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Grignolino, (“Green-Oh-Lean-Oh.”) No, it’s not the hottest new vegetable-based diet drink, it’s today’s featured wine. Please excuse the bad pun, but I guarantee you’ll never forget how to say it now. All joking aside, this is a SERIOUS wine. Bright and intense, with exceptional, almost citrusy, acidity, this varietal is one of the absolute best kept secrets in the wine world.
Grignolino is an Italian red wine varietal from Monferrato, in Southern Piemonte. It takes it’s name from the word “grignole” (meaning seeds) because of its high seed to pulp ratio. This characteristic means that Grignolino grapes have to be carefully soft pressed, so that harsh tannins in the seeds do not get released into the wine. Because of it’s challenging handling requirements and its uneven ripening, Grignolino is not frequently the choice of many winemakers in its native Italy or anywhere else for that matter.
Fortunately, there are a few devoted winemakers who are willing to take on the challenge. Generally speaking, if you 
find a Grignolino, the producer will have been making wine from this grape for years and they will probably know what they are doing. This is the case with Heitz Cellar in Napa Valley, California. Established in 1961, and family owned and operated (you gotta love that), this winery has seemingly adopted Grignolino as their signature grape. The vines are as old as the winery itself, and are the source of not only today’s red Grignolino, but also a Grignolino Rosé and a Grignolino Port (which I will be sure to post on whenever I get the chance to try them.)
In the glass, this wine is a pure red color with purple edges with a light viscosity. The aroma offers tons of complexity, with a deep floral core, ripe red fruits, and a slightly woodsy undertone. The nose almost reminds me of a Black Muscat, AKA Black Hamburg, which is typically made into a dessert wine, although this wine is totally dry. There is also a strong blood orange tone that seems to foreshadow the citrusy components on the palate. At first sip, this wine just explodes with blood orange, black plum, and really intense, exotic floral components. I pick up on some pomegranate and cranberry, as well as some cardamom and clove on the mid palate, and the finish is completely about flowers. What I really love about this wine, in addition to its complexity, is its awesome acidity. Its fresh and bright, with this really nice, juicy citrus quality. This wine is very well balanced, with powdery, firm tannins.
I love this wine. Enough said. It’s totally unique, extremely well made, and selling for a price that is absolutely ridiculous. If you find this in the store, don’t stop, don’t think, just buy and enjoy.
90 Points. Worth buying, trying, and keeping stocked.
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The Grapevine: What is the most obscure wine you’ve ever had?
