ELIO GRASSO Barolo Riserva 'Runcot' 2015 Magnum in OWC

Description

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Runcot is a powerful yet incredibly graceful wine from one of the most respected families in Monforte d’Alba. Elio Grasso only produces this Riserva in the very best years, using 100% Nebbiolo from the sun-drenched Runcot vineyard.

In the glass, it shows a lovely deep garnet colour. You are met with a complex bouquet of dark raspberries, dried roses, and a hint of forest floor, alongside subtle notes of sweet spice from its time in French oak. On the palate, it is full-bodied and structured, but there is a wonderful silkiness to the tannins that makes it feel polished and sophisticated. It is a bold, soulful red that perfectly balances the intensity of the 2015 vintage with the natural elegance of the site.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 97 points
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Drink Date: 2024 - 2050
The last time we saw this iconic wine was in 2013 (a vintage that earned a perfect score). Following up on that success, the Elio Grasso 2015 Barolo Riserva Rüncot is a generous, open-knit Nebbiolo that has much of the warmth and sunshine locked deep within its core. The bouquet reveals broad brush aromas of black fruit, blackberry preserves, smoky tar and baked plum. With 7,000 bottles made, this Riserva is smooth and velvety in texture. There's no reason why it can't hold until the mid-century mark.
Published: Jun 23, 2022

JAMES SUCKLING 97 points
Lots of plums, ripe strawberries, walnuts, smoke and tar on the nose, together with some black mushrooms, following through to a full body with powerful yet polished tannins and a long, long finish. Drinkable now, but better in three or four years.

VINOUS 96 points
Drinking window: 2025 - 2040
The 2015 Barolo Riserva Rüncot is absolutely gorgeous. That much is clear. The only thing the 2015 needs is time. Time in the glass brings out the wine's inner perfume and bright, red-toned fruit. Blood orange, spice, mint, licorice and dried flowers linger on the persistent, sculpted finish. Readers should not plan on opening a bottle any time soon, as the Rüncot only starts to drink well at around age ten, at a minimum. There is certainly plenty to look forward to.
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: November 2021

JANCIS ROBINSON 17+ points/20
Wild cherry, sweet spices, fragrant violet scent too. Savoury but not austere on the palate, thanks to the vanilla-oak spice. Charming, accessible, user-friendly version of the style, with a bit of classic autumnal, leaf-fall complexity too. (RH)