2020 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera

This is a stunning set of wines from Elio Grasso. As always, I tasted the 2021s next to the preceding vintage, which provided a terrific opportunity to compare the wines. I found the 2020s just as compelling as they were last year. The 2021s are the proverbial “iron fist in a velvet glove.” While many 2021s offer a good deal of relatively early approachability, the 2021s here require cellaring. Interestingly, today the Ginestra Casa Matè and Gavarini Chiniera feel a bit inverted in their personalities. The Ginestra comes across as a touch linear in its construction, while the Gavarini shows a bit more volume. I also tasted several vintages of the Barolo Riserva Rüncot that suggest there are great things in store here. These remain gorgeous, beautifully crystalline Barolos.

Gianluca Grasso made some of the most impressive Barolos of the vintage. Harvest for the core Nebbiolo parcels took place between October 17 and 23, very much on the later side for the year. The wines were done with long, submerged cap macerations and aged in cask. Perhaps more importantly, Gianluca Grasso is among the producers who have developed a very distinctive and personal style. The wines are quite classic in some ways but also contemporary in their sense of polish. I also revisited the 2019 Barolos, which are just as impressive as they were last year. The just-bottled 2019 Riserva Rüncot is quite promising. As a reminder, the Rüncot is the only Barolo here aged in French oak barrique. Long aging in barrel and a light touch mean wood is rarely intrusive in that wine, especially with cellaring.