Tasting Note
97.5 Points, Antonio Galloni, 2022-2038 Vinous The 2013 Barolo Riserva Rüncot is a stunning beauty. Vibrant and powerful in the glass, the 2013 shows all of the classical austerity of this late-ripening vintage along with the extra kick of richness that comes from three and a half years in 100% new French oak. Dark macerated cherry, tobacco, spice, licorice and dried flowers flesh out in a wine that is powerful, sumptuous and full-bodied to the core. Grasso will release the 2013 in 2020, a year later that is typical, but that probably won't be enough for this wine to be fully expressive. Rüncot is a wine that needs time to fully emerge, but the 2013 is incredibly promising even in the early going. Wow! 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.