Elio Grasso Ginestra Casa Mate Barolo
| Vintage: | 2019 |
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| Description: | The family-run Elio Grasso estate of Piedmont, Italy is back with more outstanding Barolos that marry a traditional bracing structure with a modern clarity of flavors and textures, all made possible by generations of winemaking experience. Since 1978 they've been bottling their two vineyards separately ; while they have their distinct characters, both are on limestone-based soils in the Monforte d'Alba area, contributing to finely-etched, mineral mouthfeels. Following the elegant and tasty 2018s that can be enjoyed earlier (with the usual hours-long opening in a decanter), the wonderful 2019 growing season has made for more densely-packed styles of Barolos that will resolve themselves more slowly. Though it started later, the consistently warm 2019 season allowed later harvests, leading to a bit more concentration and copious ripe -but still firm- tannins ; the quickly cooling nights at the end of the season helped to maintain an energetic acidity and all that hard-earned aromatic complexity. The winery's traditional submerged cap fermentations, where the skins are kept under the fermenting juice for almost two months, slowly extracted all the character of the vintage: an extra bit of flesh and flavor intensity along with a big, bracing structure. Elio Grasso's single vineyard wines are special even in a category that's as special as Barolo: they are wines to muse over, and to be enjoyed with equally special meals. They are built to unwind over the coming years and will easily stand the test of a couple decades, evolving into something new. As for all Barolos of this class, the younger you open them, the more hours in a decanter you'll want to give them to open up. Get these while they're here, as collectors will make them vanish quickly!. From the lower part of the slopes, this is the heart of Ginestra with slightly more clay in the area's calcareous-sandy/clay soils. This bottling has a fleshier, darker, broader profile with more tannic power than the Gavarini Chiniera bottling. a 'textbook Monforte' Barolo, though still showing more elegance and aromatic display than sites like Pajana or the heart of Bussia. Antonio Galloni says the 2019 is ". rich, dark and explosive. Dark-fleshed fruit, cloves, menthol, licorice, scorched earth, leather and dried flowers are some of the notes that infuse the 2019 with character. Deep and resonant, with tremendous depth, the Ginestra is a wine of unbridled intensity. Swaths of tannin wrap around the huge, substantial finish. This virile, strapping Barolo is quite simply classic Ginestra.". Wine Advocate 97+ Points - "Very different from the Gavarini Chiniera, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mat shows more bite, structure and a bigger tannic impact. Fruit was harvested a bit earlier, but healthy grape skins allowed for 52 days of maceration. This wine shows beautiful intensity and fullness with dark fruit, earth, hazelnut and dark plum. Surrounded by forests, the greenery gives balance to this wine by moderating temperatures. In fact, this site saw up to 10 degrees Celsius drops in diurnal temperatures, leading to thick skins and ideal phenolic ripeness.". Practicing Organic |
| Price: | $ 89.98 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Hi-Time Wine Cellars
| Address: |
250 Ogle Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 United States |
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| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-331-3005 |
| Telephone (regular): | 949-650-8463 |
| Fax: | 949-631-6863 |
First added to 1000 Corks on September 6, 2023.
