Bruna Grimaldi Barolo, and the ‘magic of 2021’

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo

and the ‘magic of 2021’

2021 was the finest vintage the hills of Barolo have seen for some years. At Bruna Grimaldi, fifth-generation winemaker Simone Fiorino calls it the 'magic of 2021'. The growing season was dry, but winter snow had put plenty of water into the ground. After a hot summer, the key to the last month of the growing season was the contrast between very warm days and cool nights. It meant the grapes could fully ripen without losing their fresh acids. As a result, the Grimaldi 2021s combine structure with generosity, taut tannins with beautiful aromatics, and these combinations have led to them getting high scores. 

Sister-and-brother team Martina and Simone are a new-generation dynamic duo, questioning everything from the ground up. Their many experiments in the cellar have led them to move slowly back towards a more traditionalist model, with slower, submerged-cap fermentations and larger-format barrels. And their wines have been getting better and better. 

Camilla is their blended Barolo. It comes from a diverse variety of soils (limestone, sandstone, clay, marl) across five of the classic communes, and is a true regional showcase. Bricco Ambrogio is the only cru site in the commune of Roddi. 'I wouldn’t say it is an easy vineyard to work, but in wet years there is little disease pressure, and in hot years it doesn’t suffer from hydric stress, and that’s the mark of a really good vineyard,' says Simone. It tends to make a more generous wine; the 2021 is expansively aromatic. And from the limestone soils of Serralunga, Badarina is vibrant and refined; beautifully expressive already, but clearly with a long cellar life ahead. /NT

Offered subject to remaining unsold. Wines due to arrive Autumn 2025. To place an order, click on the wines below or call 020 7638 5998