2016 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Vigna Chiniera
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Tasting notes
Aged in large-format Slovenian oak. Quite restrained on the nose. Distinct petrichor notes on the nose, with really aggressive tannins and acidity on the palate. Without food, there's a definite masochistic edge. Super-traditional. It will take a long time for those tannins to retreat. Bites back. No questioning the typicality, but I’m not sure there’s enough pleasure. (RH)
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The Elio Grasso 2016 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is immediately expressive and bright. The wine is savory and rich with a generous bouquet of dried berries, spice, crushed flowers and even a hint of market-fresh blueberry that we don't see in the other wines. The bouquet moves toward balsam notes with mint and rosemary the longer it stays in the glass. I also get anise flower and fresh licorice root as a pretty signature on the close. With aging in large Slavonian oak casks, the tannic integration is spot-on and so is the freshness and purity of those beautiful Nebbiolo nuances. Some 20,000 bottles were released.
A wonderfully floral red with strawberry, sliced-orange and floral character. Medium to full body with very integrated, fine tannins and a beautiful finish. So refined. Drink or hold.
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.