# Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté (2018)

- **Producer:** Azienda Agricola Elio Grasso
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piedmont, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €74
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** black plum, blackcurrant, black cherry, vanilla, cedar, cloves, leather, dried fruit, tobacco, earth

## About this wine

Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté from Azienda Agricola Elio Grasso is a 100% Nebbiolo wine from the Monforte d'Alba sub-region of Piedmont. The fruit is sourced from the estate's Ginestra vineyard, a south-southeast facing hillside with soils containing a significant clay component. This specific vineyard site and its terroir are central to the wine's identity. Elio Grasso's winemaking philosophy emphasizes a farmer-first approach, honoring tradition and the land. The production volume for this wine is around 12,000 bottles.

## Interesting facts

- The Ginestra vineyard is a single-vineyard site, a designation for top-tier Barolo.
- Vines in the Ginestra vineyard average 40 years old, contributing to wine complexity.
- Production is limited to approximately 12,000 bottles.
- The 2018 vintage received a 95-point score from Wine Advocate.

## Food pairing

The wine's robust structure, high tannins, and full body are well-suited to rich, protein-heavy dishes. The tannins bind with proteins in the meat, softening the wine and enhancing the savory flavors of the food. The wine's intensity can stand up to complex flavors like those found in game or slow-cooked meats.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté begins with a manual harvest in early October. Alcoholic fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with daily pumping over. Malolactic fermentation is completed before the wine is aged in 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels. Following barrel aging, the wine undergoes an additional 8-10 months of aging in the binning cellar prior to its release.