This is coming along nicely and definitely less austere than a year ago. Dried cherry, plum, dusty earth, leather, rose and mint. Need plenty of time but drinkable now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My second time tasting an Elio Grasso Barolo. I decanted my wine and I let it sit for three hours. On day one the wine was a bit closed. On day two it blossomed into an excellent wine. There is a bit of tannin and a whole lot of fruit. This one is not as good as the 2013, but still very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is certainly drinking better than the 15 and 16’s at release (even right now) but still mouth drying tannins dominate. This was drank next to a 17 Massolino Margheria and was substantially more structured/masculine. Still this is one of the more accessible young Elio Grasso wines I’ve had. Texturally chalky and drying (in a good way). Dried cherry, plum, dusty earth, leather, rose and mint. The tannins linger in your mouth for at least a minute after. Give it ten years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another beautiful showing of this still young wine. After reading my last TN I was a little worried that it might be shut down, which it isn‘t. It does take a little bit of air though, but is opening up already nicely with notes of sweet red berries, strawberries, red cherries, mint, some rose petals, balsamic notes, leather, also some chalky minerality, overall bright and perfumed, even at this in between stage. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin that is very good quality, and pretty high acidity adding nice freshness. Pretty long finish. An excellent wine, particularly in the context of the vintage and it doesn‘t show any of the warmth many wines show. Lovely.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and decanted the bottle I have accessed via my Coravin. What a difference! I am seeing the class of this wine shine through and without doubt one of the best Barolo’s recently tasted! On decanting you get the most heavenly nose of wild strawberry and some other red fruit notes. There are violets and roses there and the colour is a simply beautiful translucent red - no garnet as yet. It’s soo much nicer on the palate and the rather bitter edges I noted earlier have resolved. I drank with a good Comte cheese but was also good on its own. I am absolutely delighted with this and will plan to stagger my 5 remaining bottles over a few years.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sampled a glass via my Coravin. The nose is simply wonderful. So aromatic with lovely rose, violets and a herbal character. Beautiful light crimson in the glass with no noticeable bricking as yet. Palate at this stage isn’t at all ready with tannin and unbalanced/incomplete fruit. It’s very acidic at present - I drank this on its own so would almost certainly be improved with some food. Will leave these a few years!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a gorgeous young Barolo, and what a contrast to the astringent mess of the Casa Mate. This was dark red and black Neb fruit, with tar and green tobacco, and a hint of red berry. It is dark in color, but fairly light bodied, delicious, perfumed, and rather forward, while still with plenty of backbone… I really liked this wine!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Festa del Piemonte: Master Class & Lunch (The Pool/Grill): There's a background flavor in here when we first started tasting that I couldn't quite put my finger on (and it went away with some time). The best I can guess is something akin to cotton candy. Apparently it is an estate that looks to pick on the later side. Wants to get the full amount of ripeness of the fruit. Still in Barolo that ends up with a wine that is more moderate in nature. This was one of the wines that perhaps improved the most in the glass. My initial impression was so-so on it and with some time I found it was one of the few I wanted to keep revisiting.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another excellent showing of this very good wine. The immediacy is gone for now, and it might need a few years to totally come around, but a great Barolo from this mixed vintage that has a lot to offer. No hot notes, nice aromatics, very good quality of tannins. Very impressive.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pure ruby color that looks very healthy. Amazingly pure red fruit, with notes of fresh (just ripe) strawberries, cranberries, some red cherries, rose petals, also some mint, there is a chalky mineral note, but also a surprising note of white pepper I usually associate with cooler vintages. In the nose, there is a tiny touch of alcohol, but not on the palate. It's medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin that is exceptionally polished and silky, especially in the context of the vintage. There is also high acidity providing tons of energy and tension. Long finish with beautiful energy and complexity. I can't wait to see how this will develop. A homerun, especially in the context of this hot vintage. This cooler Ginestra microclimate of Gavarini comes through in spades. A surprisingly small step down from the epic 2016. (95+)
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The '17 Gavarini Chiniera is a stunning wine, one of the best I've yet tasted in 2017. The nose is intensely perfumed with fresh roses, exotic spices, mint, bright red fruit, and chalk. On the palate, the wine is full of energy and with more textural finesse than most wines of this vintage, in which the tannins tend to be a bit harsh. The palate reveals crisp, bright red fruit, spices, and red floral tones with fresh mint joining in towards the finish. The acidity level and freshness is exceptional in the context of this hot year. The wine lacks only a bit of the follow through on the finish and sheer concentration level of the '16.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/11/2024 - Swintonblade Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing Barolo, drank in qomo Dusseldorf.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2023 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
This is coming along nicely and definitely less austere than a year ago. Dried cherry, plum, dusty earth, leather, rose and mint. Need plenty of time but drinkable now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2023 - Barolo Freak Likes this wine: 90 Points
My second time tasting an Elio Grasso Barolo. I decanted my wine and I let it sit for three hours. On day one the wine was a bit closed. On day two it blossomed into an excellent wine. There is a bit of tannin and a whole lot of fruit. This one is not as good as the 2013, but still very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2023 - Raizes Likes this wine: 90 Points
樱桃、覆盆子、玫瑰、松脂、薄荷、甘草和焦糖。香气丰富，酸度立体，虽然入口集中度表现略不及闻香，但整体质量出色，拥有不错的复杂度做基础，陈年后的表现不会令人失望。
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote:
Corked. Bought clearance at K&L Wine last week. The other bottle was fortunately good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
10/23/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
This is certainly drinking better than the 15 and 16’s at release (even right now) but still mouth drying tannins dominate. This was drank next to a 17 Massolino Margheria and was substantially more structured/masculine. Still this is one of the more accessible young Elio Grasso wines I’ve had. Texturally chalky and drying (in a good way). Dried cherry, plum, dusty earth, leather, rose and mint. The tannins linger in your mouth for at least a minute after. Give it ten years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2022 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another beautiful showing of this still young wine. After reading my last TN I was a little worried that it might be shut down, which it isn‘t. It does take a little bit of air though, but is opening up already nicely with notes of sweet red berries, strawberries, red cherries, mint, some rose petals, balsamic notes, leather, also some chalky minerality, overall bright and perfumed, even at this in between stage. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin that is very good quality, and pretty high acidity adding nice freshness. Pretty long finish. An excellent wine, particularly in the context of the vintage and it doesn‘t show any of the warmth many wines show. Lovely.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2022 - darrenhe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and decanted the bottle I have accessed via my Coravin. What a difference! I am seeing the class of this wine shine through and without doubt one of the best Barolo’s recently tasted! On decanting you get the most heavenly nose of wild strawberry and some other red fruit notes. There are violets and roses there and the colour is a simply beautiful translucent red - no garnet as yet. It’s soo much nicer on the palate and the rather bitter edges I noted earlier have resolved. I drank with a good Comte cheese but was also good on its own. I am absolutely delighted with this and will plan to stagger my 5 remaining bottles over a few years.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2022 - darrenhe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Sampled a glass via my Coravin.
The nose is simply wonderful. So aromatic with lovely rose, violets and a herbal character. Beautiful light crimson in the glass with no noticeable bricking as yet.
Palate at this stage isn’t at all ready with tannin and unbalanced/incomplete fruit. It’s very acidic at present - I drank this on its own so would almost certainly be improved with some food. Will leave these a few years!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2022 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a gorgeous young Barolo, and what a contrast to the astringent mess of the Casa Mate. This was dark red and black Neb fruit, with tar and green tobacco, and a hint of red berry. It is dark in color, but fairly light bodied, delicious, perfumed, and rather forward, while still with plenty of backbone… I really liked this wine!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Festa del Piemonte: Master Class & Lunch (The Pool/Grill): There's a background flavor in here when we first started tasting that I couldn't quite put my finger on (and it went away with some time). The best I can guess is something akin to cotton candy. Apparently it is an estate that looks to pick on the later side. Wants to get the full amount of ripeness of the fruit. Still in Barolo that ends up with a wine that is more moderate in nature. This was one of the wines that perhaps improved the most in the glass. My initial impression was so-so on it and with some time I found it was one of the few I wanted to keep revisiting.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2021 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another excellent showing of this very good wine. The immediacy is gone for now, and it might need a few years to totally come around, but a great Barolo from this mixed vintage that has a lot to offer. No hot notes, nice aromatics, very good quality of tannins. Very impressive.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2021 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pure ruby color that looks very healthy. Amazingly pure red fruit, with notes of fresh (just ripe) strawberries, cranberries, some red cherries, rose petals, also some mint, there is a chalky mineral note, but also a surprising note of white pepper I usually associate with cooler vintages. In the nose, there is a tiny touch of alcohol, but not on the palate. It's medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin that is exceptionally polished and silky, especially in the context of the vintage. There is also high acidity providing tons of energy and tension. Long finish with beautiful energy and complexity. I can't wait to see how this will develop. A homerun, especially in the context of this hot vintage. This cooler Ginestra microclimate of Gavarini comes through in spades. A surprisingly small step down from the epic 2016. (95+)
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2021 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The '17 Gavarini Chiniera is a stunning wine, one of the best I've yet tasted in 2017. The nose is intensely perfumed with fresh roses, exotic spices, mint, bright red fruit, and chalk. On the palate, the wine is full of energy and with more textural finesse than most wines of this vintage, in which the tannins tend to be a bit harsh. The palate reveals crisp, bright red fruit, spices, and red floral tones with fresh mint joining in towards the finish. The acidity level and freshness is exceptional in the context of this hot year. The wine lacks only a bit of the follow through on the finish and sheer concentration level of the '16.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment