About this WINE
Cantina Bruna Grimaldi
In the 1950s, Giacomo Grimaldi set his family on a quality winemaking path. This saw him move away from bulk production, introduce pioneering viticultural practices, nurture vineyard wellbeing and introduce vintage bottlings. In 1990, the winery passed into the hands of his daughter Bruna, after whom the cantina was consequently renamed.
The Grimaldi family have deep roots in the Langhe; their original vineyards link the ancient hills between Grinzane Cavour and Serralunga d’Alba. Over the generations, their holdings have expanded across the northern and eastern areas of the Barolo area, totalling 14 hectares, and they’ve been certified organic since 2013. The winery is based in the north-east corner of Barolo, in the cru of Grinzane Cavour, and today the property is run by Bruna’s two children, Simone and Martina.
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.
A notoriously pernickety grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well-drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.
Langhe Nebbiolo is effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo & Barbarescos. This DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style. Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15% other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto.
Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so a long hang time, producing high levels of sugar, acidity and tannins; the challenge being to harvest the fruit with these three elements ripe and in balance. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are perfumed with aromas of tar, rose, mint, chocolate, liquorice and truffles. They age brilliantly and the very best need ten years to show at their best.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Sitting at 450 metres above sea-level, Badarina in Serralunga is one of the highest vineyards in the Barolo region and has very old, weathered soils of white marl, rich in layers of limestone and sandstone. It is no wonder that this wine is a paler red, transparent with an almost glowing brilliance. Simone now ages the wine completely in botti – to thrilling result. With lifted rose, wild herbs and white pepper, this is finely textured with pure raspberry fruit, pinpoint focus and supreme detail. Drink 2023-2042.
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