Monforte d’Alba

Such a captivating wine from this site sitting at around 400 metres in altitude. The nose opens with crushed violets, earth, summer berries and wild strawberries. There is a sense of vertiticality and lift to the wine with a spin of fine, supple tannins. The finish is beautifully detailed with notes of black tea, liquorice and fresh peach.

A more brooding and dense wine from this site that has a little more clay in the soil. Notes of blood orange, dark cherry and dried rose open on the nose while the tannins are tender and caressing while wrapping around the palate. A spectacular wine from Gianluca Grasso which shows impeccable balance.

The vines are a little less than 25 years old here, the wine opens with notes of aniseed, liquorice and blood orange. A sense of purity and a delicious sanguine quality runs below the cherry fruit some fresh peach skin, and salinity drive to the finish.

From a vineyard puchased in 1989 there is a little more flesh and density here than the Gramolere, with notes of fresh earth, peony, violets and some wild cherry fruit. This feels tense and coiled on the palate yet with brightness and purity that shows there is nothing forced here. The finish is supple and fluid with a little tar and wilted rose lingering on.

From vines with an average age of 40 years, this is quite an ethereal and aromatic Barolo with notes of fresh peach and cherry, violets and cranberry. There is a delicate bitters note with a hint of menthol too which adds complexity and there is a fine, pixelated feel to the tannins that run through the wine.