Wine Advisor
Elio Grasso, Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate 2008
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
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. I could feel my heart racing as I tasted Gianluca Grasso’s 2008s. Both 2008 Baroli are drop-dead gorgeous wines that capture the purest essence of hillside Monforte brilliance. The 2008s have begun to shut down since I first tasted them from bottle in November, 2011. The focus, length and sheer pedigree, however, have always been on full display. My advice? Buy the 2008s and forget about them for a good decade-plus. Two decades would be better. These remain some of the most fairly priced, ageworthy wines on the planet. Congratulations to the Grasso family for two monumental wines that embody everything that makes Barolo so magnificent. These are both must-have wines. Various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Langdon Shiverick Imports, Cleveland, OH; tel. (213) 483-5900; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel. (800) 862-4585; Admirality Beverage Co. Columbia Distributing Company, Portland, Oregon; tel. (503) 289-9600
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
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.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Licorice, tar, menthol, spices and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that flow from the 2008 Barolo Ginestra Vigna Casa Matè. 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 Matè is quite a bit more powerful than the silkier Gavarini. Both wines represent the height of finesse in Nebbiolo.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good bright deep red. Shy, high-pitched nose hints at strawberry, raspberry, rose petal, mocha and soil tones, plus a whiff of flinty reduction. Rich and full but weightless, offering outstanding, tingling palate coverage. Wonderfully graceful and energetic wine, finishing with perfectly ripe, noble tannins and palate-staining flavor. A real essence of fruit-and-flower nebbiolo perfume, which Grasso said was apparent even during the fermentation.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is very minerally and stoney with hints of volcanic salt. Intense flavors. Full and juicy with a long finish. Gorgeous. Better in 2014.
About the Producer
Elio Grasso’s History Born within an old family of Monforte d’Alba with substantial vineyards in the prestigious parts of the town, Grasso may seem destined for a career as a Barolo producer . But instead he chose a different path, at least in the early stages of adult life, choosing to work in the world of finance and living an urban existence that was decidedly different from that of the rural world in which he was born and raised. The wines of Elio Grasso The call of the land, however, eventually proved strong, and the return to Monforte d’Alba was probably only a matter of time. And what he returned to was in fact an impressive patrimony: 18 hectares of vineyards that include first-rate sites such as Chiniera , Casa Matè , and Runcot . Grasso, in fact, just in 1978, decided to ferment and age on his own the grapes of his best plots and was a pioneer in selling both a regular Barolo and also a series of crus . As a producer, Grasso has always been attentive to tradition, but, given the important experiences linked to the numerous generations of his family in the area, he has never wanted to radically transform his wines: both Chiniera and Casa Matè are aged in barrels; only the Runcot , a Riserva , ages in small barrels. Innovation, on the other hand, is represented by two other wines from the line: the excellent Barbera Martina aged in barrels and Educato , a Chardonnay fermented in barrels.
