2019 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera Organic, Piedmont

With vines adjacent to forests on white chalky soils, the Elio Grasso 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a luminous and very beautiful wine. Vintner Gianluca Grasso called this "the helicopter vintage" because he actually rented a helicopter to fly over the vines for 45 minutes to dry them from rain right before harvest. As he tells it, this was a costly but good decision because 15 minutes after he finished harvesting on October 26, heavy rain came and lasted an entire week. Thanks to these dramatic measures, the grape skins were excellent, and maceration with submerged cap lasted 55 days. That's how perfect the skins were. This balanced wine shows extreme precision and elegance.

Vintner Gianluca Grasso of the Elio Grasso winery describes 2019 as "a vintage for cru wines." Phenolic, sugar ripeness and all the necessary elements fell naturally into place. The stems were mature, and seed color had turned brown by harvest, as desired. Nebbiolo was picked during the second to the last week of October.

97 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

 Perfumes of cinnamon, plums and dried flowers follow through to a medium body, with fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Hints of cedar and sandalwood. Crunchy and lightly chewy. Give this four or five years to soften. Best after 2028.

94 points jamessuckling.com

The Gavarini Chiniera vineyard is shaped like an amphitheater with thick forests at the back (which protects from cold air currents) and sandy chalk soil at 380 meters in elevation.