Italy's family-run Elio Grasso estate is back with their highly-anticipated Barolos that marry classic bracing structures with a deliciously charming clarity of flavors and textures. The latest are particularly exciting for Barolo fans since they're from the long-anticipated 2021 vintage! Since 1978 they've been bottling their two vineyard plots separately; while they have distinct characters, both come from Monforte d'Alba's Ginestra vineyard area, known for its cooler climate and wines of finely-etched minerality.
The 2021 growing season was a fantastic one for the region, long and warm, tapering into a cooler Autumn harvest. The wines have a bit of 2019's firm, vibrant core and 2020's broader, open-knit character. Elio Grasso's traditional submerged cap fermentations, where the skins are kept under the fermenting juice for nearly two months, slowly extracted all the character of the vintage. Their 2021 Barolos have a saturated concentration of juicy berries and sensual florals, a copious, firm bed of sleek tannins and lifegiving inner vibrancy.
Elio Grasso's single-vineyard wines are special even in a category that's as special as Barolo: they are well-balanced, charmingly intense wines to spend time with, and to be enjoyed with equally special meals. As for all Barolos of this class, give these a few hours to breathe in the decanter. But the biggest reward will come from holding them in a cool, dark place for 5-20 years as they loosen up, then evolve into something even more ethereal and complex. Get these while they're here, as these limited bottlings usually disappear quickly!
Practices Organic Farming
From a vineyard with slightly more sand, this bottling shows off the high-toned, precise and elegant side to Monforte d'Alba's powerful Barolos. More red fruit, white pepper and cooling herbs.
VINOUS 97 POINTS - "The 2021 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a deep, powerful wine. In most vintages, the Gavarini Chiniera is a bit more linear, but the 2021 has an extra kick of textural depth that is such a hallmark of the year. Iron, chalk, dried flowers, mint and red cherry fruit build with a bit of coaxing. Readers will find a potent, explosive Barolo that hits all the right notes. [-01/25]
...superb. Bright, vertical and explosive, the 2021 exudes tension and all the saline, mineral-infused energy that are such signatures here. Lively acids drive through a core of red berry fruit, blood orange, chalk, mint and white pepper. This translucent, elegant Barolo has it all. The linear, vibrant style is so appealing. [-01/26]" - Antonio Galloni
WINE ADVOCATE 96+ POINTS - "The Elio Grasso 2021 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a beautifully elegant expression marked by chalky tannins, crushed flowers, balsamic herb and profound fruit depth that stretches effortlessly across a very long finish. The wine shows impressive dimensionality and finesse, with tannins that feel refined and perfectly placed, giving the palate a sense of quiet authority. Fermented with an extended 50-day submerged-cap maceration and aged for three years in large Slavonian oak, this wine reflects a late-harvest vintage shaped by cold winter conditions, strong diurnal shifts and calcareous, sandy soils at 360–380 meters, resulting in exceptional length and balance."
The 2021 growing season was a fantastic one for the region, long and warm, tapering into a cooler Autumn harvest. The wines have a bit of 2019's firm, vibrant core and 2020's broader, open-knit character. Elio Grasso's traditional submerged cap fermentations, where the skins are kept under the fermenting juice for nearly two months, slowly extracted all the character of the vintage. Their 2021 Barolos have a saturated concentration of juicy berries and sensual florals, a copious, firm bed of sleek tannins and lifegiving inner vibrancy.
Elio Grasso's single-vineyard wines are special even in a category that's as special as Barolo: they are well-balanced, charmingly intense wines to spend time with, and to be enjoyed with equally special meals. As for all Barolos of this class, give these a few hours to breathe in the decanter. But the biggest reward will come from holding them in a cool, dark place for 5-20 years as they loosen up, then evolve into something even more ethereal and complex. Get these while they're here, as these limited bottlings usually disappear quickly!
Practices Organic Farming
From a vineyard with slightly more sand, this bottling shows off the high-toned, precise and elegant side to Monforte d'Alba's powerful Barolos. More red fruit, white pepper and cooling herbs.
VINOUS 97 POINTS - "The 2021 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a deep, powerful wine. In most vintages, the Gavarini Chiniera is a bit more linear, but the 2021 has an extra kick of textural depth that is such a hallmark of the year. Iron, chalk, dried flowers, mint and red cherry fruit build with a bit of coaxing. Readers will find a potent, explosive Barolo that hits all the right notes. [-01/25]
...superb. Bright, vertical and explosive, the 2021 exudes tension and all the saline, mineral-infused energy that are such signatures here. Lively acids drive through a core of red berry fruit, blood orange, chalk, mint and white pepper. This translucent, elegant Barolo has it all. The linear, vibrant style is so appealing. [-01/26]" - Antonio Galloni
WINE ADVOCATE 96+ POINTS - "The Elio Grasso 2021 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a beautifully elegant expression marked by chalky tannins, crushed flowers, balsamic herb and profound fruit depth that stretches effortlessly across a very long finish. The wine shows impressive dimensionality and finesse, with tannins that feel refined and perfectly placed, giving the palate a sense of quiet authority. Fermented with an extended 50-day submerged-cap maceration and aged for three years in large Slavonian oak, this wine reflects a late-harvest vintage shaped by cold winter conditions, strong diurnal shifts and calcareous, sandy soils at 360–380 meters, resulting in exceptional length and balance."
