Italy
Of the many wine producing regions of Italy, we concentrate principally on two - Tuscany and Piedmont - where arguably the finest wines are made. Tuscany is the home of Sangiovese - which finds its greatest expression in the wines of Montalcino - while Piedmont is the home of Nebbiolo - the grape variety of Barolo and Barbaresco. In addition, we have wines from Friuli in the far northeast, close to the border with Slovenia, from the Veneto (particularly famous for the sparkling wines made from Prosecco) and from Umbria, where quality can be very fine, while price remains remarkably reasonable.
Wine production in Italy has undergone an extraordinarily rapid period of change over the last 20 to 30 years. Gone is the obsession, born at least in part from the impoverishment of the post-War years, for producing the maximum possible volume from the vineyards, which resulted in the production of vast quantities of dilute, under-ripe and poorly made wines. The generation of the increasingly affluent decades of the 1970s and 1980s, which has now taken control of family vineyards, has very different ideas. The transparency of the global market, and the competition for the attention of wine drinkers has brought in its wake the realisation that wine, however cheap, will not sell if the quality is not there. Now we have a generation of Italian producers making wines of the highest quality at all levels of price.
Elio Grasso
Elio Grasso began making and bottling his own wines in 1978, having taken over from his father Romano who sold his grapes in bulk. Since 1996 Elio has worked with his son Gian Luca, and together they have established themselves as among the most outstanding producers of Piedmont. Based in Monforte d\\\'Alba, all the wines produced come from the Grasso\\\'s own vineyards - about 18 hectares - and are matured in casks of Slovenian oak. The Barolos from this estate are utterly brilliant, but perhaps the biggest surprise is the extraordinary quality of the \'little\' wines - the Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo are among the finest examples we have ever tasted.
Red
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2014 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Martina, Elio Grasso x 62016-20216 Bottles£121.50£165.00
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2016 Barolo Riserva Rüncot, Elio Grasso x 33 Bottles£534.00TBA
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2016 Barolo Riserva Rüncot, Elio Grasso Magnum x 11 Magnum£415.00TBA
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2018 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, Elio Grasso x 62025-20336 Bottles£374.00£468.00
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2018 Barolo Ginestra Case Matè, Elio Grasso x 62025-20336 Bottles£374.00£468.00
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2018 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, Elio Grasso Magnum x 12025-20331 Magnum£134.50£168.00
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2018 Barolo Ginestra Case Matè, Elio Grasso Magnum x 12025-20331 Magnum£134.50£168.00
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2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, Elio Grasso x 62026-20346 Bottles£421.50£525.00
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2019 Barolo Ginestra Case Matè, Elio Grasso x 62026-20346 Bottles£421.50£525.00
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2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, Elio Grasso Magnum x 12026-20341 Magnum£159.50£198.00
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2019 Barolo Ginestra Case Matè, Elio Grasso Magnum x 12026-20341 Magnum£159.50£198.00
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2020 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, Elio Grasso x 62027-20356 Bottles£366.00TBA
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2020 Barolo Ginestra Case Matè, Elio Grasso x 62027-20356 Bottles£366.00TBA
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2020 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera, Elio Grasso Magnum x 12027-20351 Magnum£140.00TBA
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2020 Barolo Ginestra Case Matè, Elio Grasso Magnum x 12027-20351 Magnum£140.00TBA
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2021 Nebbiolo Langhe, Elio Grasso x 62022-20286 Bottles£107.50£148.50
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2021 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Martina, Elio Grasso x 62024-20296 Bottles£154.00£204.00
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2022 Dolcetto d'Alba, dei Grassi, Elio Grasso x 62023-20266 Bottles£94.00£129.00
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2022 Nebbiolo Langhe, Elio Grasso x 62023-20296 Bottles£121.50£165.00
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2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Martina, Elio Grasso x 62025-20306 Bottles£154.00£204.00
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2023 Dolcetto d'Alba, dei Grassi, Elio Grasso x 62024-20276 Bottles£96.50£135.00
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2023 Nebbiolo Langhe, Elio Grasso x 62024-20306 Bottles£121.50£165.00
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White
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2023 Chardonnay Educato, Langhe, Elio Grasso x 62024-20276 Bottles£129.00£174.00
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