Elio Grasso Barolo Runcot Riserva 2013
Tax included.
Milano Points: 75 points
Winery: Elio Grasso
Vintage: 2013
Grape: Nebbiolo
Drinking window: 2022 - 2055
Region: Piedmont
Production: 4800 bottles
THE ITALIAN GRAPE (100)
This is Barolo at its purest! Tasted this wine in the winter of 2023, and I was speechless. It is rarely that I have enjoyed myself so much while drinking a wine. It is impossible to explain in words what happens when drinking this wine. The Runcot is only made in the best years and then matured for 7 years, 2 years longer than a Riserva. Production is less than 5,000 of the 2013, one of the Runcot's most sought-after vintages. You smell a lot of dark fruit, leather, tobacco and vanilla. The finish is once again magnificent, it goes on for minutes. It is still in its teen years, try it after 2028 or decant at least 3 hours before drinking. This is a wine you should drink and share with your best company! My great respect to Elio Grasso for producing such a quality wine.
ROBERT PARKER (100)
If any Italian wine from this decade can undeniably be called a reserve, it is the 2013 Barolo Riserva Rüncot. This wine was not made in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017 nor 2018. (The 2013 vintage will be released commercially in February of 2020, and this is the wine's first official review.) Gianluca Grasso holds the precious bottle I tasted from as if it were a newborn child. This vintage saw a relatively long growing season, and it offers greater fruit density, structure and acidity than the last edition that was made, the 2010. There is more vibrancy here and a true sense of energy brimming right there under the surface. The wine goes through 45 days of extended maceration post-fermentation and then a solid seven years of aging between oak and bottle. The resulting Riserva Rüncot has a stunning bouquet that is all violets and prunes, followed by a classic palate of minerals, herbs, cinnamon and delicate wafts of white truffle. This wine tells a story from nose to finish, like a flashing film reel. Fewer than 5,000 bottles were made. This is a crowning achievement for the hard-working and passionate Grasso family, led by father Elio and son Gianluca. Congratulations.
About the wine
Elio Grasso stands as a cornerstone in the world of Barolo wine production. Despite maintaining his roots as a farmer, Elio, alongside his wife, initiated a qualitative transformation in the 1970s, elevating both the wines and the vineyards. They meticulously replanted each vineyard parcel, hand-selecting the finest nebbiolo grapes while also venturing into the cultivation of international varieties like Chardonnay. Situated within the Ginestra vineyard on the eastern outskirts of the Monforte municipality, the winery occupies a revered position. This location has long been hailed as the premier site within the village, albeit one of the most intricate due to its soils abundant in blue marl.
Runcot is a small parcel of land situated in the southeast-facing section of the "Gavarini" sub-zone within the Ginestra vineyard. It is from here that the Barolo Riserva is derived, only produced in the best vintages and limited to 5000 - 7000 bottles. In this instance, the wine has undergone an extended aging process, spending four years in barrique followed by two years in bottle. This results in a majestic wine characterized by the savory influence of limestone soils. The 2013 Runcot has received the perfect 100 Parker points, making it one of the most sought after Barolos at the moment. No more than 5,000 bottles were produced this vintage.
