Winemaker Notes
Growing grapes and crafting high quality wines have always been Bruna Grimaldi’s family tradition. Born and raised in the hills that link Grinzane Cavour to Serralunga d’Alba, in the heart of Langhe, Unesco World Heritage, Bruna Grimaldi is a small family-owned winery that since the early 60s produce authentic and terroir-driven wines. Careful work in the vineyard, commitment in the winery, respect for the environment are key aspects of Bruna Grimaldi’s philosophy: a passion for wine that has been handed down for decades in Langhe region where the best plots are selected for the production of Barolo. This history talks about the territory, in full respect of the tradition.
The estate farms organically 14ha (34 acres) of vineyards in the Barolo region and in the neighbouring villages. Bruna and her husband Franco have been recently joined by their son Simone, enologist, and Martina, who both proudly represent the fourth generation and whose aim is to continue the family tradition of producing soulful wines.
An easy drinking red with soft fruity flavors—but catchy tannins, Dolcetto is often enjoyed in its native Piedmont on a casual weekday night, or for apertivo (the canonical Piedmontese pre-dinner appetizer hour). Somm Secret—In most of Piedmont, easy-ripening Dolcetto is relegated to the secondary sites—the best of which are reserved for the king variety: Nebbiolo. However, in the Dogliani zone it is the star of the show, and makes a more serious style of Dolcetto, many of which can improve with cellar time.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.