The story of Elio Grasso’s start is a fascinating one. Like so many of the younger generation coming out of the 50s, 60s, and 70s in post-war Italy, the life of a farmer was not an attractive or lucrative one. It was the late ‘70s, and Elio, like many of his contemporaries, looked to the cities for more opportunity. He and his brother flew the coop, and Elio found a promising career in banking in Turin. Still, he had a soft spot for the farm and knew his father was planning to sell the land. It was simply too difficult to manage alone. Elio spent more weekends back at home. He drafted a resignation letter but still had his reservations, so he kept it in a drawer. It is said that he began to call in sick more often… so often that his boss finally decided to pay him a visit (whether out of concern or morbid curiosity). Alas, as the story goes, his boss saw him healthily working the fields, and Elio resigned the next day to take over his family’s estate in Monforte. Now his son Gianluca carries the torch.

Quite early, in 1978, it was clear that to make wines of distinction, it was important to vinify and bottle their grapes and vineyards separately to understand their story. And so this is what they did. They hold 42 hectares of land. Only 18 are devoted to vines, while the remaining 24 hectares are covered in forestland and meadows — a rare treasure in the face of increasingly monoculture landscape.

They hold some of the most distinctive Barolo crus with vines of over 40 years of age: Ginestra and Gavarini. Ginestra is considered one of the great 10 crus of Barolo. Southeastern-facing, it benefit from early sunlight and limestone accents in the soils. I loved Vinous’ description of the 2019 which received a 95, "Deep and resonant, with tremendous depth, the Ginestra is a wine of unbridled intensity.” Gavarini is also incredibly special and contains a sandy, calcareous clay soil makeup. The tannins are a bitter wider and more prominent at the onset, the fruits a bit darker and more recognizable in youth. They ferment in stainless steel — slow and low temps — with a 30 day maceration before transferring to 25hL Slavonian oak. We do not have any at the moment, but now you can have al little information on these for the future.

What we do carry at the moment are a lot of the non-Barolo beauties. The following are in stock and available to ship out. There really isn’t a better season for this wintry, contemplative wines. These wines harken tradition but also boast pure, vivid fruit with sensation energy, concentration, and precision.

2022 Chardonnay ‘Educato’ - 400-450m, SE facing, slightly sandy, limestone-packed soils. 30 year old vines. Vinifed in both inox and French barrique. In their words, “In 1986, we added a small plot of a non-native variety, Chardonnay, “educating” the fruit to express the terroir into which it had been introduced.”

2022 Dolcetto ‘Dei Grassi’ 280m, SE facing, clay and limestone based, 30 year old vines, inox ferment. Stunning, classic color - deep purple and a hint of electricity near the rim. Slight game, pepper, and dark forest fruits. Huckleberry, hawthorne, and violets. Ridiculously delicious.

2022 Langhe Nebbiolo - 350-380m, south facing, 20 year old vines, limestone based. From the Gavarini vineyard. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. High toned perfume of roses, tart cherry, and orange peel. So elegant and sleek. No excess, just strait-laced, with fresh acidity and tight but pleasing tannin.

2021 Barbera d’Alba ‘Vigna Martina - 380m, south-facing, 35 year old vines, moderately packed mixture of sandy and limestone base. Raised in barrique. From one of the highest parts of Gavarini, which gives it distinction. Intense layers of complexity on the palate. Notes of cocoa, coffee, and black cherry. Acidiy is really lifted and supports the body so wonderfully. Oak is present but well integrated.

Strength and Grace: the soulful wines of Elio Grasso