2016 Barolo from Gianluca Grasso - Casa Mate and Chiniera

January 27, 2020

This is going to be the first of a number of offers focusing on the 2016 vintage in Barolo. I would advise anyone who is interested in great Nebbiolo to ensure they do not miss out; 2016 has truly great potential.

I always enjoy reading Walter Speller’s vintage commentaries on jancisrobinson.com – his views are often a refreshing rebuff to the sensationalism that can creep into fine wine critics’ approaches, yet even he had to concede that he ‘didn’t go to Barolo with the idea that I was going to taste one of the best vintages in, perhaps, the last 20 years…’ but he found himself surprised when he re-read his notes to see just how highly he had rated so many of the wines.

Walter succinctly describes the vintage as follows:

Barolo 2016s show the same tendency as 2010: across the board there is no mediocre wine to be found and the best producers have excelled themselves. The secret to all this splendour is the regular 2016 growing season, one without any extremes. The warm, dry September continued into October, but with much colder nights, and with temperatures dipping below 10 °C. This guaranteed a slow and steady ripening of Nebbiolo. With little or no rain, producers could literally pick their harvest date rather than being rushed into the vineyards lest the first autumn rains dilute the grapes.

When I caught up with Gianluca Grasso on the second of my trips to Piemonte last year, he commented that he felt, for him personally, 2016 represented the greatest vintage in the last 30 years. And again, Gianluca is not someone who is prone to making bold statements or baseless claims. Having tasted the two single vineyard Barolo that Grasso produce from Monforte d’Alba, I can fully understand his confidence, he has shaped spellbinding wines in 2016. I have been visiting the Grassos since the 2001 vintage and have known their wines from bottle since the 1996 vintage. In the last decade they have lifted the bar hugely, with remarkably fine Barolo made in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and now 2016. As with a number of other estates, they have benefited from an unprecedented run of high-quality vintages, dictated first and foremost by the weather during the growing season, but equally Gianluca’s deft hand in winemaking has brought about greater purity and nuance in the estate’s wines. Gianluca, and his father Elio, have always stressed that wine is made in the vineyard and Gianluca often talks about the run up to harvest and the fraught few days he endures while waiting for the fruit to achieve optimum ripeness. With less pressure from the possibility of inclement weather at harvest time in 2016, he was able to hold off for the perfect moment, allowing his Nebbiolo a longer hang-time than might be the case in certain vintages. The results are very impressive.

No major wine critic has yet reviewed the 2016s from Grasso and our go-to Italian critic, Antonio Galloni, is yet to release his comprehensive review of the vintage. He was a great fan of Grasso’s 2015s; I wait with interest to see what he makes of the outstanding 2016s.

Please note that, despite getting a very good allocation direct from the estate, stocks are limited, and we may therefore have to limit orders to one case of each wine.

2016 Barolo, Ginestra, Casa Maté, Grasso

£360 per 6 bottle case in bond

A south-facing vineyard with vines of approximately 40 years of age, planted at an altitude of 300 to 350 metres. The soils here are slightly clayey over a limestone base.
Wow, the aromas here offer a deep, fresh yet intense dark fruit, with hints of mint. The palate reveals an effortless, creamy density of fruit; flowing, sleek with a dark, damson-like fruit, with notes of liquorice and spice allied to a lifted, scented accent. This has tremendous depth and already boasts fine complexity. The tannins are so silkily expressed, and there is such a dramatic volume to the fruit, that the latent power here is expressed in such a fine manner, almost masked you might say. There is a seamlessness about this vintage, juicy, abundant and remarkably persistent, this ticks all the boxes. A seductive Barolo with outstanding depth. A great achievement. 2026-2045+. (SL)

2016 Barolo, Gavarini, Chiniera, Grasso

£360 per 6 bottle case in bond

Similarly, a south-facing vineyard with vines of approximately 35 years of age, planted at a slightly higher altitude of 350 to 400 metres. The soils differ slightly to Casa Maté as there is a little more sand, over the limestone.
Such a finessed Barolo, the 2016 Chiniera possesses wonderfully pure aromatics of freshly crushed red fruits, mint and a violet hint. Silky and fine-tuned on the palate, the sense of depth gradually builds, with a layered red fruits character capturing notes of cherry and pomegranate. Juicy, precise with a lively vein of acidity underpinning it beautifully, the tannins are once more remarkably fine and rocky mineral nuances emerge to the finish. Another staggeringly beautiful, sensual Barolo from Grasso with a lingering floral note to its abundant red fruits. A remarkably complete wine. 2026-2045+. (SL)

And if you are looking for a young Nebbiolo to drink while your Barolo slowly mature, it is well worth considering Grasso’s Nebbiolo Langhe, Gavarini, which is already drinking well now in the 2017 vintage and represents something of a snip. No oak ageing and a gentle, short extraction make for a ready drinking style that captures those unmistakable floral notes and bright fruits of young Nebbiolo.

2017 Nebbiolo, Langhe, Gavarini, Grasso

£90 per 6 bottle case in bond

Made in a lighter, early drinking style from younger vines, the 2017 Gavarini Nebbiolo offers floral, bright, red berry fruit without any heft or austerity. This supple mid-weight example possesses a supple, forward nature, but isn’t without a touch of the Grasso class. 2020-2024 (SL)

Please let us know of your interest,

All the best,

Simon

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Top tips and conclusions from the Atlas Big Barolo Bash

After our Big Barolo Bash held at Salisbury House, EC2M, on Wednesday 4th December 2024, I thought I would share a few thoughts as it is not often that you get the chance to compare 42 different Barolo spanning vintage 2011 to 2019.The wines shown were grouped by vintage rather than by grower. The aim was to encourage an understanding of vintage characteristics. We also felt this would spare clients the significant challenge of moving from a softer, lighter vintage to a richer, more tannic one and then back again in a repeated cycle through all producers. Deciding on a tasting order is never easy, even more so with a variety like Nebbiolo, known for its bright acidity and structural tannins. Our buyer, Seb Agnello, manned the 2018 and 2019 table. These two vintages show distinctly different styles. 2018 was a more mixed vintage, still with some notable successes. It is a lighter expression of the Nebbiolo variety, but by no means a poor vintage. 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Then there have been some more mixed years, but ones in which good growers have nevertheless excelled. Today it is more about providing some protection to the fruit, as opposed to exposing it. This is quite an incredible switch around to have occurred in just 20 years. Growers have needed to learn fast – to learn how to prepare their vineyards for the modern-day challenges of heat and drought, when not so very long ago, the challenge was inclement weather. 2017 is a successful hot vintage, particularly given there were four months in the growing season without any rain. The cooler weather at harvest really assisted in providing freshness to the aromatics and brightness to the fruit; this was notably evident in the selection of 2017s at the tasting. The two wines from Brovia were just beautiful; both the Brea ‘Vigna Ca Mia’ and the Villero were way ahead of the quality that a reading of the vintage reports might suggest possible. Instead we found pure fruit, refined tannins, glossy textures and a complex amalgam of fruit nuances and tertiary notes. Equally compelling were the duo from Poderi Oddero. In the amazingly graceful Vigna Rionda, from one of the region’s finest terroir, Oddero has crafted a genuine beauty in 2017 and I would suggest it isn’t far removed from the quality they delivered in the tremendous 2016 vintage; this should be a wine on your watch list if you a fan of the finest Barolo. The Bussia Vigna Mondoca showed in a similarly impressive manner; Bussia, in Monforte d’Alba, is a controversially large cru but when you taste wines of this calibre, there is no doubting that it has the potential to rank highly, depending on the exact location of the vines within the . Very rich, with a deep damson, plum quality to the fruit and hints of spice, this rich Barolo will demand patience, even in a year like 2017 where some wines are starting to drink. In this latter category, we would place Vietti’s reliable Castiglione blend and, surprisingly, Vajra’s 2017 Ravera, which seems to show very little of the austerity that is more typical of this cool, elevated Novello cru. The 2016 table certainly drew considerable attention, as clients were aware that this vintage is considered to be one of the all-time greats. The 2016 vintage represented the perfect growing season with no excesses or problematic weather. These wines have such appealing fruit and fine tannin that a number show that they are already approachable though even the humblest from this vintage have ageing potential. The table was manned by Atlas’ Nick Pitcher, who commented that clients were impressed by the 2016 Barolo del Comune di La Morra from Renato Corino on account of its expansive, rounded fruit. Renato has always made rich, softly textured wines and his entry level Barolo, principally made from young vines in Rocche del’ Annunziata, has always been considered by Atlas to be something of a bargain; the 2016 is no exception in this respect. Brovia’s Barolo 2016, from across their holdings, also impressed, making for an impressive showing on the night for this traditional producer when you consider how well their 2017s showed. The Brovia and Corino 2016s offer great value, a point borne out by client purchases! Parusso’s lesser known Mariondino from Castiglione Falleto also won favour with its intense fruit, with the touch of oak adding tobacco and vanillin notes, one of the few wines in the room to be aged in that manner. Nick also showed the component wines of Arnaldo Rivera’s Collector’s Case, as Nick said what a vintage for the cooperative of Terre del Barolo to launch a premium mixed case. Clients were fascinated to taste six different crus, each from one of six of the different communes of Barolo, all from the same producer, and from the same vintage. As one client commented ‘A great dinner party experience to be had tasting single cru Barolo at a bargain price!’. It is hard to argue with that. While the Arnaldo Rivera wines aren’t in the Premier League of Barolo, they are well made, approachable and provide a good introduction to understanding the single cru vineyards and the communes that make up the patchwork that is Barolo. Unsurprisingly, the lighter tannins and juicy red from on the Monvigliero impressed various tasters as did the richer, Vigna Rionda. The inclusion of the 2016 Neirane from Agostino Bosco sparked interest too, with many clients returning to the 2019 to refresh the comparison; the 2016 is just starting to drink as this vineyard possesses lighter soils with an element of sand, whereas the 2019 will need more patience. Then finally, we had a mixed table spanning the vintages from 2015 back to 2011, manned by Atlas’ Toby Herbertson. This table was a real draw as it allowed clients some insight into how Barolo ages; this was very much needed as some clients weren’t particularly familiar with the region. Some clients started tasting here, which might not have made it easier to move onto younger wines thereafter. The ability to compare wines from the same growers in 2011 and 2012 fascinated people and both vintages impressed. 2011 is one of those vintages that is starting to drink really well – it was a hot vintage, by the standards of that point in time, but it was wonderful to see how, if anything, the wines seem to have picked up a little more precision as they have aged. Both the Sandrone Cannubi Boschis 2011 and the Vietti Ravera 2011 found favour. The 2012 Sandrone, Le Vigne, shows just how well Sandrone adapt to vintage conditions. The 2013 Cappellano Pie Rupestris was very popular on the night; clients were impressed by the complexity and quality, though some struggled to spot the value in contrast to other wines shown. The conversation surrounding this table focused on when Barolo tannins start to soften and when wines come on stream for drinking. The lighter framed 2014s were up against it, sandwiched as they were between the more tannic 2013s and the bolder, richer 2015s. That said, many clients commented on the attractive nature of Vajra’s 2014 Ravera, which, like the 2017 of the same wine, showed in a forward drinking manner with a dark, glossy fruit, floral aromas and hints of spice. Indeed, all Vajra’s wines were complimented for their accessibility and the purity of the fruit. Finally, the two 2015s proved fascinating to taste. Giovanni Rosso’s Cerretta shows just why there is excitement brewing about this estate. It captured a flinty mineral note that added complexity to a rich palate of dark, slightly brooding fruit, while the tannins were finely expressed and far less obtrusive as they can be in young wines from this Serralunga d’Alba-based cru. Vietti’s inaugural Riserva also attracted plenty of attention; the extra ageing having softened and rounded out the tannins.All in all, the evening was a great success and we have received many positive comments on the venue and the format. We will certainly be running another event at this venue in the New Year.My final thoughts concern the way in which things have evolved in Piemonte. Climate change has meant that Barolo vintages face few of the pitfalls they once did. Instead, there are different challenges, more often than not related to heat and drought. In rapid time, growers have adapted in both the vineyard and cellar to meet these challenges, and today, I would argue, Barolo is one of the most consistent wine regions in Europe. There is just so much to explore, different crus with different altitudes, exposures and soils, as well as producers who employ different techniques. Without doubt, Nebbiolo is a sensitive grape variety that reveals different nuances in different conditions; it rivals Pinot Noir in this respect. Putting on a tasting like this allowed us to share our fascination with the wines and the region. Frankly there has never been a better time to buy Barolo – perhaps you could argue it is the last bastion of great value for finely nuanced reds In Europe. Certainly, £300 per case doesn’t get you far in Burgundy or Bordeaux, but it can get you an impeccably crafted, single vineyard Barolo. That point came across loud and clear to our audience on Wednesday night.

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