Do you like wines that harken back to a different time? Or put another way, do you enjoy drinking traditionally-made wines? Well… then you really need to take a gander at the Barolos by Cascina del Monastero, bonafide examples of the way Barolo was once made by most everyone. This vertical tasting shines the spotlight on a little-known producer, but that makes fairly-priced, very enjoyable Barolos that impress and that age well.
The estate
Cascina del Monastero is a family-run winery, often also referred to the Giuseppe Grasso winery, that traces its roots back to centuries ago. Originally a Benedictine convent, it was later known as Cascina Luciani. The latter name derives from the Italian word luce, meaning light, because the area is fully exposed to bright sunlight (and excellent site for grape-growing); while the winery’s new name, Cascina del Monastero, is in honour of the fact that it used to be a convent or monastery (monastero, in Italian). And speaking of religious figures, apparently none other than the pontiff who was to crown Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor in 1803, Pope Pius VII, had fond memories of Cascina Luciani after stopping there in 1758 when he was still ‘only’ Don Luigi Barbara Chiaramonti. The modern-day estate was established by Alessio Grasso in 1926, and now farms about twelve hectares of vineyards (six in the Annunziata fraction of La Morra next to the winery building; three hectares in the Monforte d’Alba cru of Perno; and three hectares in Roddino), making wines from the classic Piedmont grapes including Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera. The estate makes about 80,000 bottles a year. Under the Grasso family, Cascina del Monastero has evolved into a small but functional winery delivering excellent wines; Alessio was followed at the winery’s helm by Giusepppe, and today it his children and Alessio’s grandchildren, Loris and Giada, who run the show. I’d say just by tasting their wines, that they are doing a very good job of it too.
