As mentioned on David Bowler’s website, Fabrizio Iuli is the only winemaker in Montaldo di Cerrina, a small village in the Monferrato hills of the Piedmonte. Fabrizio’s Grignolino is named Natalin after his grandfather (Gioacchino Natale Iuli), who first planted vines for the family in the 1930s. Today, the estate has 16 hectares of vines, spread throughout three close villages. Besides Grignolino, the estate farms Nebbiolo, Pinot Nero, Barbera, and a couple of very rare varieties, Baratuciat and Slarina. The Iuli’s have never used chemicals in their vineyards, and today they are certified organic.
The Iuli 2019 Natalin is a clear shade of black cherry in the glass. On the nose, this Grignolino has beautifully unique fruit, with the scent of pungent ruby red grapefruit and small forest plums, with accents of smoke and fresh violets. On the palate, there is blood orange, with juicy red currant, and a minerally earthiness. Structurally, the wine is set by fantastic tannic form, with a zing of medium acidity.
