chiniera. Intense aromas of liquorice, bay leaf and rosemary make for a pungent introduction. Laden with dark cherry and black raspberry, the palate is luscious on the entry, becoming more rigid as virile, commanding tannins take hold. Remarkably balanced in its girth, power and concentration.
95 points, Michaela Morris, Decanter (Jan 2025)
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