Tasting Note
96.5 Points, Antonio Galloni, 2024-2041 Vinous The 2016 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a vibrant, massively tannic, austere wine, the likes of which I have never tasted here before. Vertical and explosive in the glass with tons of pure power, the 2016 Gavarini Chiniera is a gorgeous Barolo that is going to need a number of years to be at its best. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of sweet red cherry fruit. White pepper, mint, orange peel and floral notes develop a bit later, but the 2016 remains reticent and inward, with brilliant acids and tannins that dominate today. The 2016 is a striking wine, but it is going to require considerable patience.Review Date: 01 Feb 20
About the Producer
Situated in Monforte d’Alba, the estate extends over 42 hectares of land of which 18 are dedicated to vineyards. They started making wine in 1978 from plantings of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. Their production sits at a maximum of just 90,000 bottles annually, which they proclaim allows them to maintain meticulous control and care throughout the production process. Since taking over from his father Elio, winemaker Gianluca Grasso has worked tirelessly to bring about added refinement and consistency in the wines of Elio Grasso. We have been visiting the family since the 2001 vintage and have known their wines since the 1996 vintage. In the last decade they have lifted the bar for quality hugely. As with a number of other Piemonte 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 the winemaker’s adage that wine is made in the vineyard. Gianluca is obsessive about determining the perfect moment to harvest and is not averse to taking risks in the vineyard.