Bruna Grimaldi - Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy (2021)

TASTING NOTES

Red fruits, sour cherries with graphite and menthol notes on the nose. On the palate it is rich and concentrated, mineral and fresh. This freshness gives it longevity and makes it a versatile wine in terms of food pairing.

Giacomo Grimaldi started to sell his grapes in 1957, then brother Giovanni Grimaldi produced their first wine in the 1960s, selling it by the liter. More recently, Giovanni’s daughter Bruna Grimaldi and her husband Franco Fiorino, the present owners, have turned the business into a modern winery, bottling their first wine in 1999. The estate she inherited included the Badarina vineyard in Serralunga from her mother’s side and some beautiful old vineyards from her father’s side in Grinzane Cavour, where the winery is located. Additionally, they purchased some choice parcels in other sites, including a parcel in the coveted Bricco Ambrogio vineyard in Roddi. Some vineyards were replanted where necessary, so that certain vineyards–particularly in Serralunga–are an average of 25 years old, whereas older vines can be found in vineyards in Grinzane Cavour, Roddi and Diano d’Alba.

The philosophy of Bruna Grimaldi is simple and relies on basic principles: the quality of a wine originates in the vineyard and is largely determined through a good green harvest. Thanks to an attentive selection of grapes, they bottle impeccable wines that faithfully represent their region. The combined knowledge of Bruna Grimaldi and Franco Fiorino, along with the contribution of accomplished agronomist Giampiero Romana, have a sole aim: to cultivate the vines in such a way as to produce solemn, full-bodied wines with intense aromas, which highlight the best that nature and the soil have to offer. Ten hectares produce approximately 50,000 bottles that all express the typical essence of Langhe wines, from Barolo to Dolcetto and Barbera to Nebbiolo d’Alba.

Work in the vineyards is performed following traditional methods: the vines develop naturally. The spontaneous growth of weeds is kept under control through mechanical means and not by the use of any herbicides. No chemical products are used to control grey mold or pests, nor are any systemic products.

The cellar is located in an early twentieth-century building that has been used as a cellar since the 1950s. Since 1999, the year of the first harvest of Barolo Badarina managed by Bruna Grimaldi, the use of technology has been reduced and the wines have been aged exclusively in large wooden barrels and tonneaux. Wines are fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and then go into wood because they believe this completes and enhances the quality of the wine, particularly in the case of Barolo, Barbera and Nebbiolo d’Alba, and its proper use depends a lot on the weather conditions of the year.