Fabio Gea, Vino Rosso Grignolino Back Grin 2019 (750ml)

<<< we've run smack-dab against one of the craziest, funny, uh-oh and provocative winemakers we've ever met. His name is Fabio Gea and he is making delicious wines from small parcels in Barbaresco. The land comes from his maternal grandfather Pòtu, (diminutive for Giuseppe in dialect) and is centered around different parts of Barbaresco, mostly near the Bricco. During his grandfather's time, the vines were still in poly-culture, although he was apparently an expert grafter who at one time had over 200 grape varieties on his land. But the winemaking and vineyard care skipped a generation and most of the plots became semi-abandoned. Fabio, after receiving his doctorate and working as a successful geologist for corporate companies for a number of years, decided to leave that world and reprise the family winemaking tradition. He also started bringing the vineyards back into shape.