Region | Piemonte (Italia) |
---|---|
Foundation Year | 1928 |
Vineyard hectares | 18 |
Annual production | 90.000 bt |
Address | Località Ginestra, 40 - Monforte d'Alba (CN) |
Oenologist | Piero Ballario |
Elio Grasso is an interesting producer in the Langhe, producing a range of classically styled wines with full respect for the traditions of the area. His winery is located in Località Ginestra in the commune of Monforte d'Alba, in the heart of the Barolo appellation. It is a family business, with vineyards that have been handed down from generation to generation, along with the valuable farming experience of cultivating the land. The strong bond with roots and history has led Elio Grasso to put respect for ancient customs back at the center of his work, with the intention of returning to producing wines that are frank and genuine, a faithful mirror of a great terroir.
The estate has a total area of 42 hectares, of which only 18 are dedicated to viticulture and the rest to woods and meadows, which create an environment rich in natural biodiversity. The vineyard is seen as a part of a larger ecosystem in which it must fit harmoniously, without disrupting the landscape and the original face of the land. The winery's philosophy wanted to preserve a typically peasant soul, linked to the land, nature and its ancestral rhythms. The area of Monforte is rightly considered among the best for the production of Barolo. Because of its special microclimatic characteristics and soil composition, it is able to give wines that combine intensity, power, finesse and elegance. A combination that has always made them particularly sought after by the greatest connoisseurs.
Thanks to a profound knowledge of the terroir and with a desire to enhance the characteristics of each individual parcel, since the 1980s each vineyard has been managed, harvested and vinified separately, so as to be able to present a range of labels, which highlight the various facets of the terroir. In terms of the choice of grape varieties, too, those historically present in the Langhe have been favored: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, with the sole exception of Chardonnay, which has adapted very well to the site. The cellar has been equipped with small tanks for parcellaric vinification, which is carried out in a simple and delicate way. The same care is applied to aging, which is done by allowing the wine ample time to evolve slowly before being bottled.
"La famiglia Grasso ha scritto una pagina importante della storia della Langa: prima con Elio, che ha investito sul suo territorio in tempi non sospetti, e oggi con Gianluca, che porta addoso la resposabilità di custodire, è il caso di dirlo, un tesoro viticolo con pochi eguali"
Guida Slowine 2020