Elio Grasso - Barolo Gavarini Chiniera 2020

Azienda Agricola Elio Grasso is a wine estate located near Monforte d’Alba in the Piedmont region of Italy. Particularly known for their single-vineyard Barolo cuvées, Elio Grasso only use estate grapes that are grown on their 44.5 acres of vineyards. Their flagship wines are made from grapes on the plots surrounding the winery, including the famed Ginestra vineyard. More recent plantings have been devoted to the Rüncot vineyard which is located on the sunny slopes below the winery’s terraced garden. Following the strict Piedmontese oak regimen, the barrel cellars at Elio Grasso are carved into rock which allow for precise temperature regulation. Along with their flagship Barolos, the estate releases a Langhe, Dolcetto d’Alba, and a Barbera d’Alba which have been well received by the public. 

The wines were done with long, submerged cap macerations and aged in cask. Perhaps more importantly, Gianluca Grassois among the producers who have developed a very distinctive and personal style. The wines are quite classic in some ways but also contemporary in their sense of polish. I also revisited the 2019 Barolos, which are just as impressive as they were last year. The just-bottled 2019 Riserva Rüncot is quite promising. As a reminder, the Rüncot is the only Barolo here aged in French oak barrique.

"The 2020 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a heady, almost exotic wine. Harvest took place on October 17, very late for the year. Hard candy, kirsch, menthol, dried rose petal, mint and blood orange infuse the 2020 with striking depth. The tannins, often incisive here, are remarkably polished. A wine of beautiful nuance and persistence, the 2020 Gavarini is not the most obvious wine in this range, but it could very well be the classiest. Don't miss it! " - 97 Points, Vinous

"From 35-year-old vines and boasting a jeweled red color, the 2020 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is ripe and fruity on the nose, with a lot of spice to balance it out, revealing notes of baked red cherries, leather, toasted cedar, pine, and menthol. Medium-bodied, it offers a lot of freshness on the palate, with fine, approachable tannins and good, even freshness and acidity. Compared to the Case Mate, it has a more linear feel and offers a clean stony texture and more orange citrus fruit. It feels very balanced, and while it has a stamp of oak spice, it’s well-integrated. Give this another six months or so in bottle and drink it over the next 15 or more years." - 97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

Producer: Elio Grasso

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Appellation: Barolo

Vintage: 2020

Size: 750ml