2014 Bruna Grimaldi Badarina Barolo DOCG 750 ml

Barolo Heaven in the House of the Negroni

At the trattorias that line the streets of Florence, if you aren’t drinking a Negroni, you might as well stick to San Pellegrino. Or so we thought. On our last trip, however, we decided to ask the server at our favorite aperitivo spot if there was anything else worth ordering. “Un minuto,” he replied, returning in a flash with a large decanter and a bottle of the 2014 Bruna Grimaldi Badarina Barolo DOCG. 

Over the next 45 minutes, we marveled as the 2014 Badarina unfolded before us… and swiftly forgot about cocktails. Like a blooming flower, aromas of dark cherry and cranberry gave way to dried roses and lavender, finally unfurling deep notes of tobacco, anise, and clove. When it came time to taste, the palate proved even more astonishing than the nose—it was broad, layered, and juicy, with polished, fine-grained tannins providing a generous backbone. The finish went on for miles. We may have been in the home of the Negroni, but at that moment, we were in Barolo heaven. 

Wine Enthusiast was enamored by the 2014 Badarina, naming it a Cellar Selection and praising its notes of “juicy Marasca cherry, cranberry, licorice and a sprinkling of cinnamon.” 

Before its rise to distinction, Azienda Bruna Grimaldi was, like many traditional estates, rooted in growing grapes. That all changed when Bruna Grimaldi took over the estate from her father in 1999. Along with her husband, Franco Fiorino, her son Simone, and consulting winemaker, Beppe Caviano, Bruna has pushed the estate to its greatest height, establishing it as one of Barolo’s top value producers.  

Grimaldi’s techniques in the field are an homage to Barolo tradition: No chemicals are used to control pests or weeds. The Badarina vineyard sits over 1,200 feet above sea level on an east-facing, limestone-rich slope in Serralunga d’Alba in Piedmont. 

Here, Nebbiolo is harvested and selected by hand. In the cellar, Grimaldi’s techniques are similarly hands-off and traditional. After fermenting with 25-35 days of skin contact, the wine is aged up to 30 months in large Slavonian oak and French tonneaux barrels. The result is a wine of both elegance and power—a modern classic delivering exceptional value.