2004 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Vigna Casa Mate'

Light ruby. Real intensity and excitement. Roses and richness but not too sweet or dusty. Lots of great lift and intensity. Exciting. Spreads across the palate. Quite dry finish. (JR)

The 2004 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is a decidedly more masculine Barolo than the Gavarini. Made in a rich, weighty style, it reveals layers of deeply spiced, mentholated dark fruit, new leather and licorice sensations in an expression of Nebbiolo that engages all of the senses. It is a superb effort from one of Piedmont's unheralded producers. The soils in this parcel contain 70% clay and 30% sand.

The 2004 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate is a decidedly more masculine Barolo than the Gavarini. Made in a rich, weighty style, it reveals layers of deeply spiced, mentholated dark fruit, new leather and licorice sensations in an expression of Nebbiolo that engages all of the senses. It is a superb effort from one of Piedmont's unheralded producers. The soils in this parcel contain 70% clay and 30% sand. Anticipated maturity 2009-2022. Elio Grasso's wines are made in a unique, crisply articulated style that highlights balance and harmony over sheer power. -For our 2004 Barolos we did roughly 30 days of maceration in stainless steel, where the wines also completed their malolactic fermentations,- says Gianluca Grasso. -The wines were then racked into 25 hectoliter barrels where they aged for two and a half years. The Runcot saw 35-40 days of maceration and may spend up to 40 months in 100% new French oak.- Various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Langdon Shiverick Imports, Cleveland, OH; tel. (213) 483-5900; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; Admirality Beverage Co. Columbia Distributing Company, Portland, Oregon; tel. (503) 289-9600