Elio Grasso 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini Monforte d'Alba Piedmont Italy Young Vines Gavarini Cru Calcareous Limestone Stainless Steel 98 Point Gavarini Vineyard Vinous Antonio Galloni 750ml

The Gavarini vineyard belongs almost exclusively to Elio Grasso. A single cru within the Ginestra MGA in Monforte d'Alba — south-facing, calcareous limestone soils, 350 to 380 meters above sea level — it is the source of two of the most decorated wines in Barolo: the Gavarini Vigna Chiniera single-vineyard Barolo, which has earned scores approaching 100 points in exceptional years, and the Rüncot Riserva, whose 2016 vintage received a perfect 100-point score from Vinous' Antonio Galloni — one of only a handful of perfect scores ever awarded to an Italian wine by that publication.

In 2023, no Rüncot Riserva was produced. That is the most important thing to know about this bottle. The fruit that in outstanding vintages would go into one of Italy's most celebrated wines — the young Nebbiolo vines of the Gavarini cru — instead flowed entirely into the Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini. Nicholas Wines' importer described it with blunt enthusiasm: "If this one seems even better than usual, there's a VERY GOOD reason — there was no Rüncot in 2023, so all of the fruit that was considered for that iconic wine instead went into this blend. Not too shabby, especially considering the price."

Antonio Galloni of Vinous reviewed the 2023 and described "kirsch, strawberry, cedar, mint and chalk — very nicely delineated — charming right out of the gate." K&L Wine's reviewer found "redcurrant, blood orange, and a hint of spicy white pepper — good freshness and zesty fruit flavors." Nicholas Wines' taster described it as "exploding from the glass with complex aromatics of crushed black raspberry jam, strawberry currants and baking spice — a rich mouthfeel of sweet floral and red berries leading to a stony, firm finish that goes on forever — pure magic over the next 5–10 years."

This is a Barolo estate's young-vine Langhe Nebbiolo in a year when the most serious fruit available was redirected into it. The price makes no sense given the terroir. The wine makes complete sense given Elio Grasso.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Elio Grasso established his estate in Monforte d'Alba in the late 1970s — one of the pioneers of the Barolo renaissance that transformed Piedmont's most celebrated red wine from a rustic, sometimes oxidative local curiosity into one of the world's most age-worthy and most critically celebrated expressions of Nebbiolo. The estate is now managed by Elio's son Gianluca Grasso, who has continued his father's founding commitment to single-vineyard expression, minimal intervention, and the patient maturation that Monforte d'Alba's calcareous soils and the Nebbiolo grape's naturally structured character demand.

The Gavarini cru is the heart of the Elio Grasso estate — a virtually exclusively family-owned section of the Ginestra MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) whose south-facing slopes, calcareous limestone soils, and 350–380 meter altitude combine to produce Nebbiolo of extraordinary concentration and aromatic precision. Within Gavarini, Elio Grasso has identified two distinct sub-zones: the Vigna Chiniera, whose older vines and slightly higher elevation produce the structured, long-lived Barolo; and the Rüncot, a 1.5-hectare south-facing sub-parcel at the base of the slope (300–350m) that produces the Rüncot Riserva in exceptional years only — the wine whose 2016 vintage received 100 points from Antonio Galloni.

The Langhe Nebbiolo "Gavarini" is produced from the young Nebbiolo vines of the Gavarini cru — those planted more recently whose vine age has not yet achieved the concentration and structural intensity required for the full Barolo program. They are, however, growing in exactly the same limestone-rich, south-facing soils that produce the Barolo, at exactly the same altitude, tended by exactly the same hands with exactly the same rigor that the estate applies to every vine regardless of its age or its wine's commercial value. In 2023, with the Rüncot Riserva not produced, the selection process for which fruit entered the Langhe Nebbiolo was the most generous in the wine's history — fruit that might otherwise have contributed to one of Italy's most celebrated wines redirected entirely into this bottle.

Vinification is entirely in stainless steel — no oak contact of any kind — a deliberate choice that preserves the freshness, aromatic purity, and natural acidity of the young-vine Gavarini fruit without the wood influence that would mask the terroir's most transparent qualities. The wine is bottled with minimal intervention, medium body, lively acidity, and fine-grained tannins that make it the most immediately accessible and most broadly appealing expression in the Elio Grasso portfolio.

Critics Reviews

Robert Parker, 91 Points:"Here is a pretty and easy-drinking expression from Elio Grasso. Made in stainless steel only, the 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini shows redcurrant, blood orange and a hint of spicy white pepper. This easy-drinking wine offers good freshness and zesty fruit flavors in the near term. Pair it with a simple roast chicken."

Antonio Galloni, Vinous — 2023 vintage (reviewed February 2025) 89 Points: "The 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini is a fine entry-level offering. Kirsch, strawberry, cedar, mint and chalk are very nicely delineated. This tasty Langhe Nebbiolo is charming right out of the gate."

Nicholas Wines — 2023 vintage: "This one leads with silky red fruit, amazing spice and even some minty notes. It explodes from the glass with complex aromatics of crushed black raspberry jam, strawberry currants and baking spice. A rich mouthfeel of sweet floral and red berries flavors leads to a stony, firm finish that goes on forever. Pure magic over the next 5–10 years."

NY Vintners — 2023 vintage: "Dark and really fresh fruits prevail — blackberry, blueberry — with some mountain florals hidden in the background. Mild savory notes come through midway in the form of new leather, baking spices (clove and star anise), and a tinge of eucalyptus."

Gismondi on Wine — 2013 vintage (long-term house character reference): "An alluring nose of subtle cherry and wild raspberry continues to the medium-bodied palate, where wild roses, cherry and a fine riff of salts intertwine. Tannins are taut, but fine and smoothed — a highly approachable, but still highly interesting and rewarding Langhe."

Elio Grasso estate context: The Gavarini vineyard's Rüncot sub-zone received a perfect 100 Points from Vinous (Antonio Galloni) for the 2016 Rüncot Riserva — the same vineyard from which this wine's fruit is sourced.

Tasting Profile

Nose Deep ruby with a slight garnet tinge — the Nebbiolo's naturally medium pigmentation evident even at this young-vine stage, the 2023 vintage's warm and even growing season contributing a depth of color above the average for this expression. The nose is vivid and immediately expressive — the Gavarini cru's calcareous limestone soils and south-facing altitude producing the freshness and purity that Antonio Galloni found most immediately characteristic. Kirsch and strawberry lead with vivid, slightly sweet red fruit character — the 2023's warm growing season evident in the fruit's concentration without jammy weight. Crushed black raspberry and strawberry currants add further berry depth. Rose petal and mountain florals add the lifted, perfumed Nebbiolo floral dimension that the Gavarini cru's altitude and limestone soils consistently produce. Cedar and chalk thread through the fruit — the limestone terroir's most direct aromatic contribution, mineral, slightly dusty, and entirely specific to Monforte d'Alba. Mint and a whisper of baking spice add aromatic complexity from the stainless steel fermentation's natural expression of the fruit's character without wood interference. Eucalyptus and a hint of new leather emerge with air.

Palate Medium-bodied, lively, and silky — the K&L reviewer's "easy-drinking" characterization is accurate but undersells what Nicholas Wines found beneath the accessibility: "a stony, firm finish that goes on forever." Red berries and sweet floral notes arrive at entry with a freshness and directness that the stainless steel vinification most directly produces — no oak to soften or complicate, just the fruit and the terroir in complete transparency. Kirsch, strawberry, and wild raspberry carry through the mid-palate with the vivid, slightly mineral quality of limestone-grown Nebbiolo at its most natural. Fine-grained tannins provide the structural framework — taut but refined, building without grip, and confirming that this is Nebbiolo from a serious site rather than simply a light-bodied easy-drinker. Blood orange and spicy white pepper add dimension through the center. The stony, mineral character from the calcareous soils becomes most apparent here — chalk and stone threading through the fruit in a combination that is distinctly and specifically Gavarini.

Finish Long, clean, and stony — the Gavarini cru's most enduring terroir contribution. Nicholas Wines' description of a finish "that goes on forever" is not hyperbole for a Langhe Nebbiolo at this price point — the limestone mineral character and the naturally structured Nebbiolo tannins sustaining the close well past where simpler Piedmontese reds fade. Kirsch and cedar persist alongside chalk and a final whisper of mint. The finish confirms what the palate promised: this is not simply an entry-level wine but a genuinely serious expression of one of Italy's greatest Nebbiolo terroirs, accessible now and capable of development for five to ten years.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Serve at 16–17°C in a standard red wine glass or Burgundy bowl — the freshness and mineral character of the stainless steel vinification are most vivid without excessive temperature. Decanting 20–30 minutes will soften the tannins slightly and allow the rose petal and chalk aromatics to fully open. Drinking beautifully now and through 2033 — the accessible, charming character that Galloni identified at release will deepen into something more complex and more structured as the limestone mineral character integrates over several years of bottle age. K&L recommends simple roast chicken; the wine is equally outstanding alongside tagliatelle al ragù, rabbit braised in wine, grilled lamb, fresh truffle preparations, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, and any Piedmontese dish where the wine's natural affinity for the cuisine of its origin makes pairing effortless.