Nebbiolo
75cl * 15.0% ABV * Barolo, Piedmont, Italy
The Elio Grasso Estate, located near Monforte d’Alba, in Piedmont, has 42 hectares of land of which 24 are forests and meadows that surround the 18 hectares of vineyards, within the World Heritage site. They decided, from 1978, to vinify and bottle separately grapes from their various vineyards and have become well known for these single-vineyard Barolos. Vines from their Ginestra Casa Matè vineyard are an average age of around 40 years.
The wine matures in 25-hectolitre barrels of Slavonian oak. Bottling normally takes place in August. The Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè then ages in the bottle for 8-10 months before release. Multi-layered flavours of earth, dark dried fruit, and alluring floral aromatics, this wine is rich and full-bodied, with a strong presence of acidity and tannins.
Drinking Window: Now - 2038.
"Licorice, tar, menthol, spices and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that flow from the 2008 Barolo Ginestra Vigna Casa Mate. This dramatic, large-scaled Barolo impresses for its towering depth, complexity and sheer pedigree. Tar, menthol, licorice and spices wrap around the fleshy, deep finish. The Ginestra Vigna Casa Mate is considerably more powerful than the silkier Gavarini, but both wines represent the height of finesse in Nebbiolo. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038." 98/100 Points Wine Advocate (2012), April 2012
"One of the truly epic, reference-point wines of the year, the 2008 Barolo Ginestra Vigna Casa Matè lifts from the glass with the classic scents of Ginestra. Pine, menthol, smoke, anise, new leather and violets are just the prelude as the 2008 opens up. Dark, mysterious and totally seductive, the 2008 is simply magnificent. Grasso is one of the hottest growers in Piedmont today. This is a great example of the level of quality that is the norm at this small, family-run estate."