2021 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè Organic, Piedmont

The 2021 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is fabulous. Bright and transparent, with captivating depth, the 2021 is a stunning beauty. Enveloping balsamic notes make a strong opening statement that remains a theme here. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and blood orange all come alive in the glass. What a wine!

97 points Antonio Galloni Vinous

The 2021 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate displays a bit more ruby and deeper pigment in the glass and has notes of raspberry liqueur, sweet sage, pressed flowers, cedar, and licorice. It's very pretty on the nose and carries more sapidity to the palate while also retaining lovely purity, with ripe tannins, slightly broader shoulders, and a long finish. Both of the Barolo have a tremendous amount to offer, but with distinctive personalities, and for my taste, this one has a slight edge. (I also wouldn't be surprised if that were to flip with a different mood and tasting.) The perfumes of both the wines are exceptional in this fantastic vintage. 

97 points Jeb Dunnuck

There’s a depth and authority to Ginestra that you feel straight away, and Casa Matè is one of its most compelling expressions. Elio Grasso farms a single estate in Monforte d’Alba, focusing entirely on Nebbiolo from this cru, and the organic approach combined with a fairly traditional hand in the cellar keeps the wines honest and site driven rather than showy.

The 2021 vintage brings both power and clarity. Dark cherry, raspberry and blood orange sit at the core, wrapped in rose petal, dried herbs and a lift of spice. As it opens, more savoury notes come through, tar, liquorice, a touch of earth and that classic iron tinged minerality that Ginestra is known for.

Structure is where this really asserts itself. Firm, tightly knit tannins give the wine shape and grip, but they’re polished rather than aggressive. There’s plenty of fruit to match, and a line of acidity that keeps everything moving, stretching the finish out with real persistence. It feels layered and complete, but still very much in its early phase.

Grasso’s winemaking is measured and disciplined, long macerations, large oak, nothing flashy, just a clear expression of Nebbiolo and place.

This is made for proper food. Slow braised beef with herbs, osso buco, or something like wild mushroom and truffle risotto all make sense. It also works brilliantly with richer, slow cooked vegetable dishes, think eggplant with tomato and spice, or a lentil and porcini stew, where the tannins and savoury depth have something to lock into.

Still very young and structured, it needs time or a long decant now, and will comfortably evolve over the next fifteen to twenty years, gaining complexity, perfume and a more seamless texture.