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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 92 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Nanda on 12/16/2023 & rated 95 points: Decanted for ~4 hours and back in the bottle for dinner. Stunning aromas that are classically Giacosa with red fruits, plums, intense florals, hints of licorice and road tar. The palate is so silky yet full of Serralunga power. In an early peak window. (1121 views) | | | Tasted by Burgnick on 8/6/2023 & rated 92 points: Rose petal, dried flowers, plum fruit, earth, graphite and balsamic on the nose and palate. Fully resolved on the palate with finesse and elegance. Drinking very well from just pop and pour. 92+ (1537 views) | | | Tasted by JohnnyBark on 7/14/2023: Pile of cooked garbage, purchased from Benchmark for $400. Take note. (1264 views) | | | Tasted by salil on 6/11/2023 & rated 94 points: Beautiful wine. Ken had double decanted this a few hours before dinner, and at first it showed rather light and a bit more mature than either of us expected. Time in the glass saw the fruit deepen in intensity and gain freshness to match the intensity of the more savoury earthy/dried herbal/tarry notes around it. Lovely, silken texture, and a wonderful match with the fresh pasta and ragu. (1544 views) | | | Tasted by kenv on 6/11/2023 & rated 93 points: [Double-decanted around 2pm.] Smells great on decanting, so I put it back in the bottle. I think I should have given it more air, because it was kinda shut down when we poured it around 7pm. The color was thin and brown, but as is typical of Giacosa, the wine blossomed after a half hour in the glass. Nose of forest floor, dried cherries, tar, and bark mulch. Lovely in the mouth, but still more mature than I expected given past bottles. I'll have to try another one soon. (1421 views) | | | Tasted by drwine2001 on 4/21/2023: Opened and decanted an hour before serving (we brought this to a restaurant). Light garnet center with early browning. A faint whiff of burnt rubber and fennel which stuck out and never completely went away. That did not obscure the beautiful menthol and spice though. Light weight and ethereal in the mouth. Supple, naturally sweet red fruit, citrus, and the much ballyhooed Giacosa spice box, which I've never found more convincing than in this bottle. Excellent acidity and light remnant tannins. Absolutely wonderful, seductive Nebbiolo. Any reservations I had about the aromas were negated by the purity and beauty of the palate. (1642 views) | | | Tasted by melvinyeowq on 3/30/2023 & rated 95 points: Wine tasting at La Terre: Wow this was my best Giacosa so far. Unlike the 1999 that was a little dull, this had a brilliant hue of red with an intoxicating floral nose. Incredibly vibrant with dark red fruit, there was a superb depth and complexity to this wine. Loved the elegant texture, sensual but biting tannins that brought you back to Piedmont. So so refined, the Giacosa magic on full display here. (1520 views) | | | Tasted by Richard P Howden on 9/5/2022 & rated 94 points: Best bottle of this so far. The nose was rich, floral, red fruited yet suffused with eucalyptus/mint. Palate deep and long, gorgeously balanced and spot on for a summer BBQ. Only thing holding back a stratospheric rating was a little pruniness on the palate. Still, excellent. (1847 views) | | | Tasted by lifebreath on 8/2/2022 & rated 94 points: Lovely mature Barolo. Started out of the bottle tasting almost overly sweet, but after a good 20-30 minutes, the tannins asserted themselves, while sour cherry and sous bois emerged, along with leather and sweet baking spices. After an hour, baked tart apple pie, caramelized baked cherry and some ripe pear with pear skin were present, with well integrated yet still assertive tannins and good acidity. The wine paired perfectly with beef blackstone. (1878 views) | | | Tasted by cubswinws on 7/25/2022 & rated 92 points: Seems fully mature with good fruit structure and nice long finish. (1880 views) | | | Tasted by HowardNZ on 2/19/2022 & rated 96 points: Four pairs of wines at Mark's place (Wellington, NZ): Served double blind by Nick as a pair with the 1998 Altare. Darker colour. A deep, powerful bouquet suggesting a heavily structured Barolo. Darker red fruit than the Altare with soil, tar, balsamico, wet iron and dark florals. In the mouth, serious architecture and large scaled tannins yet harmonious, proportioned and fine. Earth, polished largely red berries and cherries, creosote, hoisin and ferric minerals. Lovely acidity. Long, finishing with some saline minerality. Drinking younger than its 24 years, I picked it as a 2004. I thought it was of Red Label quality and was impressed that a White Label was drinking this well. I, and most tasters, preferred it over the very good Altare. After a four hour decant, relatively approachable on the night, although it might open up more with another 3-5 years in the cellar. I expect it will drink very well over, easily, the next 20 years. (2743 views) | | | Tasted by DougLee on 1/22/2022 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 3 hours and followed for 3 hours more. Translucent ruby garnet color. Lilting, fragrant nose of musk, camphor, tar, strawberry blossom, red plum, earth. Layers of bright, chiming red strawberry and plum fruit centered on the tongue with ethereal brightness, joined by gentle tar and earth. Softened, slightly dusty tannin and freshening acidity. Long finish of settled red fruit amidst seasoned earth and tar. Last sips were best. Beautiful wine showing the beginning patina of age. (2204 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 11/5/2021 & rated 95 points: Nebbiolo and White Truffles (Matt's, Portland OR): This is so deep and refined with perfumed tones of red cherries, strawberries, red berries, raspberries, licorice, tobacco, crushed rocks, roasted herbs, and loads of wild flowers and rose petals. The Full bodied feel is balanced and layered with crisp, high acidity and silky, high tannins. The structure still shows some youth, though it is far from overpowering. This is pure class and a light-heavyweight of a Barolo. It packs a punch while showing off a deft touch and a lot of depth. This is a real treat. (1451 views) | | | Tasted by SB5784 on 2/27/2021 & rated 92 points: Brick red with signs of age. Translucent and light with clear edges. Initially very closed and then began to open after about an hour and got better over the next 4 hours. Definitely recommend to decant well ahead of time if drinking. Nose of dried flowers, rose, sour cherry, orange peel, savory spices, and earth. Palate is well balanced and integrated with loads of structure still. Fruit is definitely secondary (or this is still closed down a little). Tannins have soften but are still strong with balanced acidity. Long finish of sour cherry and slight mouth puckering tannins. Excellent but didn’t live up to my high expectations. (2898 views) | | | Tasted by DougLee on 2/14/2021 & rated 94 points: On Lummi Island for the weekend. Extracted the cork and placed it lightly on the bottle opening just prior to an afternoon hike around the northern end of the island in the falling snow. On our return paired the wine with simple pasta 4.5 hours later. Translucent scarlet ruby hue. Nose of billowing but delicate rose petal, alpine flowers, strawberry, incisive tar, and camphor. Layers of strawberry, pure red plum, asphalt, balsam, and settled earth on the textured palate. Firm, fine-grained tannin relieved by beautiful, freshening acidity. Long finish of red grippy fruit hailing from a deep place. Gorgeous wine revealing elements of purity, power, and grace. (2663 views) | | | Tasted by glou.sf on 10/6/2020 & rated 94 points: Tasted blind. Red fruit, some cherries, licorice, and cedar notes on the nose. Finely grained, dusty tannins with more red fruit and berries, more cedar and some blood orange flavors. Very goo acidity. Nice, lingering finish. Lovely wine! (3410 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 9/20/2020 & rated 95 points: Incredible nose. Deeply fruited with wonderful earthy complexity. Floral. Great structure that is long and deep. Will drink for years. (95) (3047 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 8/14/2020 & rated 94 points: Friday Night Giacosas (Eric&Megan's, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is expressive, deep, and wide open as it fills the glass with Red cherries, licorice, violets, dust, raspberries, earth, spice, tobacco, herbs, savory notes, and truffles. This had been given about 4 hours double decanted and it was singing.
Taste: The feel is Medium/Full body with well integrated, high acid and silky, medium+ tannins. The structure is still noticeable, but it has come into perfect balance with the wine that leads into red cherries, licorice, violets, raspberries, earth, tobacco, savory notes, and truffles. The finish is long and ever so pleasing.
Overall: Simply put, this is drinking beautifully. It feels like it’s at its peak and can certainly hold for plenty of time to come. This is pure joy and refinement right now with a beautiful nose and even better feel. I had this ten years ago and I love what it has become. (3199 views) | | | Tasted by kwl on 4/27/2020 & rated 95 points: Popped and poured. Garnet with brownish tinge in the glass. The deep but ethereal nose gives fresh and stewed red fruits with only a hint of tar, black tea and leather. Great presence on the well-balanced palate with fine, resolved but present tannins, sour mellow acidity and a pleasant amount of fruit sweetness with just a touch of alcohol on the back of the long finish. There are only great bottles, not great wines, and this was definitely one of the great ones. Very sadly, this was my last bottle...... (2793 views) | | | Tasted by Richard P Howden on 3/3/2020 & rated 91 points: Powerful, opened with a bit of funk that faded over a few hours to a red fruited mix. Rich palate, good balance, long tart finish. Showed a bit more youthful than the last bottle, very pleasing. (2768 views) | | | Tasted by Fiorano on 12/25/2019 & rated 92 points: no formal notes (2550 views) | | | Tasted by jkvedar on 12/22/2019 & rated 94 points: Tar, bouillon, leather, earth, old library book, on the nose. Tannins well-resolved. Earthy, leather, tar. A bit smoky, umami/mushroom on the palate. Long finish. If you have it, drink it!! (2450 views) | | | Tasted by rraaffaa on 10/18/2019 & rated 94 points: In a great spot right now, very elegant, cherry, red fruit (2634 views) | | | Tasted by sburtt on 9/18/2019 & rated 96 points: Ethereal juice, lovely mature nebbiolo, maybe a tad evolved, but I think the problem here was storage, but anyhow in a great drinking spot, needs time to open up, popped the cork tasted and recorked, left slowly open up and served after 2 hours, it was at peak at hour 3, would suggest not to decant, after hour 4 it had moved to a bit of acidity, but an amazing bottle... so deep, balanced, elengant and powerful at the same time..lots of licorices, sweetness on the palate.. time stops and you smile when drinking this stuff (2638 views) | | | Tasted by jkvedar on 8/15/2019 & rated 91 points: A touch beyond its time. Raisiny on the nose and that never blew off. With air, it got better. Tar, cherry on the nose. Well-balanced on the palate. Long finish. (2379 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (6/12/2016)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto Piedmont, Italy) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2009, Issue #20, Piemonte’s Lovely and Elegant 1998 Vintage
(Barolo “Rocche di Falletto” Riserva- Bruno Giacosa) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Checking in on the 1998 Barolos (Feb 2009)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2002, IWC Issue #105
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com and View From the Cellar and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Bruno Giacosa Producer website | Importer website
IMPORTANT: Please read this guide to ensure that you are cataloging your wine correctly.
Links: Ken Vastola's fabulous guide to Giacosa labels
WINES OF THE WINERY "AZIENDA AGRICOLA FALLETTO"The grapes are grown in the winery’s own vineyards and vinified in their cellars. These wines are sold with a label bearing the wording: "Azienda Agricola FALLETTO"– di Bruno GiacosaNebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerLe Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba On weinlagen-infoItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
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