2016 - Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate, Elio Grasso

The Elio Grasso 2016 Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté starts off a bit shy, or closed, and I was never fully able to get the wine to open. I decanted two bottles and went back over the course of a few days to check on their progress. That said, the wine never let its guard down. It remained super tight and compact over the course of my long evaluation. Given the care and reputation of this estate, I'm betting on a very long cellar evolution for this bottle. With fruit from a three-hectare plot in Ginestra, it offers beautiful structure with integrated acidity and tannins. The mouthfeel is gorgeous, but I wish the wine would offer more on the bouquet. Red fruit and wild berry are followed by grilled herb, crushed flower and dried lilac. The aromatic playlist is subtle and hushed. An ample 20,000 bottles were produced, and I hope to encounter this wine again sometime in the future when it has evolved.

Ample and creamy on the palate, with tremendous depth, the 2016 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is super impressive, even in the early going. Next to the Gavarini Chiniera, the Ginestra Casa Matè is a Barolo of textural resonance and volume. Black cherry, plum and a range of balsamic notes infuse the 2016 with tons of character. The is one of the real standouts of the year.