Wine Advocate – Robert Parker

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Bruna Grimaldi and her family make a fine bottle of Barbera with the flexibility to pair with your favorite home-cooked meals. The 2021 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa offers medium-rich fruit with aromas and flavors that are best described as succulent or appetizing. Tasting this wine made me wonder what was for dinner, and that’s always a good sign. Bold black cherry and blackberry cede to pretty freshness. This is a 20,000-bottle release.

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The 2019 Barolo Badarina sees fruit from Serralunga d’Alba. The wine shows medium-rich concentration with aromas of red berry fruit and dried cherry. At the back are subtle notes of rusty nail, black licorice and crushed rose. Bruna Grimaldi and her family make wine in their winery in Grinzane Cavour but farm various parcels across the appellation. The Badarina often comes across as the boldest and most structured wine in the portfolio. Some 6,500 bottles were released.

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The Bruna Grimaldi 2019 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio (with 4,500 bottles made) boasts a very vibrant and lively garnet color that is slightly on the darker side of your standard Nebbiolo. This cru site in Roddi tends to make accessible Barolos, and you could say the same for this edition. The wild card, however, is the excellent 2019 vintage, which gives this wine more abundant fruit density and structure. Generally speaking, you get a bigger bolder wine this year.

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This wine represents an appellation-wide blend of fruit from Raviole and Borzone (in Grinzane Cavour), Roere di Santa Maria (in La Morra), San Lorenzo di Verduno (in Verduno), Bricco Ambrogio (in Roddi) and Badarina (in Serralunga d’Alba). However, in 2019, a hailstorm destroyed most of the crop from Raviole, so that cru does not feature here. The Bruna Grimaldi 2019 Barolo Camilla opens to medium-dark intensity. The bouquet is a bit closed, even reduced, but you do get black cherry, cassis and red licorice. This concludes with dry tannins. 20,000 bottles were released.

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I love the name of this wine. Scassa means “to break apart,” and the moniker pays tribute to the difficulties of preparing the land for this planting of Barbera vines. The Bruna Grimaldi 2020 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa shows a rich, dark ruby and nicely concentrated appearance. It opens to sweet cherry and plum and follows up with light spice and a hint of wet earth or powdered licorice. Production is 20,000 bottles.

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With fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the Bruna Grimaldi 2018 Barolo Badarina opens nicely and completely, relative to its young age, within a few hours of popping the cork. The character of the wine is hearty and firm, although there is also a silkiness or smoothness that is especially associated with this vintage. You get some of those vaguely metallic aromas of rusty nail or iron ore that come with the Serralunga d’Alba territory. There is also plenty of dark fruit, licorice and wild rose. Fruit from the special Vigna Regnola site is blended into this wine in 2018 because no Riserva was produced. This is a release of 6,000 bottles.

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The Bruna Grimaldi 2016 Barolo Riserva Badarina sets off according to its own careful tempo, but it opens slowly to reveal not only the beauty and intensity of this classic vintage but also the power and depth of Serralunga d’Alba, home to some of Barolo’s most impactful wines. The fruit used here comes specifically from the Vigna Regnola, which the Grimaldi family always vinifies separately, especially in the best vintages. This is a finely delineated and focused expression of Nebbiolo with a firm tannic backbone that supports dark fruit flavors, crushed stone, lilac and candied orange peel. I would recommend setting this bottle aside for another 5 to 10 years, giving it time to become more supple and smooth. A precious few 733 bottles were released.

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From a vineyard site in Roddi with classic Sant’Agata marl soils and fossils, the Bruna Grimaldi 2018 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio shows pretty harmony and balance, with a considerably softer character that finishes with very smooth and silky tannins. The fruit is compact and fresh with wild cherry and cassis. That more tart flavor profile cedes to floral notes and some earthy tones as well in this production of 4,500 bottles.

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An ample 25,000-bottle release, the 2018 Barolo Camilla represents a blend of fruit from Raviole and Borzone (in Grinzane Cavour), Roere di Santa Maria (in La Morra), San Lorenzo di Verduno (in Verduno), Bricco Ambrogio (in Roddi) and lastly from Badarina (in Serralunga d’Alba). This is an ambitious, all-encompassing blend that is especially accessible in 2018. It offers a harmonious bouquet with wild berry and rose. The tannins are soft and yielding, and you can start enjoying this Barolo without waiting too much longer.

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The Bruna Grimaldi 2020 Nebbiolo d’Alba Bonurei (with 15,000 bottles made) definitely shows a ripe side with extra softness and some hints of jammy sweetness with strawberry or raspberry confit. It’s a bit too ripe to my palate, and Nebbiolo is not a grape that absorbs those extra temperatures with ease. Bonurei is made with a blend of fruit from different sites, soils and vine age. It is normally one of my top value wines, but I like this hot vintage a little less

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Named after the difficulties of ripping up the land to ready it for agriculture (to “scassare” in Italian), the Bruna Grimaldi 2018 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa is a dark and concentrated expression with sweet cherry liqueur and blackberry confit. The wine is soft and yielding with a thick textural approach that wraps nicely over the palate. The wine shows so much fruit weight and density, you might try a contrasting food pairing with spicy, smoky or barbecued flavors, including some pasta or pie crust to help soak up the 15% alcohol. This is a well-priced release of 25,000 bottles.

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A release of 6,000 bottles, the Bruna Grimaldi 2017 Barolo Badarina is open-knit and softly layered in manner we don’t usually see with the Nebbiolo grape. This is, of course, due to the vintage heat and drought that resulted in a shorter growing season. The longer the season, the greater the complexity, and it goes to follow that the 2017s are less complex compared to a cooler vintage. This wine is also characterized by crushed flowers and wild rose. Winemaking saw 30 days of maceration with submerged cap, malolactic fermentation in cement vats and aging in large oak casks for 30 months. All these steps have preserved the basic flavor freshness of the wine. This wine will be released in July.

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With fruit from a one-hectare parcel in the village of Roddi with classic marl and fossil-rich soils, the Bruna Grimaldi 2017 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio is the most balanced of these new releases and the wine that ultimately shows the greatest depth and sharpness. It opens to dark and tonic layers of dried cherry and blackberry. Those fruit tones are followed by easy spice, smoke and tar. However, the Bricco Ambrogio is also best served in the context of a near or medium-term drinking window. This is a release of about 4,500 bottles to hit the market in July 2021.

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The only wine in this selection from Bruna Grimaldi that is aged in both botte grande as well as the smaller tonneaux, the bouquet here is not especially bright in this vintage, and thanks to the heat and drought of the growing season, the fruit is a bit faded or evolved even at this young stage. The Bruna Grimaldi 2017 Barolo Camilla does offer wild berry and crushed flower on first nose, and to the palate, the wine is open-knit, accessible and otherwise poised for a near or medium-term drinking window. This vintage saw a slightly briefer maceration lasting just 20 days. Like the other Barolos in this series, the alcohol content is a bit high at 15%. This was a production of 30,000 bottles.

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This is a very perfumed expression of the Dolcetto grape that opens to aromas of wild rose and fresh blue flowers. The Bruna Grimaldi 2019 Dolcetto d’Alba San Martino shows an inky dark appearance with rich layers of dried blackcurrant and blackberry. This release is simple and genuine, and if you want to taste Dolcetto in its most naked and aromatic form, look no further than this cheerful expression with a plate of tagliatelle and mushroom ragù. 8,000 bottles were produced.

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The 2019 Nebbiolo d’Alba Bonurei veers toward the darker and more concentrated side of the Nebbiolo spectrum, with layers of black and purple fruit. The wine shows a simple, open-knit fiber with plum, dried blackberry and sweet cherry. This is an easy-drinking wine to pair with an epic sausage and broccoletti pizza combination. The fruit used here is a blend from parcels in Roddi, Diano d’Alba and Sinio at various elevations and exposures. 15,000 bottles were released.

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You get fabulous value here. The Bruna Grimaldi 2017 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa is a dark and thickly concentrated red wine that would make a great choice with savory kitchen favorites like fried chicken or pork roast. The natural darkness of the wine is nicely broken up by the acidic freshness and those pure fruit aromas. It ages in tonneaux for one year, but the oak is seamlessly integrated. Bruna Grimaldi and her team have created a fine Barbera, with 25,000 bottles on the market now. “Scassa” comes from the Italian verb “to break apart,” and the name refers to the farming hardships that always result in very low yields. For that reason, this wine is always released as a Barbera d’Alba Superiore, which requires extra months of aging time.

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You will be very favorably impressed by the delicate and floral aromas that peel softly off the bouquet in the Bruna Grimaldi 2016 Barolo Badarina. There are distinct notes of wild rose and pressed violets that pop out with playful intensity. Badarina is located in Serralunga d’Alba, known for some of the most powerful expressions of Nebbiolo in the appellation. This estate farms a 1.8-hectare plot at 450 meters above sea level with a mix of white marl and calcareous deposits with layers of sandstone. In the end result, this wine exudes elegance more than it does power per se. I feel the tighter grip of the young tannins on the close, but otherwise, this wine will be remembered for its overall finesse and startling clarity. Like the other wines in this group, this Barolo is fermented with submerged cap and completes its secondary fermentation in cement tanks. It refines in large oak casks for 30 months. Some 6,000 bottles will hit the market in July 2020.

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Roddi is one of the least-traveled areas in the appellation, and Bricco Ambrogio is one of its best growing sites, with clay and Sant’Agata marl soils. Bruna Grimaldi and her family reveal one of the finest interpretations of the site, offering a wine that is sturdy on its feet and compelling in terms of its aromatic offerings and complexity. The 2016 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio plays a strong hand in terms of mouthfeel, where this structured and firm wine grips tightly to the palate. The aromas are fleeting and fluid with a flurry of wild rose, forest berry, tar and black licorice aromas. I found this wine to have a larger disconnect between nose and palate compared to the more seamless Baroli from the estate. The wine is fermented with submerged cap and completes its malolactic fermentation in tank. Both methods play toward the delicate nature of this Barolo. Only 4,500 bottles will be released in July 2020.

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Bruna Grimaldi’s 2016 Barolo Camilla shows a fine and silky texture with just enough weight and texture to support elegant and fragile aromas. The bouquet reveals a subtle approach, followed by wild berry, violet, spice, tar and smoke that follow with slow and seamless transitions. The tannins are young and tight, but the texture of the wine is fine and silky overall. Fruit for this wine is a blend from the Raviole, Borzone, Roere di Santa Maria, Bricco Ambrogio and Badarina vineyards. It was previously a single-vineyard expression from a plot located behind the Grinzane Cavour castle, but that is no longer the case. Given the more-pronounced structure of the vintage, I have extended the drinking window, allowing for extra lead time for cellar aging. Some 18,000 bottles were produced.

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The Bruna Grimaldi 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba San Martino is a pleasantly fruit-forward expression of this always-fruity variety. The wine opens to a dark and saturated color profile with plenty of blackberry and black plum, all framed by juicy concentration, tangy acidity and that lovely succulence that is characteristic of Dolcetto. There is a naturally exuberant quality to the fruit. Winemaking is very simple, using stainless steel and cement vats. Drink this wine within the next 18 months. Fruit comes from a one-hectare plot with light, shallow soils in the Vigneto San Martino that have been farmed by this family since 1957. Some 8,000 bottles were released.

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Some are not a fan of the Arneis grape, but an affordable wine like this could make you a believer. The Bruna Grimaldi 2019 Langhe Arneis is beautifully fragrant and light. It shows some glycerin richness of the grape with that polished or glossy quality that I associate with this variety. Beyond those interesting textural considerations, you get abundant citrus, melon and even a touch of Golden Delicious apple. Bruna Grimaldi and her team have created a very fine interpretation of the wine, with 5,000 bottles on the market since April 2020. Fruit comes from a half-hectare parcel with white marl and calcareous soils that are perfectly suited to Arneis, giving saline minerality to the finish.

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This is the estate’s youngest expression of Nebbiolo, and the wine used to be called Briccola, but the name was changed in order to avoid confusion with the Briccolina MGA. The Bruna Grimaldi 2018 Nebbiolo d’Alba Bonurei sneaks up on you slowly, offering growing intensity and easy-drinking charm along the way. Unlike Barolo that makes cellar aging its raison d’être, this informal interpretation reveals the linearity and much of the gratifying beauty of the grape with snappy and immediate appeal. It has the natural acidity and basic structure to pair with a sausage and broccoli pizza. Bonurei is the name of the vineyard that supplies the majority of the fruit for this blend, but in reality, the wine is an assemblage from sites in Roddi, Diano d’Alba and Sinio, all representing a large range of exposures and local soil types, from Diano sandstone to the so-called Lequio formations with fossils and Sant’Agata marl. But the Bonurei vineyard gives the wine its backbone. With 15,000 bottles made, you get fabulous value here.

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The 2016 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa is a meaty red wine to pair with simple beef or pork dishes. This Barbera is characterized by a dark concentration (from 12 days of skin maceration), a sweet tone of blackberry fruit and plum and integrated notes of spice, tar and licorice. It is aged for up to 15 months in tonneaux. You’ll appreciate the soft, fruit richness. Some 25,000 bottles were made.

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This wine has already evolved to show some tar and savory aromas. The 2015 Barolo Badarina offers pretty color saturation with linear and fresh lines of plum, black fruit, dark spice and tilled earth. The wine delivers much of the heft and power promised by this Badarina cru in Serralunga d’Alba. If you’re looking for a Barolo vintage to pair with a rich meat like liver or game, this could be the one. This is Bruna Grimaldi’s flagship Barolo, as her mother was born in Badarina and this site has always had special meaning to her family. Some 8,000 bottles were produced.

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With fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the 2013 Barolo Riserva Badarina shows a darkly concentrated appearance with a ripe—but also evolved—bouquet that prizes dark blackberry fruit, cherry confit and dried prune. There is a rich and chewy side of this wine that feels a little heavy on the finish with sour fruit, maybe a little too much so. The wine feels further along its evolutionary track compared to other Riservas from this vintage. I prefer the non-Riserva expression from Badarina from the 2015 vintage. This wine, however, is only made in the best years and represents a special selection of fruit from Vigna Regnola in the Badarina cru. A mere 1,800 bottles were made. The next vintage to be released will be 2016.

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From the less-traveled Roddi township, the 2015 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio is a balanced and pretty expression that shows floral aromas of wild rose and pressed violets, followed by wild berry and blackcurrant. The wine is simple and straightforward in delivery with a clean and accessible personality. Bruna and Franco Grimaldi purchased this vineyard site in 2006, and this wine has improved in complexity and depth with each vintage that I taste. Some 6,000 bottles are made.

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The 2015 Barolo Camilla reveals two sides of the Nebbiolo coin: You get plenty of rich primary fruit on the one hand, with slightly evolved tertiary notes on the other. This Barolo represents a pretty intersection between those two sides, and the convergence of aromas is ultimately what gives this wine its complexity. I would suggest a near or medium-term drinking window. Some 17,000 bottles were produced.

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This is a terrific expression of Barbera from a warm vintage that is well suited to the variety. The 2015 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa opens to deep, dark and savory tones with ample richness and concentration at the rear. Some 23,000 bottles were produced. On the close, the wine veers toward a savoury or smoky personality that suits it nicely. This wine stays in reduction during winemaking but becomes suddenly explosive and bright when poured into the glass. Drink 2018-2024. (Monica Larner).

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This wine comes from a 1.8-hectars plot in Serralunga d’Alba. The 2014 Barolo Badarina benefits from southeast exposures for greater power and textural richness. The bouquet offers earthy aromas of truffle, forest floor and tangy berry on the close. Those hearty soil or rust-like aromas are often more present in Nebbiolo from this celebrated village. Ultimately, this wine is long and profound, with pretty menthol notes on the finish. Drink 2020-2035. (Monica Larner).

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This wine was produced in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. We will see it next time in 2016. The 2012 Barolo Riserva Badarina is the darling among this portfolio of new releases from Bruna Grimaldi. Unlike the 2009 vintage, this edition runs super smooth and clean across the senses. This vintage delivers a hearty core of dark fruit and spice surrounded by cola and black truffle. Pretty mineral detailing appears on the finish. Drink 2020-2035. (Monica Larner)

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The 2014 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio is a noteworthy expression that immediately jumps out, thanks to the rich intensity and structure it displays. This cooler vintage has shaped a wine with ample backbone to support dark fruit, spice and licorice. However, despite that immediate girth and power, this wine reveals amore ethereal and delicate approach on closer inspection. The final words spoken here are subtle and soft. Drink 2020-2035. (Monica Larner).

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Camilla is the name of a vineyards plot in Grinzane Cavour (along the small road at the back of the winery) that is only farmed by Bruna Grimaldi and her family. The 2014 Barolo Camilla Shows very nice results with delivate and soft fruit. The vines are 40 years old and the bouquet is especially marked by floral tones of rose hip and pressed violets. Skin maceration times are extended up to 30 days, but this expression of Nebbiolo remains silky and compact nonetheless. Drink 2020-2030, (Monica Larner).

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This is a fruit-forward and well-priced red to serve informally at home with family and friends. The 2016 Nebbiolo d’Alba offers a very crisp and lively quality of fruit with loads of blueberry and wild cherry at the center. The wine is also floral in essence with rose oil or lavender potpourri. A salty mineral note on the finish helps to keep the palate revived and refreshed. Drink 2018-2022. (Monica Larner).

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A wine that makes a great first impression, the 2010 Barolo Badarina shows a ripe and dense quality of fruit when tasted next to Bruna Grimaldi’s other two Barolo releases. With fruit from one of the best performing vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, Badarina is a fleshy and curvaceous expression with dark cherry nuances backed by spice, Spanish cedar, black licorice and dried mint. In keeping with the house style, the mouthfeel shows extreme elegance and finesse. It promises a long evolutionary course ahead. Drink: 2016-2030. (Monica Larner).

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Showing a light garnet color from the onset, the 2010 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio treads in light, steady steps with pretty shadings of dried flower, spice, dried mint, licorice and tobacco. This Barolo shows the youthfulness of the Nebbiolo grape at this young stage and will require five to ten more years to enter a more generous stage in its aromatic evolution. The tannins are silky and already show impressive integration. Drink: 2016-2026. (Monica Larner).

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The 2010 Barolo Camilla opens to a luminous garnet color and shows feminine aromas of pressed blue flower, dried cherry, lightly toasted almond and dry earth. The wine sees 30 months in tonneaux and botte grande for a style that veers closer to the traditional side of the Barolo scale. This winemaking approach is especially evident in the mouth where Camilla is silky and relatively lightweight. Drink: 2016-2025. (Monica Larner).

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The 2010 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa is a little complicated on the nose and slightly disjointed in places. Bright blackberry and cherry are backed by spice, leather and bitter almond. The wine needs a year or two to find its footings. However, the freshness and crisp acidity shine through nicely. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2018. (Monica Larner).

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From one of the most celebrated crus on the southwest side of Serralunga d’Alba, the 2008 Barolo Badarina opens with a bold presentation of dark fruit, Indian spice, licorice, cedar and clove. The wine shows thick structure and notable texture on the close. This looks to be a relatively early-maturing Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022.

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The 2006 Barolo Riserva Badarina Vigna Regnola is a fine and gracious wine, with deep layers and striking complexity. The style is noticeably bigger and bolder and the quality of the fruit is bright and intense. Dried cherries, red currant, cedar, cinnamon and garden herbs play supporting roles. The finish is layered with dark, velvety texture. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. (Monica Larner).

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Seemingly more subject to the heat of the vintage, the 2009 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio bursts from the glass with ripe fruit, black cherry, cinnamon, leather and tobacco. Despite the intensity of the bouquet, the mouthfeel is less fleshed out. It feels tight and streamlined with firm tannic structure at the back. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.

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The lovely 2009 Barolo Camilla opens to characteristic Nebbiolo aromas of wild berry, dried mint, licorice tar and pressed rose. The wine is elegant and feminine overall with fine, silky tannins at the rear. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.

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Bruna Grimaldi has done a terrific job with her 2011 Dolcetto d’Alba San Martino. The wine is cloaked in dark fruit and blackberry and shows inky, almost impenetrable concentration. Unlike other Dolcettos, the aromas go far beyond the chewy fruit ones you usually get with this grape. Instead, it offers finer tones of crushed mineral, spice, leather and dark rose. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2016. (Monica Larner)

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The 2006 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Scassa is a plump, juicy wine loaded with dark red fruit framed by sweet French oak. The wine offers good depth and persistence in an affable style perfect for drinking over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012. (Antonio Galloni)

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Bruna Grimaldi’s 2000 Barolo Badarina Vigna Regnola is quite forward in its spicy, floral, and elegantly perfumed nose, its round, medium-weight body, and its soft, sweet finish. A Barolo to drink between 2005 and 2015.

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Bright garnet and with a nose that combines much aromatic impact and the classic Nebbiolo varietal notes of roses, violets, and sweet licorice, plus some vanilla from the barrels, this 1999 Barolo is vigorous and sustained on the palate, firm in structure, concentrated, and with a controlled intensity that keeps the tannins from getting out of hand. It will need a bit of time, however – drink 2006-2018.