Ginestra

Ginestra faces due south to south-southwest at 280–400 metres on the slopes above Monforte d’Alba. While it shares the Helvetian soils of its celebrated neighbour Bussia, the more southerly exposure and higher altitude create a subtly different microclimate — one that emphasises aromatic complexity over sheer structural power. The name comes from the yellow-flowered broom shrub, ginestra, that once covered the hillside, and it speaks to the wild, perfumed character of the site.

The Terroir The Serravallian marls here are slightly more calcareous than those of Bussia, producing wines with greater floral lift and a fine-grained tannic texture that is more approachable in youth. The high, sun-facing slope ripens Nebbiolo fully while the altitude preserves freshness, giving Ginestra a rare combination of generosity and precision. It is, in the geography of Monforte, the aromatic counterpoint to Bussia’s power and Mosconi’s density.

The Critical Take Ginestra wines show violet, liquorice, black cherry, and dried herbs — the hallmark of Monforte Nebbiolo — but with a perfumed quality that sets them apart within the commune. Conterno Fantino’s Sorì Ginestra is the benchmark bottling and one of the most expressive MGAs in the appellation. The wines are firmly structured but never austere, and they reward ten to fifteen years of cellaring, unfolding slowly into a fragrant, spiced maturity.

At the Table Ginestra’s mix of perfume and structure makes it one of Monforte’s more versatile crus at the table: agnolotti del plin and truffle-dressed tajarin when young, brasato, roast game birds, and aged cheeses as it matures. Serve at 16–18°C from a large glass, decanting younger bottles an hour or two ahead to release the floral top notes. Ginestra rewards ten to fifteen years in the cellar and holds far longer in a fine vintage, so buy it young and wait for the perfume to unfurl. Decant a younger bottle an hour or two ahead and serve it at cellar temperature from a large, wide-bowled glass; the extra air coaxes out the violet and broom-flower aromatics that give the cru its name and its singular, wild-scented charm at the Piedmontese table.

A Note on Names Gavarini is a vineyard inside Ginestra rather than a menzione of its own. The land is almost entirely in the hands of Elio Grasso, who bottles it as Gavarini Chiniera.

Benchmark Producers Conterno Fantino, Paolo Conterno, Elio Grasso (Case Maté).