Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC

Casale's Signature Red Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese is the second of the two Piedmontese Grignolino DOCs, centred on the Casale Monferrato area of the eastern Monferrato — a landscape of gently rolling hills at the confluence of the Piedmontese and Lombard wine cultures. The Casale expression of Grignolino is generally considered slightly fuller and more structured than the Asti version, reflecting the heavier Pliocene clay soils of the Monferrato compared to the lighter, sandier Tortonian marls of the Asti hills.

The Monferrato Character The Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC permits up to 10% of Freisa to be blended with the dominant Grignolino, adding a floral lift and softening the occasionally austere tannin of pure Grignolino. Most serious producers, however, produce 100% Grignolino bottlings that express the full character of the variety.

The Flavor Profile Pale ruby-orange, medium-light body, high and fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity. The aromatics combine fresh red fruit (strawberry, cherry), white pepper, dried herbs, and a characteristic bitter almond finish. The Monferrato expression tends to show slightly more body and earthiness than the Asti version.

Food Pairing The same pairings apply as for Grignolino d'Asti: vitello tonnato, lighter Piedmontese antipasti, grilled white meats, pasta with light sauces. The slight additional body of the Casale expression makes it a marginally better companion for richer preparations — braised rabbit, herb-roasted pork — than the lighter Asti version. Serve at 14–16°C.

The Critical Take Of the two Grignolino denominations this is the one that takes the grape most seriously. Casale has treated it as a flagship rather than a curiosity for decades, several estates make nothing else of consequence, and the results have more flesh on the frame than the Asti versions without losing the variety's peculiar pale-and-tannic signature. It remains almost impossible to sell abroad. That is a marketing failure rather than a quality one, and it makes the Casalese Grignolino one of the most reliably underpriced serious reds in Piedmont.

Benchmark Producers Accornero, Bricco Mondalino, Castello di Uviglie, Vicara.

The Seeds The name is generally traced to grignole, dialect for the pips, and the etymology is also the explanation for the wine. Grignolino carries an unusually high number of seeds per berry — often three or four where most varieties manage two — and seeds are a major source of tannin. A pale wine with a firm tannic spine is not a paradox once you know that; it is arithmetic.

Ten Per Cent Freisa The permitted addition is not decorative. Freisa brings perfume and a little colour to a wine that is short of both, and the choice of whether to use it is one of the clearest stylistic signals a Casalese producer gives.