| 2009-01-08 09:58 |
IWC: By Stephen Tanzer
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, November/December 2007, Issue #135
(Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Vigna Casa Mate) ($72; from browner, clay-rich soil; picked before the Chiniera) Full red with amber tones. Deeply pitched, reticent nose suggests mocha, dried flowers and marzipan. Classic but backward; strong in material but much more than merely a fruity style. Denser and larger than the Chiniera, but with lovely vinosity; began rather hidden but opened to reveal currant, plum and spices. Finishes with broad, sweet tannins and excellent length. Very Barolo! This will need longer bottle aging than the Chiniera. 92(+?) points |
| 2009-01-08 09:59 |
WA: The 2004 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate is a decidedly more masculine Barolo than the Gavarini. Made in a rich, weighty style, it reveals layers of deeply spiced, mentholated dark fruit, new leather and licorice sensations in an expression of Nebbiolo that engages all of the senses. It is a superb effort from one of Piedmont's unheralded producers. The soils in this parcel contain 70% clay and 30% sand. Anticipated maturity 2009-2022.
Elio Grasso's wines are made in a unique, crisply articulated style that highlights balance and harmony over sheer power. -For our 2004 Barolos we did roughly 30 days of maceration in stainless steel, where the wines also completed their malolactic fermentations,- says Gianluca Grasso. -The wines were then racked into 25 hectoliter barrels where they aged for two and a half years. The Runcot saw 35-40 days of maceration and may spend up to 40 months in 100% new French oak.-
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; Admirality Beverage Co. Columbia Distributing Company, Portland, Oregon; tel. (503) 289-9600 |