Dark ruby just turning garnet. Sweet scents of grilled strawberries, geranium, violets, cola and cinnamon. With further aeration, floral character becomes much more pronounced and a quite pleasing sensuous cherry liqueur aroma is evident. Mature yet sweet palate of cherries, licorice and cola. A tad austere on the length.
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Slightly dusty nose with floral notes of violets and roses, cherries, chocolate, and strawberries. The palate seems a bit lighter than the nose with good acidity, more red fruit, cherries, despite the powerful tannins. Nice finish. A good, but not great Giacosa.
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14%. Purchased from Garagiste in 2006. Stored temperature controlled since since delivery in 2007. Pale orange tinted red. Initially reductive, nice old socks smell. Dried flowers, thyme oregano basil seasoning mix. With more air, raisins, strawberry jam, dried roses, macopa fruit. Good tartness, fully resolved tannins, 12+ sec finish. Fruit reached its most elegant and ethereal on the third tasting. Went well with fettuccine in a tartufo cream sauce.
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double decanted for sediment then drunk over 4 hours.
Fully mature yet not tired. The nose is more savory and autumnal for nebbiolo. Tar, rose petals, iron, leather, bouillon, nettles, decaying leaves, and some balsamic notes. It's mid weighted for nebbiolo, with decent sap, outstanding balance and a sense of harmony. More savory on the palate again with the florals and perfume coming together with the savory and more mature flavors. This wine has never been barn burner by Giacosa standards, but this is otherwise a lovely, well balanced, understated, and harmonious bottle of wine. There is an effortlessness and harmony to it. Not everything has to be full scale or profound. It has good persistence and finishes with nice balsamic tones. For me it is drinking at peak and unlikely to improve.
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Came across a bit mature on the nose at first. Has the violets, cherry and leather throughout. At the end, it was a very nice wine and the succulent mouthfeel that I often find in a Giacosa wine, it just seemed more mature than I would expect, but it did have the crystalline finish that takes these wines from very good to great experiences.
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Same btl as R&Rler. This shoed up with the cork already pulled and I think, decanted beforehand too. I seemed to enjoy this wine a tad bit more than my table mate:). Maybe not as stunning as a prior blt and maybe even just slightly past peak but still a tasty harmonious Giacosa Barbaresco with plenty of depth and character. The top 2 btls tonight were so stunning that this one was slightly overshadowed.
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Barolo and Barbaresco at I Nonni (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Something about this didn't feel quite right tonight. Not as engaging as the last time having it. Ripe fruits, herbs, spice, tart berry, but there's some heat and more wood than I recall that seems less friendly. Medium plus body and firm dusty tannins. Certainly good, but not rocking me tonight especially next to the '05 Stefano. 91+pts.
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Opened with a touch of funk that quickly blew off. Showed classic Giacosa grace and structure, brightness of the fruit after almost 20 years was terrific, with wonderful mouthfeel, nuance, and balance. A great showing for a 98.
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Dumper into water pitcher because the restaurant didn't have a decanter. Gorgeous nose, very soft and approachable, finish just ok. Good value wine. Ready to go, with a little air.
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Hard not to love this wine tonight. Ready to go, refined with tobacco, roses, licorice and cherries. 93- / 92++ Someone else's btl but kind of doubt it was decanted.
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My first bottle was a bit lackluster, but this is drinking well. Traditionally styled, showing classic Nebbiolo character, with tannins that are now relatively soft. Worth checking out if you want the Giacosa style at a more reasonable price.
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Brick color. Mature nose of tobacco and soft red fruits. Similar flavors in the mouth. Moderate drying tannins. Long finish. Don't know what it was like in its youth, but it's lovely now.
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Somewhat disappointing; maybe an of bottle. Sampled over a couple of days to see if it improved with air, but it didn't. Not much fruit, dry tannins. Noticed it was a bit cloudy on the second day.
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Decanted for several hours but even then it needed some time in the glass to hit its stride. This is still fairly youthfully robust, although we're starting to see some development in the fruit, with some more mature mulled apple flavors. The tannins got nice and refined about halfway through.
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Dinner at Nathan's House: Took some time to open up, but it really blossomed into a beauty. Had gorgeous dark, earthy notes with beautiful dark fruits at its core. The tannins were certainly still there, but they were tame and sweet.
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The palate is showing fruit tones from red to purple, amidst a texture that is heading towards resolution but is somewhat murky. With air, the inner sweetness emerges. Very dark and plummy on the second night. Decent Barolo, lackluster Giacosa.
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a pretty deep garnet, tending lightly towards bricking. seduces with elegant fennel, floral notes, tending towards the higher-toned spectrum. still some tannic structure, but really just enough to offer a gentle buttressing to the long, pure focus of this wine. not overly complex, nor a great wine, but still lovely, and right around peak to my taste.
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A classic, traditional Barbaresco in true Giacosa style. Light ruby hue, with slight bricking. Impressive complexity on the nose: some tar, mildly spiced balsamic and a distinct fennel essence. Light bodied but not delicate our shy. A pure expression of nebbiolo with beautiful secondary characteristics, and probably will evolve further over time. I don't think Giacosa made any further vintages of this beauty.
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Opened a couple hours ahead and drunk over another 2 hours.
Beautiful nose, better than the last time a couple years back. Perfume, balsam, roses and tar. This is more on the soft supple- ripe fruit side of Barbaresco with a nice mix of deeper perfume, sweet fruit, savory bouillon, and velvety texture. Supple, yet structured, with excellent balance, and drinking at early peak for me. Nothing really stands out here, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that, for me is a character I love in wine. This is in a excellent place for me right now. This will never be a barn burner, but it is terribly enjoyable. 92 pts
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Darker fruited than expected, evoking more baked plums than bright cherries. This seems mature, soft around the edges, the tannins are relaxed and the palate seems somewhat murky. More worn than a bottle with Yaacov almost two years ago. This has never really been a knock-out wine, and now it's mature but doesn't really deliver any tertiary or even much secondary greatness. This is a good, mature '98 Barolo, but it doesn't really provide a great Giacosa experience. No degradation overnight, which is a nice surprise, along with pretty strawberry pastile notes.
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Drinking very, very well right now although I couldn't coax out the full bouquet when I wanted it. I had it slow oxygenating for 7 hours before serving, without decanting. The bouquet seemed bigger in the first hour it was open.
50+5+12+17+8=92
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Beautiful light ruby hue. One sniff says it's a mature traditional nebbiolo brought up in botti. Lovely complexity on the nose: light balsamic notes, feather sticks, light tar, fennel, liquorice, menthol and hip rose. Enchanting burgundian poetry! Harmonious, light bodied taste with sweet strawberry aromas, melted tannins, soft yet fresh acids and a dry finish. Perhaps it lacks some intensity and length to merit a higher score, but still: what a beautiful and lovely wine it is. An 80's barbaresco as it seems. We're told the development has been faster than that - in fact it's a 1998!
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12 yrs old and in a lovely place...color not as extracted as you might expect with 14% alcohol, but wonderful fruit forward..cherry and cassis. Tannins well rounded, nice mouthfeel and finish. With the age, can understand why Nebiolo is called the Italian Pinot. Enjoyed 2 bottles with Chris and Lorna
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14% alcohol. not decanted, drunk over 27 hours. not terribly complex, but the red dominant package still has enough to recommend when all is said and done. mild residual tannins, somewhat thin in the mid palate. sum of parts gets it's done. drink or hold to age 15.
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Served blind, the rubber notes suggested Syrah, but it was more red fruited and as Cellarid noted, lacked the herbs that Syrah might show. Palate shows red berry fruits and the dark influence of oak that has been integrated into the cohesive palate. Later, some meaty notes emerge. The tannin is way softer than a few years ago, when I brought a bottle to Spencer and Lisa's place for New Years Eve (was it 06/07 or 07/08?). The wine is definitely softer around the edges since then, but it does offer good underlying plumpness. Overall, a very pleasing Barbaresco beyond youth yet not quite into complexity nor maturity. With Cellarid and Bahn Mi.
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Popped and poured. Nose shows some VA, but otherwise is correct. On the palate it is light on its feet, and displays very tart fruit that is starting to fade, and a shortish finish.
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When just poored a nose full of red berries, lovely! After this it evolves: coffee, chocolat, black berries. Also on the palate very complex, excellent balance. Very long. Outstanding!
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I just love the Giacosa style, which makes it so difficult to assign a number. It's not about numbers, because I enjoy this more than many wines that I happen to rate higher. Nothing mindblowing -- just pure, classic expression of Nebbiolo that I could drink all day. Very elegant and balanced, transparent but concentrated, with tar and cherries and that perfumey nose.
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Enoyed over about 3 hours. Dark maroon color in the glass with just a touch of amber on the rim. This wine seems to be (for my tastes) just entering it's drinking window right now and is right where I like my nebbiolo to be. The nose is a pretty perfume not unlike a rosebush that has been ripped out of some wet dirt, along with cherries and some slight tar. There is an initial attack of sour cherry on the palate, as well as snappy acidity and "chewy" tannin that has relented to provide just enough grip. The only place this wine lacks is the finish, which is on the medium-short side... Otherwise this is a great wine.
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10 year old Barbaresco showing its stuff..deep color and wonderful nose and mouthfeel..very nice roundness and depth. Enjoyed at Bottega with Holly, Betty, Leslie and guests
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Drank two bottles with friends at a16, Fantastic, floral crushed violets, depth, a great wine, iwth many many years of life left. Paired excellently with a lasagna
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Crimson red color with garnet edges. Shy / medium nose of roses and lifted red fruit. Sour red cherry on the palatewith a medium firm finish. Tasted immediately after an 04 Ceretto Barbaresco, this seemed like a much lighter (and less good) example, when I was looking for a step up. Not but, but nothing special either. Maybe it's in that nether region between fruit and secondary/tertiary complexity??
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Auduzed for 8 hours in the cellar. The nose is sublime with an earthy bouquet of rose petals,tar, dirt, and tobacco. On the palate the wine is light with a tart astringent acidity. Finish is short.
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a huge disappointment. the nose is grand--a soaring bouquet of rose petals,tar, dirt, and tobacco. but on the palate the wine is unidimensional, with strong acidity but no vivaciousness or dance of flavors. does not come close to realizing the amazing promise of the bouquet. several hours of airtime after decanting did not help it.
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Smells of a combination of roses and dark chocolate. Definitely that good nebbiolo smell. Medium light body, medium short finish, but great linearity of flavour. Tartness and grip in perfect balance. A sublime wine. Outstanding.
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Enjoyed at Babbo - I absolutely fell in love with this wine. Insane nose of roses and spice. Velvety feel in the mouth with the refinement of a grand cru Burgundy. Completely balanced with a memorable finish. My WOTN.
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Italians @ Twist. Light bodied and delicate with subtle complexity that dances on the palate. Not a blockbuster or super long-term ager (compared to the 96 red label riserva in the same flight), but very good nonetheless.
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This wine took second place in our two bottle italian tasting. It had some light red fruits, a little spice. It also had some good tannins/acidity holding it together and a nice finish. Reminded me of some french burgundies I have had but with a little more edge on it. Thanks again F!
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A lovely light medium ruby color. The nose was a bit wild with some earth, mushrooms, horse manure (in a good way), more of an asphalt feel than tar, and flowers. Medium weighted and already drinking well. Round with good flesh and still with a wild edginess/ mushroom thing that contrasted the round sweet fruit. I nice yin/ yang deal. Currently not hugely complex, but still a lovely blle of wine that in my opinion is drinking well already.
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A Piemonte dinner party with friends (San Francisco): Decanted 5+ hours. Silky, red fruits and licorice, rather tart, tongue-numbing but ripe tannin shuts down everything on the finish. Pleasant, but sadly this isn't really open for business. Little change on day 2.
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@Del Posto restaurant in NYC - Lighter-bodied wine with wonderful elegance and delicious flavors of rose petals and cinamin spice. A beautiful complex finsh with red fruits and spices. A lovely wine to drink while waiting for Giacosa's bigger wines to mature.
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Tremendous wine and a great value. Needs a good hour in the decanter to get going, but when it does there's some great stuff here. Very classy, tons of grip and nicely ripe tannins. Will obviously benefit from more cellaring, but no crime in killing one now. Buy More Giacosa.
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The absolute favorite wine of the tasting for everyone. Medium garnet color. Very complex and aristocratic nose with all the typical nebbiolo perfumes, but avoiding any hint of rusticity. On the palate, very silky and fine combining aspects of a fine burgundy with the tannic structure and quality of a first growth or super-second Bordeaux. Even at this young stage, simply great length and flavor authority. Much much better than the first bottle I had a year ago. Glad I have some more of this!
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3/14/2024 - Musinus wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby just turning garnet. Sweet scents of grilled strawberries, geranium, violets, cola and cinnamon. With further aeration, floral character becomes much more pronounced and a quite pleasing sensuous cherry liqueur aroma is evident. Mature yet sweet palate of cherries, licorice and cola. A tad austere on the length.
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9/26/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly dusty nose with floral notes of violets and roses, cherries, chocolate, and strawberries. The palate seems a bit lighter than the nose with good acidity, more red fruit, cherries, despite the powerful tannins. Nice finish. A good, but not great Giacosa.
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10/5/2019 - Nico P. Likes this wine:
14%. Purchased from Garagiste in 2006. Stored temperature controlled since since delivery in 2007. Pale orange tinted red. Initially reductive, nice old socks smell. Dried flowers, thyme oregano basil seasoning mix. With more air, raisins, strawberry jam, dried roses, macopa fruit. Good tartness, fully resolved tannins, 12+ sec finish. Fruit reached its most elegant and ethereal on the third tasting. Went well with fettuccine in a tartufo cream sauce.
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1/5/2019 - cct wrote: 92 Points
double decanted for sediment then drunk over 4 hours.
Fully mature yet not tired. The nose is more savory and autumnal for nebbiolo. Tar, rose petals, iron, leather, bouillon, nettles, decaying leaves, and some balsamic notes. It's mid weighted for nebbiolo, with decent sap, outstanding balance and a sense of harmony. More savory on the palate again with the florals and perfume coming together with the savory and more mature flavors. This wine has never been barn burner by Giacosa standards, but this is otherwise a lovely, well balanced, understated, and harmonious bottle of wine. There is an effortlessness and harmony to it. Not everything has to be full scale or profound. It has good persistence and finishes with nice balsamic tones. For me it is drinking at peak and unlikely to improve.
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6/29/2018 - portman63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Came across a bit mature on the nose at first. Has the violets, cherry and leather throughout. At the end, it was a very nice wine and the succulent mouthfeel that I often find in a Giacosa wine, it just seemed more mature than I would expect, but it did have the crystalline finish that takes these wines from very good to great experiences.
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7/11/2017 - Drexel wrote:
Do NOT decant this wine. It faded after decanting.
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3/22/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Same btl as R&Rler. This shoed up with the cork already pulled and I think, decanted beforehand too. I seemed to enjoy this wine a tad bit more than my table mate:). Maybe not as stunning as a prior blt and maybe even just slightly past peak but still a tasty harmonious Giacosa Barbaresco with plenty of depth and character. The top 2 btls tonight were so stunning that this one was slightly overshadowed.
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3/22/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Barolo and Barbaresco at I Nonni (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Something about this didn't feel quite right tonight. Not as engaging as the last time having it. Ripe fruits, herbs, spice, tart berry, but there's some heat and more wood than I recall that seems less friendly. Medium plus body and firm dusty tannins. Certainly good, but not rocking me tonight especially next to the '05 Stefano. 91+pts.
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2/4/2017 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened with a touch of funk that quickly blew off. Showed classic Giacosa grace and structure, brightness of the fruit after almost 20 years was terrific, with wonderful mouthfeel, nuance, and balance. A great showing for a 98.
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8/29/2016 - Edclr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dumper into water pitcher because the restaurant didn't have a decanter. Gorgeous nose, very soft and approachable, finish just ok. Good value wine. Ready to go, with a little air.
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5/22/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Barolo & Barbaresco (Acqua, St. Paul, MN): Drank 1 glass over an hour plus. One of my favs of the night. Pretty red fruits, ripe, elegant, floral, firm but round tannins, young yet drinking very well. 92+ to 93pts.
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5/22/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Hard not to love this wine tonight. Ready to go, refined with tobacco, roses, licorice and cherries. 93- / 92++ Someone else's btl but kind of doubt it was decanted.
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2/5/2016 - MJHDC wrote:
My first bottle was a bit lackluster, but this is drinking well. Traditionally styled, showing classic Nebbiolo character, with tannins that are now relatively soft. Worth checking out if you want the Giacosa style at a more reasonable price.
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12/2/2015 - drdecanto wrote: 93 Points
Brick color. Mature nose of tobacco and soft red fruits. Similar flavors in the mouth. Moderate drying tannins. Long finish. Don't know what it was like in its youth, but it's lovely now.
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9/1/2014 - saturnaisland wrote: 85 Points
Somewhat disappointing; maybe an of bottle. Sampled over a couple of days to see if it improved with air, but it didn't. Not much fruit, dry tannins. Noticed it was a bit cloudy on the second day.
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2/4/2014 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for several hours but even then it needed some time in the glass to hit its stride. This is still fairly youthfully robust, although we're starting to see some development in the fruit, with some more mature mulled apple flavors. The tannins got nice and refined about halfway through.
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12/31/2013 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
A bit less exciting than the previous bottle, but still exhibited some beautiful rustic notes with dark fruit.
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11/24/2013 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Nathan's House: Took some time to open up, but it really blossomed into a beauty. Had gorgeous dark, earthy notes with beautiful dark fruits at its core. The tannins were certainly still there, but they were tame and sweet.
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5/24/2013 - Pknut wrote:
The palate is showing fruit tones from red to purple, amidst a texture that is heading towards resolution but is somewhat murky. With air, the inner sweetness emerges. Very dark and plummy on the second night. Decent Barolo, lackluster Giacosa.
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2/10/2013 - i musicisti di boston Likes this wine:
a pretty deep garnet, tending lightly towards bricking. seduces with elegant fennel, floral notes, tending towards the higher-toned spectrum. still some tannic structure, but really just enough to offer a gentle buttressing to the long, pure focus of this wine. not overly complex, nor a great wine, but still lovely, and right around peak to my taste.
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1/31/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
A classic, traditional Barbaresco in true Giacosa style. Light ruby hue, with slight bricking. Impressive complexity on the nose: some tar, mildly spiced balsamic and a distinct fennel essence. Light bodied but not delicate our shy. A pure expression of nebbiolo with beautiful secondary characteristics, and probably will evolve further over time. I don't think Giacosa made any further vintages of this beauty.
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6/24/2012 - Jason wrote:
Seems older than a 1998. Fairly thin wine with a pleasing nose and palate. I'm not sure it will improve much with age.
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4/19/2012 - cct wrote: 92 Points
Opened a couple hours ahead and drunk over another 2 hours.
Beautiful nose, better than the last time a couple years back. Perfume, balsam, roses and tar. This is more on the soft supple- ripe fruit side of Barbaresco with a nice mix of deeper perfume, sweet fruit, savory bouillon, and velvety texture. Supple, yet structured, with excellent balance, and drinking at early peak for me. Nothing really stands out here, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that, for me is a character I love in wine. This is in a excellent place for me right now. This will never be a barn burner, but it is terribly enjoyable. 92 pts
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3/23/2012 - Pknut wrote:
Darker fruited than expected, evoking more baked plums than bright cherries. This seems mature, soft around the edges, the tannins are relaxed and the palate seems somewhat murky. More worn than a bottle with Yaacov almost two years ago. This has never really been a knock-out wine, and now it's mature but doesn't really deliver any tertiary or even much secondary greatness. This is a good, mature '98 Barolo, but it doesn't really provide a great Giacosa experience. No degradation overnight, which is a nice surprise, along with pretty strawberry pastile notes.
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11/7/2011 - Tad GW wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very, very well right now although I couldn't coax out the full bouquet when I wanted it. I had it slow oxygenating for 7 hours before serving, without decanting. The bouquet seemed bigger in the first hour it was open.
50+5+12+17+8=92
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6/27/2011 - portobellovines wrote: 75 Points
tired and fruitless
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3/12/2011 - Finare Vinare wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful light ruby hue. One sniff says it's a mature traditional nebbiolo brought up in botti. Lovely complexity on the nose: light balsamic notes, feather sticks, light tar, fennel, liquorice, menthol and hip rose. Enchanting burgundian poetry! Harmonious, light bodied taste with sweet strawberry aromas, melted tannins, soft yet fresh acids and a dry finish. Perhaps it lacks some intensity and length to merit a higher score, but still: what a beautiful and lovely wine it is. An 80's barbaresco as it seems. We're told the development has been faster than that - in fact it's a 1998!
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11/3/2010 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
12 yrs old and in a lovely place...color not as extracted as you might expect with 14% alcohol, but wonderful fruit forward..cherry and cassis. Tannins well rounded, nice mouthfeel and finish. With the age, can understand why Nebiolo is called the Italian Pinot. Enjoyed 2 bottles with Chris and Lorna
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8/8/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as I remebered, none of the richnesses I had hoped for, but still ok
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7/18/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
14% alcohol. not decanted, drunk over 27 hours. not terribly complex, but the red dominant package still has enough to recommend when all is said and done. mild residual tannins, somewhat thin in the mid palate. sum of parts gets it's done. drink or hold to age 15.
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6/22/2010 - Pknut wrote:
Served blind, the rubber notes suggested Syrah, but it was more red fruited and as Cellarid noted, lacked the herbs that Syrah might show. Palate shows red berry fruits and the dark influence of oak that has been integrated into the cohesive palate. Later, some meaty notes emerge. The tannin is way softer than a few years ago, when I brought a bottle to Spencer and Lisa's place for New Years Eve (was it 06/07 or 07/08?). The wine is definitely softer around the edges since then, but it does offer good underlying plumpness. Overall, a very pleasing Barbaresco beyond youth yet not quite into complexity nor maturity. With Cellarid and Bahn Mi.
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6/22/2010 - cellarid wrote: 91 Points
Still showing youthful grip. Great fruit but a tad drier than last time. Give it a good hour in the de-cantor.
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3/29/2010 - portobellovines wrote: 80 Points
OK but lacking integration or any real interest on the palette. Very enticing nose but disappointing there after. Weak bottle perhaps.
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2/6/2010 - portobellovines wrote: 90 Points
elegant, pure, balanced, gained harmony after couple hours open then slipped in and out of focus - delicious classic barbaresco, drinking well now
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12/5/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 92 Points
Again a beautiful bottle, dark, ripe fruit. Very fine balance and complexity. Excellent for the relatively modest vineyard.
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11/7/2009 - llink wrote:
Popped and poured. Nose shows some VA, but otherwise is correct. On the palate it is light on its feet, and displays very tart fruit that is starting to fade, and a shortish finish.
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9/6/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 93 Points
When just poored a nose full of red berries, lovely! After this it evolves: coffee, chocolat, black berries. Also on the palate very complex, excellent balance. Very long. Outstanding!
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8/7/2009 - danibus wrote: 91 Points
I just love the Giacosa style, which makes it so difficult to assign a number. It's not about numbers, because I enjoy this more than many wines that I happen to rate higher. Nothing mindblowing -- just pure, classic expression of Nebbiolo that I could drink all day. Very elegant and balanced, transparent but concentrated, with tar and cherries and that perfumey nose.
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7/28/2009 - Spencer wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful Barbaresco. Drinking very well now, but has a long life ahead of it. Pure, elegant, nebbiolo.
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3/1/2009 - cellarid wrote:
Sooooo solid. Still young. Humn?
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1/3/2009 - Ali wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced and drinking well, even on the second night
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12/22/2008 - 1981er wrote: 91 Points
Enoyed over about 3 hours. Dark maroon color in the glass with just a touch of amber on the rim. This wine seems to be (for my tastes) just entering it's drinking window right now and is right where I like my nebbiolo to be. The nose is a pretty perfume not unlike a rosebush that has been ripped out of some wet dirt, along with cherries and some slight tar. There is an initial attack of sour cherry on the palate, as well as snappy acidity and "chewy" tannin that has relented to provide just enough grip. The only place this wine lacks is the finish, which is on the medium-short side... Otherwise this is a great wine.
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12/16/2008 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
10 year old Barbaresco showing its stuff..deep color and wonderful nose and mouthfeel..very nice roundness and depth. Enjoyed at Bottega with Holly, Betty, Leslie and guests
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12/12/2008 - Margauxguy wrote: 96 Points
Drank two bottles with friends at a16, Fantastic, floral crushed violets, depth, a great wine, iwth many many years of life left. Paired excellently with a lasagna
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11/9/2008 - winefool wrote: 89 Points
Crimson red color with garnet edges. Shy / medium nose of roses and lifted red fruit. Sour red cherry on the palatewith a medium firm finish. Tasted immediately after an 04 Ceretto Barbaresco, this seemed like a much lighter (and less good) example, when I was looking for a step up. Not but, but nothing special either. Maybe it's in that nether region between fruit and secondary/tertiary complexity??
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9/16/2008 - llink wrote:
Auduzed for 8 hours in the cellar. The nose is sublime with an earthy bouquet of rose petals,tar, dirt, and tobacco. On the palate the wine is light with a tart astringent acidity. Finish is short.
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9/1/2008 - lorenzo wrote: 94 Points
Not nearly as ripe and concentrated as the Corsini. Lighter bodied, but beautiful texture. Impeccably balanced and an absolute joy to drink.
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7/27/2008 - cse wrote: 89 Points
a huge disappointment. the nose is grand--a soaring bouquet of rose petals,tar, dirt, and tobacco. but on the palate the wine is unidimensional, with strong acidity but no vivaciousness or dance of flavors. does not come close to realizing the amazing promise of the bouquet. several hours of airtime after decanting did not help it.
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7/26/2008 - pinotwinelover wrote: 92 Points
Drank at PEr Se for dinner. Very nice wine with some burg charecteristics and a very nice finish.
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3/5/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/5/2008 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
eRobert Parker Offline - Giacosa and other Italian Wine (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Corked
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12/7/2007 - Nico P. wrote:
Smells of a combination of roses and dark chocolate. Definitely that good nebbiolo smell. Medium light body, medium short finish, but great linearity of flavour. Tartness and grip in perfect balance. A sublime wine. Outstanding.
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9/4/2007 - JOsgood wrote: 95 Points
Enjoyed at Babbo - I absolutely fell in love with this wine. Insane nose of roses and spice. Velvety feel in the mouth with the refinement of a grand cru Burgundy. Completely balanced with a memorable finish. My WOTN.
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9/4/2007 - the godfather wrote: 93 Points
The nose smells like a rose bush is growing in the glass, great balance, very fun wine.
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8/12/2007 - cellarid wrote:
Great.
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8/10/2007 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Italians @ Twist. Light bodied and delicate with subtle complexity that dances on the palate. Not a blockbuster or super long-term ager (compared to the 96 red label riserva in the same flight), but very good nonetheless.
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7/7/2007 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Closed at first, after an hour or so woke up.
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5/27/2007 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Giacosa never disappoints. Really nice in a lighter style.
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2/25/2007 - shudave wrote: 90 Points
This wine took second place in our two bottle italian tasting. It had some light red fruits, a little spice. It also had some good tannins/acidity holding it together and a nice finish. Reminded me of some french burgundies I have had but with a little more edge on it. Thanks again F!
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2/15/2007 - cct wrote:
A lovely light medium ruby color. The nose was a bit wild with some earth, mushrooms, horse manure (in a good way), more of an asphalt feel than tar, and flowers. Medium weighted and already drinking well. Round with good flesh and still with a wild edginess/ mushroom thing that contrasted the round sweet fruit. I nice yin/ yang deal. Currently not hugely complex, but still a lovely blle of wine that in my opinion is drinking well already.
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1/20/2007 - 5laton wrote:
A Piemonte dinner party with friends (San Francisco): Decanted 5+ hours. Silky, red fruits and licorice, rather tart, tongue-numbing but ripe tannin shuts down everything on the finish. Pleasant, but sadly this isn't really open for business. Little change on day 2.
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1/16/2007 - dream wrote: 92 Points
@Del Posto restaurant in NYC - Lighter-bodied wine with wonderful elegance and delicious flavors of rose petals and cinamin spice. A beautiful complex finsh with red fruits and spices. A lovely wine to drink while waiting for Giacosa's bigger wines to mature.
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1/13/2007 - cellarid wrote: 93 Points
Tremendous wine and a great value. Needs a good hour in the decanter to get going, but when it does there's some great stuff here. Very classy, tons of grip and nicely ripe tannins. Will obviously benefit from more cellaring, but no crime in killing one now. Buy More Giacosa.
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5/2/2006 - micha_e wrote: 94 Points
The absolute favorite wine of the tasting for everyone. Medium garnet color. Very complex and aristocratic nose with all the typical nebbiolo perfumes, but avoiding any hint of rusticity. On the palate, very silky and fine combining aspects of a fine burgundy with the tannic structure and quality of a first growth or super-second Bordeaux. Even at this young stage, simply great length and flavor authority. Much much better than the first bottle I had a year ago. Glad I have some more of this!
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