2018 Bruna Grimaldi Camilla Barolo Piedmont 750 ml

Blind tasting is the great equalizer. So when Bruce Sanderson—Senior Editor of Spectator since 1999—sat down to taste the 2018 Barolo class, the playing field was level.

Freed from expectations about producer and price, he awarded the 2018 Bruna Grimaldi Barolo the SAME score as those of three of the most venerated names in the wine world: 2018 Aldo Conterno Bussia ($97), 2018 Gaja Conteisa ($398), and 2018 Vietti Ravera ($217)! That overperforming nature is a huge reason Grimaldi is one of our top-selling Barolos of the past five years.

When we first visited the Grimaldi estate, we sampled the Camilla beneath the shadow of the 13th-century Grinzane Cavour castle. It was an honor to sit and taste the wines with Bruna Grimaldi herself and her husband and two children—the next generation who steward these hillside vineyards.

Over the next 45 minutes, we sat in amazement as the Camilla unfolded before us. Back in the States, we marveled at how just one sip can transport you to the hills of Piedmont. The palate is voluminous and full, and with an hour plus of being opened, the wine gains so much more detail and clarity. The finish goes on for miles, extending your stay in Barolo heaven. 

Made in a classic fashion, with aging in large oak barrels and a regimen that eschews chemicals and machines, Grimaldi wines pay a delicious homage to Barolo’s time-honored winemaking traditions. It’s a wine we stock our cellars with every vintage because of how irresistibly it pairs with everything, from pasta with truffles to steaks off the grill.