Gaudio Bricco Mondalino 2022 Grignolino Monferrato Casalese 750ml

Grignolino is genuinely Gaudio's founding grape — an indigenous Piedmontese variety that's been with the family since the very beginning of their winemaking history, now three centuries deep in Vignale Monferrato. The name itself comes from "grignole," the local dialect word for "many pips," a nod to the grape's naturally high seed count, which contributes real, distinctive tannic bite unless handled with genuine care during pressing. Bricco Mondalino was formally established as an estate-bottling operation in 1973 under Amilcare Gaudio, and remains family-run today under his son Mauro, working alongside his wife Gabriella and daughter Beatrice.

This bottling comes from what Empson & Co., the estate's longtime importer, calls "Gaudio's finest Grignolino vineyard" — 45 acres of elevated, sunny hillside planted on white calcareous clay soils genuinely rich in fossilized seashells and marine deposits, dating back some 60,000 years to the Miocene era. "Bricco" itself means "hilltop" in the local dialect, a direct reference to the vineyard's highest point on the Mondalino hill. The 2022 vintage undergoes 21 days of skin contact before aging 10 months in stainless steel tank, finished with 2 further months of bottle aging — a deliberately simple, tank-only approach that lets Grignolino's own natural character shine through unencumbered by oak.

Gaudio's own official tasting notes describe a "purple red" wine with a "perfume" of "cherry, raspberry, orange peel, black pepper," the taste "velvety cherry, long taste, fresh and dry at the end," recommending it paired with "cured meat, and meat dishes." Empson's own extended tasting confirms "dark amaranth red" color, with "wild strawberry, raspberry and black cherry, with wild rose, and a bit of white pepper," describing the palate as "smooth and structured on the palate because of the tannins and fresh thanks to the acidity," showing "remarkable richness and extract, as well as an intriguingly gritty nuance that makes it very versatile with food." This is genuinely honest, characterful Piedmontese red — real family history behind a grape variety that rarely gets the spotlight Barbera and Nebbiolo enjoy from the same region.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Gaudio Bricco Mondalino Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese 2022 is produced by the Gaudio family, who have made wine in Monferrato for three centuries, with the estate formally founded in 1973 under Amilcare Gaudio in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy. The winery remains family-run today under Mauro Gaudio, alongside his wife Gabriella and daughter Beatrice, farming 45 acres focused entirely on indigenous local varieties, producing an average of 100,000 bottles annually.

The wine is made entirely from Grignolino, sourced from Gaudio's own hillside vineyard in Vignale Monferrato, at roughly 300 meters elevation on white calcareous clay soils rich in fossilized seashells and marine deposits. The 2022 vintage undergoes 21 days of skin contact, then ages 10 months in stainless steel tank, followed by 2 additional months of bottle aging before release.

Critics Reviews

No independently confirmed major critic score is available for the 2022 vintage at this time.

Gaudio Vini (official tasting note):
"Color: Purple red. Perfume: Cherry, raspberry, orange peel, black pepper. Taste: Velvety cherry, long taste, fresh and dry at the end. Pairing: Cured meat, and meat dishes."

Empson & Co. (extended importer tasting note, house style):
"Dark amaranth red. Wild strawberry, raspberry and black cherry, with wild rose, and a bit of white pepper. Smooth and structured on the palate because of the tannins and fresh thanks to the acidity. Shows remarkable richness and extract, as well as an intriguingly gritty nuance that makes it very versatile with food."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Purple red to dark amaranth red. Cherry and raspberry lead, joined by orange peel and black pepper, alongside wild strawberry and wild rose.

Palate
Velvety, smooth, and structured, with black cherry carrying through, balanced by genuine tannin and fresh acidity, showing remarkable richness and extract.

Finish
Long, fresh, and dry, closing with an intriguingly gritty, rustic character that makes it genuinely versatile at the table.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Cured meats and charcuterie
• Roasted or grilled meat dishes
• Aged cheeses
• Traditional Piedmontese fare