2024 New Year's Day Double Blind Tasting: Double-blind. Wow! The nose is rocking! This is what Nebbiolo should always taste like. Fully mature, resolved tannin, high acidity, some mahogany wood with high toned red fruit. This is in its sweet spot right now. My WOTN edging out my '95 Haut Brion.
A killer vintage for Giacosa and the white label Barolo is absolutely singing (with 8+ hours of air). So much pure, floral, spice-filled fruit with harmonious balance. Still just getting started in its peak drinking window.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VIII (Chicago, IL): #1016. Opened at 9:30am, and left in a decanter starting at 11am. This was the most accessible wine of the flight and drinking very, very well (as has been the case for a while now). Red fruited, floral, and a good balance of weight and elegance. Approachable now, but certainly with enough in the bank for decades to come. I'm a big fan of this wine, and the contents of the group's cellars can also attest to that not being a unique opinion.
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After having such a life-changing Giacosa last week, this was a real disappointment. Came across overripe with strong VA both on the palate and nose. Kept a small pour overnight and the next day no discernible changes. Bottle variation or barrel variation more like it?
C & YM Birthday Dinner (Empire Chinese Cuisine): Blind. Jammy, touch of sour cherry, liquorice, some heat, high acid, smooth tannins. Guessed this as Sangiovese as the tannins were not high enough and the heat. Later in the night, this did open and give signs of the elegant style Giacosa wines.
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Birthday celebration for C/Y: Another round of Giacosa roulette, not the best this time around but could have been worse. Distracting cough syrup note on the nose, slightly too ripe on the palate with some prune and plum notes. The seamless character was a redeeming factor that made me like the wine more than others. Unfortunately it developed an unpleasant menthol note in the decanter.
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decanted for one hour and then returned to bottle 7 hours prior to tasting
deepish red color with bricking at the rim, nose of tar and black cherries, on the palate a firm core of cherry fruit masterfully wrapped in savory notes of pine and tea leaves, dark fruit tones, cool, mint noted, fine long finish where streaks of white mineral were most evident, spiky underbriush, in a good place but with time in hand.
****, ready to go but no rush
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Very good barolo. Full, rich, deep and savory. Still in early drinking window and would love to taste this in another ten years. Tasted next to the barbaresco Asili from the same maker, same year and the barbaresco was fresher and lighter, and easier to drink today but won't have the same lasting power of the barolo.
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Drinking perfectly at age 22. Appears much younger, and would’ve been hard to place if blinded in terms of age. Origin is very classical Giacosa. Deceptively light but plenty of depth and complexity
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Dinner at 67PM: Off the list at 67PM. My first proper Giacosa and unfortunately the palate and nose didn't quite come together for this. On pop and pour, I really liked the aromatics but the palate was quite tight. With time in the decanter, the nose got a little pruney but the palate got a lot better with elegant dark red fruit. Loved the serious structure on this with a serious tannic, acidic spine despite having some alcohol showing and a serious acidic. Wished there was a little more magic especially on the nose but don't think this was the best bottle since I discovered half the cork fell in when I brought the bottle home - a product of its era I suppose.
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2001 Barolo Flight (Wayne's house): My 2nd place wine, tied for 2nd in the group voting. Menthol, spice, dried herbs, dried rose petals and maybe a touch of licorice on the nose. Full palate without being heavy, this comes across as impeccably elegant and balanced, yet on the finish shows some very grippy tannins that are still prominent.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VII (Chicago, IL): No. 10496. Very 2001, especially in the context of so many great wines of that vintage tonight. The fruit here, as with the other wines, was red-fruited and bright, with heightened acidity balanced with some youthful, chewy tannins. Delicately perfumed, this wine clearly still has much more road ahead. Probably my favourite of the three white labels.
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blind I was touched from this beauty. Reaching his peak but no hurry. WOTN from the reds. Tar, violet and some spices, no annoying tannins. Fantastic.98-99
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A bit of brett on the nose and a hint of it on the palate. Otherwise, not as good a bottle as the last from the same batch. I will say this about Giacosa after drinking many bottle over many years; some of the greatest Italian wines I've ever tasted were made by Giacosa but I would estimate a full 50% of the bottles I've tried have been affected by brett, volatile acidity or corked. The man was a genius but his elevage was less than optimal.
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Drinking Giacosa is always a delight. Not only the wines age very well, but they can be drunk with basically any food you wish. This 2001 had a brilliant garnet/ruby colour upon opening. The first nose didn't convince me right away, it seemed a bit too advanced for its age, with lots of dried fruit and ethereal notes emerging. After 30 minutes in the glass (I never decant older Nebbiolo), the wine blossomed: orange peel, truffle, dried mushrooms, roses, tar, liquorice. An incredible aromatic complexity only the greats reach. Mouthfeel was silky, fine grained tannins lingering, depth and full, acidity on point, fully integrated palate. Matched well with grilled seabass and snails, and also roast chicken with curry mayonnaise. What a wine! Viva Giacosa e viva il Piemonte!
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Erik's. Dark berry with tar, spices and underbrush. Full bodied and powerful. Tasted younger than 21 years, with grippy tannins that need another ten years to relax and evolve.
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Decanted for two hours. Terrific. Rose and underbrush on the nose. The wine is full bodied with a lovely inner core of cherry and accents of tar and spices. Full bodied and powerful but at the same time very well balanced. This is drinking at peak.
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A fragrant nose of menthol, roses and dark red fruit. The palate is concentrated with notes of leather, sweet cherry, menthol, tar and roses. The tannins are fine but present. Good length on the finish. A very nice Barolo in a good place, but will improve.
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This is strictly for purists who value structure over fruit. Seriously tannic and slightly bitter. Powerful. Medium high acidity. Begs for fatty meat to tame it (which is not my culinary preference). I can admire it from a distance but I like more fat in my wine, if not my food.
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In it’s prime drinking window. Tannins fully resolved but plenty of vigor left. Textbook giacosa Barolo. Tar, liquorice, roses. Long. Very fragrant. Last glass the best so won’t collapse overnight.
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This was a highlight thanks to to good aromatic intensity, high precision but especially the absolute harmony and weightless feel. This is in a great early drinking window but can will certainly gain with more age and more teritary complexity. 95 pts today. With a strong menthol note, which seems to be typical for this wine/vineyard according to a friend, this reminded me a touch of a well-aged Martha’s Vineyard from Heitz with a Barolo soul.
TN: Medium+ expressive on the nose which displays intense, sexy menthol notes, smoke, tar wrapped around a wonderful dark red berry core. The palate shows high precision with the same menthol, dark red berry, some rose water, tar, graphite, some faint tobacco aromas from the attack through to the medium length finish. Very light, weightless feel, superb balance, very fine tannins, no hard edges, a good , medium+, round and perfectly integrated acidity. Quite complete and balanced.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary.
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Swoon. An absolutely stunning btl of Barolo, that has plenty of gas in the tank. The nose was a shimmering cascade of blood orange, dusted with dried roses, cranberry, menthol, dried herbs. On the palate: fantastic acidity and density. So powerful while simultaneously weightless, still some finely grained velvety tannin on the finish, but fantastic.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VI (Chicago, IL): Beautifully light and elegant, this was more lifted and red-fruited than the 2001 Santo Stefano (di Neive). Crystalline purity here, with the red fruit the real star of the show, even if there are a good amount of tannins still (though they feel slightly powdery). Most at the table preferred this to the SS; I was probably the opposite because I thought the SS was more enjoyable paired with food.
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SO'd for an hour the night before then double decanted for 2 hrs, pale garnet/tawny, rose with some raisin on the nose, cherries on the palate, med. tannins, mod/long finish; outstanding & one of the better barolos I have had & fully mature, drink
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Roses, tar, balsamic and ferrous notes on the nose. This has a terrific sense of sap and density, yet a little more poise than the other (non Pie Franco) Serralunga bottles tonight. Expansive and deep on the palate, with more spice, medicinal, and savory notes. This has wonderful palate presence: expansive yet fresh with terrific lift, poise, and a sense of calm and harmony. Youthfully delicious.
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The Gang Drinks Blind (Mesa Verde Country Club in the OC): Served blind as part of a 2001 Italian flight. Of note, I had this same wine back in late 2018 and I didn't care for it. Like this week, that wine was served blind as part of a Giacosa flight and I found the 2001 Falletto both fumes and over-ripe that night. So, having a chance to retaste it blind was cool, as this time the wine showed terrific. Accessible, with a fine balance between the acid, fruit and weight. The length was spot-on too. My favorite of the flight.
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This is pure heaven right away showing off a real expressive side filling the glass with crushed rocks, sour Red cherries, raspberries, cranberries, rose petals, tobacco, leather, earth, violets, and balsamic notes. The Full bodied feel is deep and layered with tart, high acidity and silky, high tannins. The structure is starting to resolve and reveal a gorgeous and refined feel. This is a real knockout and a special Barolo. This is in full flight right now and there's no reason to feel like it will drop off any time soon.
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Very nice - roses, tar & menthol on the nose; better on the nose at this point - the palate is nice, but still feels like it needs some time to unwind (this was popped & poured). While there is no harm in drinking this now, if you only have a bottle or two, I would still advise giving it some more time in the cellar.
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I’ve got a number of Barolos that are now 20 years old, and I open one every year or so, and there are nice strawberry, rose, tea and oriental spice flavors, and I marvel at the age of the wine, and then I open a Cabernet because the Barolo just doesn’t do it for me.
at this point in its life it is still pretty bright and lifted with medium to med-minus body, nice acidity with what felt like purple fruit and most tannins absorbed and a little secondary character (which was hard to identify)... overall impression of the body being a tad in hiding for this bottle
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2020 was a bizarre year indeed with most tasting opportunities shut down! But still, having tasted a good amount of stuff from all over the world, the best that I tasted of 2020 is this one. Hands down winner.
And best my life.
Yes, this wine was the best of my entire life. I think I am ruined now. Thank you.
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Bottle number 332. Purchased at auction. Let rest upright for 16 months. Wednesday, 23rd December, two days before planning on drinking, used Durand to open, but did not need it. Cork was in great shape and held no TCA. Slowly poured out using LED to stop when the sediment smoke showed. Double decanted. Had to swish the bottle thoroughly with the left-over sediment laden juice. It had no nose. Most aged Barolo are very open right on first decant then close back up, but this one had nothing. It had energy on the palate, but still not ready. This will probably be better on Christmas day.
The second day, Christmas Eve, it still had no nose, even after a fresh pour that sat in the glass for an hour. Palate was incredible and full of energy, but still not ready. What?! I was surprised, but indeed it was so. This indicated that this is might be a 50 year bottle. 2051 or more!
On the third day... Ironic that here on Christmas evening it was just perfect!
Watch out for too much air. It will make it oxidized. It needed just enough air incorporated to let it softly, slowly open into the sweet spot. Double decanting 48 hours in advance was the ticket. Make sure to keep it at about 65-degree temperature to provide the perfect slow ox temperature. The bottle provided just enough air surface area to bring that oxygen in to the just right place.
Jeez, it was just perfect on Christmas evening!
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, herbs, and tar. Then the palate, wow! Here, 48 hours later, at first sip, it was almost nothing but airy roses and then the herbs kicked in with cardamom, dried orange peel, wild desert stuff, touches of dried cherries, then BAM the mid hit and the finish was an explosion of energy. This was a wine nuclear powerplant of stuff going on. It carried and carried on and on with power. It was a volcano. Those herbs morphed into depths of Vulcan embers that smoldered on the tongue and just burned there for what seemed like a very long time to carry off into a mouth coating of tar and millions of tiny explosions finishing in luxurious tar laden honeycomb. I detected some hoisin, dense complex BBQ rub, smoke, menthol, and tobacco.
Each sip brought something new. There were caramelized embers, grip, and herbal extract with a light brown sugar coat.
This bottle at auction cost less that the retail of the Insignia, which was opened Christmas Eve, (see my review) but delivered so far and beyond. Price to enjoyment here was at a unique place. I must say that it was worth the investment, which for most wines at $200, I cannot say the same thing. This bottle was iconic. It was something that blew me away. Its energy was just a joy to discover and enjoy. I will be painting with the other two bottles. Legendary!
Bruno, we salute you from Earth to Heaven! These bottles must carry you to higher degrees of light in that place beyond, for surely the Gods are absolutely pleased at your craft’s results. What would Jesus drink? Bruno Giacosa!
In my mind I imagine that the Gods possess those who drink soma as this, for that is how they enjoy the earthly, human-created heaven that is beyond their lofty residence. These corporal experiences are why humans were created. Each of these moments treasured and captured in the Akasha for all eternity.
Imagine if you could drink Mozart! Or drink Rembrandt! What would you pay for that?
This is a dark, gorgeous monster. Black cherry, balsamic, leather, menthol, sweet baking spice, rosehip, asphalt, raspberry liquor and eucalyptus that transitions into an intensely mineral laden long, long finish. This is really drinking well today.
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Full bodied, youthful, nice acidity. Double decanted, minimal sediment, touch of amer at the edges initially, opened up with air as we went. Cherries, raspberries, earth, spice, tobacco, a bit of floral/roses/violets. Great wine, first of three, and wish I bought more when released. Looking forward to the next two.
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Blodrød kjerne til mursteinsrød mot lett orange rand. Klassisk Barolo på duft. Flotte aromaer som nesten fyller rommet. Modne kirsebær, roser, vanilje, tjære og lær. Tøff og stram munnfølelse. Tidlig tanninrik men to tre timer i karaffel mykner vinen på en forførerisk måte. Fortsatt syrefrisk og mørke deilige røde bær driver vinen opp til ett høyere nivå. Dette er elegant og godt. Her er lakris og høstløv. Halvtørr deilig avslutning med litt menthol til slutt. Varer lenge.
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Decanted one hour before service - a bit of fine sediment at the bottom. In the glass, deep auburn. On the nose, cherries, oak, and a bit of raisin. On the palate, the depth and ever-so-slight midpalate sweetness that exemplifies Giacosa is present, but so was a slight reductive note reminiscent of port. Nice bottle of wine, no doubt, but I was expecting quite a bit more, based on past experience. At least on visual inspection, the cork was in reasonable shape, so is it possible that this bottle was slightly over the hill? Maybe. Hard to know if this bottle was representative, but it might be time to check in...
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Lovely. Really traditional but so so good. I could be underscoring. Lovely weight, balance. Tannins nicely integrated. Liquorice, darker red fruits (fading but still there), loads of minerality (iron?), that tar element is fab
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Dinner at Vinci-Dave Dryoff visits town (Vinci, Chicago IL): Nose: There is a refined and understated power with deep tones of red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spice tones, leather, roasted herbs, licorice, earth notes, and loads of violets.
Taste: The feel is full bodied with tart, high acidity and silky, high tannins. There is still some rebellious youth to the structure but it has balanced out beautifully. The feel underneath the structure is poised and deep with red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spice tones, leather, licorice, earth notes, and violets.
Overall: Yet again, this is killing it. This is in a wonderful spot and should absolutely be enjoyed now. It's not even close to falling apart anytime soon and should give a lot of joy for years to come.
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(mostly) Castiglione Falletto vs Serralunga, 2005-earlier (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: Oh wow, this is something special immediately as my nose gets near the glass. So much depth and expression with strawberries, red cherries, raspberries, cranberries, licorice, rose petals, tobacco, leather, roasted herbs, and spice notes with a touch of tar.
Taste: The feel is full bodied with mouthwatering, high acidity and silky, high tannins. The tannins are still very much there, but they are receding a bit and revealing a light-heavyweight of a feel with strawberries, red cherries, raspberries, licorice, rose petals, tobacco, leather, and roasted herbs.
Overall: This is a knockout of a Barolo. It is showing off all of the hallmarks that comes with aging as this has hit that next level. There is so much depth and elegance with an understated power that is immensely enjoyable.
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Deeply traditional Barolo with lots of earth, acid and leather but there’s enough rustic fruit to support it. Very interesting and probably even compelling if you are a Nebbiolo fanatic. I greatly appreciate it as it was my Wine of the Night among an octet of Barolo.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Medium garnet color with lightening at the edges. Dense, potent nose of salty earth, camphor, soy, asphalt, violets, alpine air, damp cellar. Integrated layers of autumnal strawberry and black cherry fruit on the palate girded by deep earth, tar, and iodine. Surprisingly zippy acidity and structured tannin leading to a long finish of echoing red and black fruit supported by superb rocky structure and firm grip. Absolutely beautiful and open at this stage.
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Wines with Christmas DInner (Home): ~7 hour decant. This is a magical Barolo and so typical for Giacosa with harmonious balance over an elegant, ethereal frame. Cherry and strawberry fruit profile with florals, licorice and emerging road tar. Still super young but no harm to drink this now with extended air.
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Dinner with friends, Mill Valley, CA. Opened, decanted and returned to bottle 6 hrs prior to serving. From 750ml.
First from a 1/2 case bought on release. Youthful but engaging nose, fuller and rounder than expected, with considerable tightness on the palate from the still youthful tannins. Very enjoyable to check in on this wine, but it's still early days for my palate. Will leave the others to rest for a while yet.
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Tasted blind, as part of a 4 wine flight of various Giacosa, with all wines opened about 5 hrs before consuming. This was my least favorite of the flight. It came across as fumey to me, as if there was some residual alcohol that was bothering the aromatic. Hard red cherry fruit candy, which comes off to me candied in tone. Seems very ripe to me, jammy, not like the other Giacosa we had.
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Brief tasting tonight with a clerico ciabert mentin. This was stunning. As it was a brief testing of multiple wines I can only comment that this had a meaty flavor component unlike most other nebiolos
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The cork was perfect with only a slight discolouration on the tip. Lovely light ruby colour with a little orange bricking. Nose was open with flowers, spices and red berries. Wine was perfectly balanced, medium body with the red berries and a honey taste in the background. It continued to develop on time, adding even more balance and complexity. Drinking perfectly but significant potential to age further. What a great wine and lovely treat.
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Intense funky nose of dark berries and smoky Brett. None of the Brett shows up on the palate though. The wine has excellent intensity and a great backbone of acidity but also plenty of crunchy dark cherry fruit with notes of underbrush, tar, licorice and spices and a lovely savory texture developing. Really tangy and grippy on the finish with a great spicy intensity. This is a lively wine that I think is just beginning to drink well and I feel it’s one of the best white label Falletto’s in the making. 93+
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A Study of Falletto di Serralunga (La Pizza Fresca): The ‘01 Falletto was remarkably pretty and undeniably classic, as gorgeous floral perfumes and dusty spice wafted up from the glass, giving way to crushed cherry, smoke, and “sweet” undergrowth. It grew deeper and richer with time in the bottle, taking on an earthy and sweet herbal persona. On the palate, I found juicy, feminine, acid-driven textures, with notes of crushed tart cherry, lifting minerality, sous boix, and fine tannin that saturated the senses, yet never dried them out. The finish was long and energetic with a coating of classic tannin, inner florals and sweet minerals. This only got better and better throughout the evening, as I found myself regretting that I didn’t buy more when it was first released. Totally classic.
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The ‘01 Falletto showed all of the classic hallmarks of the vintage married to the Giscosa style. The bouquet was lifted and pure with a sweet-and-sour persona, as spicy black cherry mixed with sweet herbs and hints of savory tomato leaf. On the palate, I found silky textures that were quickly offset by a combination of dusty minerals and crystalline tannin, as tense, youthful crisp red fruits were ushered across the senses by brisk acidity. The finish was long, showing its youthful tannin with saturating tart red fruits. We still have a ways to go before the ‘01 is in its perfect drinking window, but this night’s bottle was enjoyable on potential alone.
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Ooh, no no no. Vinegar, port, mederized, brown sugar. If somebody told me this was a dessert wine from the 40s, I would happily taken a few sips with some cheese. But my expectations was of course something completely different, hopes of another magic Nebbiolo. What happened to this bottle?cooked? Bad storage? Bad corke? (It's not TCA corked) Insights anyone?
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Brooding and dense right now. This was showing well, but you know there is so much more to give. Great concentration without being heavy -- tannins are firm yet suave. Will be better in 10+ years.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume II (Chicago, IL): Of the three 2001 white labels, this was the one that really hit the spot for me (most others preferred the Asili). I found this concentrated, dark, and brooding, with a really intense fruit profile that worked really well with the earthiness and florals. And despite the relatively darker character of this wine, there's a contrast with the lightness and lift which is really enjoyable.
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Opened and let sit for 5 hours on first note. Not enough time. Wine didn't open up until day 2 and was fabulous. Remained solid on day 3. Translucent reddish orange in color. Doesn't give up much on the nose. Fills the palate with tart sour cherry flavor which lingers for a long time and dissolves gracefully. This has plenty of years left!
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Pop n' pour as a back-up to a flawed Barolo (99 Vajra BdV). This was quite good but way too young. Fun to peak at the wine now in any event. Ethereal and silky with firm tannic grip on the back end.
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Open for 3 hours now, bright red with no brown rims. Nose still young with some shiny hedonist smell of new oak that decreases as it stays in the glass for 15 min. Nice sharp red fruit on the palate, but not fully open for business yet. This one needs 5 years for the oak to fully integrate and for terroir to be more dominant. Still very good now. Drink 2020-2030. 90 points now, potentially 94-95. So score is 92.
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Clean ruby color. Somewhat tannic upon opening, but becomes soft and lush with air. Cherries, tar, some anise on the palate; cherry and rose aromas. All elegantly balanced. Classic Barolo. Drink now or hold through 2021.
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2016 Sella Ronda Ski Trip; 1/21/2016-1/24/2016 (Alta Badia, Italy): Decanted for 30 minutes. Crossing paths with such a wine is always a joy. A beautiful classic Barolo and much like 5 or so years when we tried it last ( Papies 94) it has a feminine and subtle face. Lovely cherry, light tar notes, evolved but still very much fruit driven ( in a traditional style though) good depth and elegance. Proper stuff here. 93-94 and very good.
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Dégustation FOUDUVIN au RESTO AVV The Main kitchen! Super jeune et fringant, belle trame tannique, en a encore sous la pédale. Goudron et anis au nez. Prunes, réglisse et moka en bouche, un peu asséchant. Bien.
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Barolo 2010 & 2001 (chez moi): Old school, intense, elegant - and seem ready and open with cherry stones, camphor and a little smokiness. Tannins in the aftertaste. Tasted blind, it wins the battle vs Monfertino, actually - I have the same impression on day 2; intense, living - huge wine.
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Completely consistent with my last and Keith's note below. Given such consistency and the wine's classicism, the future is even more encouraging. Again, tight- needs 2-4 hours and then opens into a slightly restrained but elegant wine with red label- like fruit component, lead and chalky notes on mid palate. You can get lost in this wine thinking about the subtle layers. Buy if you can as it's future is even better.
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Chicago Rotating Dinner Series - 2001 Piedmont (Osteria Langhe - Chicago, IL): This has P-R-O-M-I-S-E written all over it. The youth of this wine was painfully evident with the barrage of tannis you get on the palate. The nose was really great though. Truly hypnotic. Multiple layers of earthy red fruits, smokey tobacco, and roses. What I'm hoping is that as the tannins recede, the underlying fruit mirror the gorgeous aromas it had. Hold, hold, hold.
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Rotating Dinner Series- A tour of 2001 Barolo (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: While there is a tightness to the nose, it is deep, elegant, and savory with licorice, dark red cherries, strawberries, tar, rose petals, roasted herbs, wild flowers, and some bits of earth. There is real polish and perfume to the nose that just draws you in with each passing moment.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with big chewy tannins and high acidity. The structure is extremely youthful and noticeable with licorice, dark red cherries, strawberries, tar, roses, roasted herbs, and some incense.
Overall: Though the structure is showing off the youth of the wine, there is real class and elegance to this with a lot of depth. This can and will get even better from here.
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Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was earthy and somewhat vegetal with tart red berry, sweet peas, and parchment. With time the fruit became sweeter and dark, yet a formidable earthiness remained. On the palate, it was lean showing tart red berry and spice, which lingered throughout the finish with stern structural components tugging at the cheeks.
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Beautiful ruby color - vibrant cherry nose. Developed over the first 3 hours with a brief shut down after an hour. Dark berries berries herbs all in a strong structure. Tannin most certainly promises further development and I guess at least 3 years before the next bottle should be opened.
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Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley Day 2 (Napa Valley): needed about 30 minutes in the decanter to bloom. Filled the whole glass with rose petal, roasted meats and dark red fruit. The tannins were firm but forgiving and the dark fruit was starting to come out on the palate.
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Granato limpido,profuma di nebbiolo con fruttini rossi piccoli e dolci, spezie dolci e fiori, bocca tannica fitta, fruttata con finale fresco e fragrante.
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Beautiful young Barolo. Still very primary dark cherry fruit. Great complexity and balance. Drinking quite well young with very smooth tannins but should age nicely.
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Thankfully we did a 2.5hour decant. Sublime and lingering layers of stoney earth, pencil lead, licorice and dark fruits. Great length. For me, this bottle is a classic.
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At home. Interesting nose of red fruit, tar, figs, plum and iron. Beautiful pure red and black fruit with cinnamon on the palate. Glossy texture. Rich and creamy with a long finish emphasizing dusty tannin. Really nice.
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Verticale Barolo Falletto di Bruno Giacosa 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998 e 1997 (7 Giugnio 2013). 2004 Falletto: alla vista è granato appena evoluto vivace, al naso si presenta un po chiuso con note di tabacco ed eucalipto con sentori di spezie e prugna. All'esame gustativo entra sottile e caldo, con tannini sottili, ma lunghi. Una bella struttura! Questo vino è da dimenticare in cantina ed avrà una vita lunga. Il suo stato "giovanile" non gli rende giustizia, specie all'olfatto,lasciando comprendere le grandi potenzialità di questa splendida annata di Serrelunga, ma la piacevolezza e la godibilità della sua evoluzione inizierà a trapelare non prima di 7/8 anni. 2001 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato vivace, al naso spiccano le note di chicco di caffè e sentori di caruba, con una sottile alternanza di frutto e vegetale. In bocca è ampio, con tannino pieno, molto lungo. E' un capolavoro! Sicuramente il migliore della verticale. Anche questa bottiglia però è da lasciare in cantina per anni, al fine di poterlo bere al pieno della sua evoluzione. 1999 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato evoluto prevalgono note di caffè, liquirizia, funghi, terra e humus. in bocca si ritrovano le note di caffè e funghi, ma il 1999 ha una lunghezza moderata. E' il più deludente dei 5. In verità questo eccellente millesimo si presenta, in tutte e tre le bottiglie, eccessivamente evoluto, forse troppo anche se senza arrivare ai sentori medicinali e comunque non così persistente. Deludente. 1998 Falletto: alla vista granato evoluto, al naso note di caffè e frutta secca. In bocca si presenta avvolgente, elegante e minerale con prevalenti note balsamiche e sentori di cuoio. Il più piacevole del quintetto per evoluzione, ampiezza ed eleganza. 1997 Falletto: di colore granato evoluto, ma compatto. Al naso sentori di rabarbaro e prugna secca, forse non troppo ampio. Al palato si presenta con tannini sottili e lunghi con sentori di spezie. Il 1997 è un'annata osannata, ma in realtà un po troppo calda e spesso non rispecchia le aspettative. In questo caso il vino ha una notevole struttura, ma personalmente lascia qualche perplessità sull'armonia e la completezza.
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Deathly young on the pop and pour. needed about 6 hours to really open up. When it did you got a bunch of black olives, tea leaves, dark berry fruit mixed in with copious amounts of earth with this big brutish structure.
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Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco and Barolo Vertical (Salone di Gusto, Torino, Italy): Medium(-) ruby-garnet with orange rim, viscous @ 14% abv. Medium developed savory aromas of earth, truffle, red fruit, cherries, ham, blood, soft spices, complex and elegant. Dry, medium acidity, medium(+) ripe tannins, and medium(+) alcohol. Medium(+) flavors of truffle, red fruits, blood, some saltiness, mineral/clay, leather: a great and complex palate. Great power and structure, great length and perfect balance with persistent finish. Not quite as elegant nor as monumental as 2004 which still means a great wine. Loads of cellar potential 10+ yrs. Do not drink now.
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Birthday Giacosas (Antico, Chicago IL): nose: wonderfully deep and gorgeous nose filled with all sorts of tones of dark red fruits, berries, tar, roasted herbs, incense and a lot of fresh picked roses. This took a bit to unwind and really show itself.
taste: utterly thrashing tannins at first. Certainly on the oppressive side with high acidity. This is painfully young right now on the palate. It does reveal deep tones of red fruits, berries, roasted herbs, tar, and a lot of red florals.
overall: I had given this about 3 hours in the decanter and another 2 in bottle and it was still brutally young. There is a lot behind this though and it more than has the ability to be a complete stunner.
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Giacosa Dinner (Antico - Chicago, IL): Yummy stuff that's about 20 years too young. The tannins are so strong at this point that it's hard to enjoy the wonderfully silky fruit that's somewhere underneath. Will be a fun wine down the line to revisit.
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Lovely complex nose of road tar, spicy red fruits and ether. A spicy and complex wine that is lighter-bodied than I expected. Delicious dark cherry fruit with notes of tar and leather. Finishes with very dry tannins and a lovely spice component. A very elegant wine that is less substantial that I hoped for and it lacks a middle palate but it becomes more tannic with air so I'm assuming more time is needed. 91+?
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My second Giacosa, and I’ll I can say is…….wow. My first bottle, the 03 Rocche was complex, elegant and certainly fun to drink, but upon reflection I wonder how much of that was due to the label. Conversely, this 01 Falleto was showing every quality that I desire in high end wine, and did so with power, grace, Christ, it was good. Decanted for 8 hrs. The nose was throwing out all kinds of ridiculous Nebbiolo charms like it was a Mardi Gras float: roses, soy, fresh earth, dark cherries etc. etc. Overt yes, but showing a reserved side, still much more to come I think. The palate (and surprisingly so) was immediate and generous, coating the mouth with rich and decadent dark fruit, but quickly gained a light and weightless feel that caressed both the palate as well as the soul. I’m sure there were tannins and acidity present, but this beauty was so well balanced and synched that until I wrote this tn, did I even think or consider those traits. The finish just stayed and stayed and stayed. If one thinks this will improve further, hey, I’ll go along with that, but the bottle I had on Sunday night deserves serious consideration if you have a few in the cellar.
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Ok, so I couldn't resist. Promised myself I would hold these for a few more years. But one year on from the last bottle, I wanted to try it again. This is a brilliant wine - it's ruby red and relatively light coloured in the decanter. Very strong fruit, turning to darker fruits as the it airs.
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Intense and pure nose. You get no oak at all here, which is great. Some initial complex notes that could be attributed to the time in bottle. Spices, wild game, strawberries. Full-bodied but lite and fresh as the acidity makes it clean and elegant. Lots of red fruits. Tannins are at this point quite firm, which gives a nice edge to the finish. Mdeium++ finish. Simply great. Overall, this reaffirms the idea that the Giacosa white labels are a great way to go (as opposed to the unaffordable red labels). This wine will hold for couple more decades.
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love, love and yet more love!! This was beautiful wine, and what great Italian wine is all about. It started a bit slow but unlike some reviewers we found this bottle to be open for business. It was showing strawberry and dried leaves, a delicacy to the fruit yet a powerful and intense personaltiy. As it evolved, it just got better and better, more intense and rich. A lovely wine, even T seemed to enjoy!
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What an amazing wine. Young but already layered and complex. Intense nose and palate. Firm and balanced structure. Medium+ finish. Obviously this can be aged for another decade or two given the intensity of the fruit and accompanying structure. Decanted for 30min before started serving. Good choice out of Babbo (NYC) wine list.
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They say that it is a crime to even touch a Barolo before it's 10 years of age. In this case, whilst it wasn't perhaps a crime, there is still much more time needed for this wine. It will, though, show very well in a few years and I will hold the remaining 4 bottles I have until perhaps 2015.
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Bruno Giacosa Wines with Bruna Giacosa (The Sampler, London): Dense wine with lots of sweet red fruit. Black Cherries.A feminine barolo , very classic and pure. Very expressive and complex. Vibrant too and will age nicely. Both of us had this as WOTN and definitely one we will look to buy.
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nose not so expressive. with time it evolves into a complex and powerful traditional style barolo. good length and intensity. still early and needs to improve more but this looks promising for 5-10 years down the line.
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My first giacosa barolo so my expectations were high. Ruby red, beautiful nose of cherries. Drank without decanting. Very pure delicious fruit on the pallate and smooth. Nice balance. Fine tannins on the finish that were not harsh. Not particularly complex. On the 2nd and 3rd days this aspect improved a little. Probably too young so room for upside. A good solid traditional style barolo but not one that would have me rushing back to buy more at this price point.
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Popped and poured. Loved it. Classic profile, rose pedals, red berries, leather. Great concentration. Very enjoyable. Started to close after an hour but was gone by that time
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tasted at WS Grand Tour- WOW!! what a wine. even right out of the bottle- waves of rose and tar envelop my nose. red fruits. surprisingly drinkable. round velvet tannins and a strong presence of fruit give this a very masculine feel. my WOTN- and a keeper. note to self- get more.
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1/1/2024 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
2024 New Year's Day Double Blind Tasting: Double-blind. Wow! The nose is rocking! This is what Nebbiolo should always taste like. Fully mature, resolved tannin, high acidity, some mahogany wood with high toned red fruit. This is in its sweet spot right now. My WOTN edging out my '95 Haut Brion.
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11/18/2023 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
A killer vintage for Giacosa and the white label Barolo is absolutely singing (with 8+ hours of air). So much pure, floral, spice-filled fruit with harmonious balance. Still just getting started in its peak drinking window.
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11/18/2023 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VIII (Chicago, IL): #1016. Opened at 9:30am, and left in a decanter starting at 11am. This was the most accessible wine of the flight and drinking very, very well (as has been the case for a while now). Red fruited, floral, and a good balance of weight and elegance. Approachable now, but certainly with enough in the bank for decades to come. I'm a big fan of this wine, and the contents of the group's cellars can also attest to that not being a unique opinion.
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7/30/2023 - Dibbs Does not like this wine:
After having such a life-changing Giacosa last week, this was a real disappointment. Came across overripe with strong VA both on the palate and nose. Kept a small pour overnight and the next day no discernible changes. Bottle variation or barrel variation more like it?
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7/29/2023 - astroman Does not like this wine: 91 Points
C & YM Birthday Dinner (Empire Chinese Cuisine): Blind. Jammy, touch of sour cherry, liquorice, some heat, high acid, smooth tannins. Guessed this as Sangiovese as the tannins were not high enough and the heat. Later in the night, this did open and give signs of the elegant style Giacosa wines.
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7/29/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Birthday celebration for C/Y: Another round of Giacosa roulette, not the best this time around but could have been worse. Distracting cough syrup note on the nose, slightly too ripe on the palate with some prune and plum notes. The seamless character was a redeeming factor that made me like the wine more than others. Unfortunately it developed an unpleasant menthol note in the decanter.
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4/1/2023 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
decanted for one hour and then returned to bottle 7 hours prior to tasting
deepish red color with bricking at the rim, nose of tar and black cherries, on the palate a firm core of cherry fruit masterfully wrapped in savory notes of pine and tea leaves, dark fruit tones, cool, mint noted, fine long finish where streaks of white mineral were most evident, spiky underbriush, in a good place but with time in hand.
****, ready to go but no rush
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3/16/2023 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Very good barolo. Full, rich, deep and savory. Still in early drinking window and would love to taste this in another ten years. Tasted next to the barbaresco Asili from the same maker, same year and the barbaresco was fresher and lighter, and easier to drink today but won't have the same lasting power of the barolo.
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2/3/2023 - Throughthegrapevine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking perfectly at age 22. Appears much younger, and would’ve been hard to place if blinded in terms of age. Origin is very classical Giacosa. Deceptively light but plenty of depth and complexity
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12/4/2022 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed more time open. Really started to show after a couple hours.
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12/1/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at 67PM: Off the list at 67PM. My first proper Giacosa and unfortunately the palate and nose didn't quite come together for this. On pop and pour, I really liked the aromatics but the palate was quite tight. With time in the decanter, the nose got a little pruney but the palate got a lot better with elegant dark red fruit. Loved the serious structure on this with a serious tannic, acidic spine despite having some alcohol showing and a serious acidic. Wished there was a little more magic especially on the nose but don't think this was the best bottle since I discovered half the cork fell in when I brought the bottle home - a product of its era I suppose.
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11/27/2022 - llink wrote: 93 Points
2001 Barolo Flight (Wayne's house): My 2nd place wine, tied for 2nd in the group voting. Menthol, spice, dried herbs, dried rose petals and maybe a touch of licorice on the nose. Full palate without being heavy, this comes across as impeccably elegant and balanced, yet on the finish shows some very grippy tannins that are still prominent.
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11/12/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VII (Chicago, IL): No. 10496. Very 2001, especially in the context of so many great wines of that vintage tonight. The fruit here, as with the other wines, was red-fruited and bright, with heightened acidity balanced with some youthful, chewy tannins. Delicately perfumed, this wine clearly still has much more road ahead. Probably my favourite of the three white labels.
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10/28/2022 - aquacongas wrote: 98 Points
blind
I was touched from this beauty. Reaching his peak but no hurry. WOTN from the reds. Tar, violet and some spices, no annoying tannins. Fantastic.98-99
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10/13/2022 - dream wrote: 88 Points
A bit of brett on the nose and a hint of it on the palate. Otherwise, not as good a bottle as the last from the same batch. I will say this about Giacosa after drinking many bottle over many years; some of the greatest Italian wines I've ever tasted were made by Giacosa but I would estimate a full 50% of the bottles I've tried have been affected by brett, volatile acidity or corked. The man was a genius but his elevage was less than optimal.
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8/14/2022 - dream wrote:
corked
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7/25/2022 - EDO89 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking Giacosa is always a delight.
Not only the wines age very well, but they can be drunk with basically any food you wish.
This 2001 had a brilliant garnet/ruby colour upon opening. The first nose didn't convince me right away, it seemed a bit too advanced for its age, with lots of dried fruit and ethereal notes emerging.
After 30 minutes in the glass (I never decant older Nebbiolo), the wine blossomed: orange peel, truffle, dried mushrooms, roses, tar, liquorice. An incredible aromatic complexity only the greats reach.
Mouthfeel was silky, fine grained tannins lingering, depth and full, acidity on point, fully integrated palate.
Matched well with grilled seabass and snails, and also roast chicken with curry mayonnaise.
What a wine! Viva Giacosa e viva il Piemonte!
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5/21/2022 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 92 Points
Super structured and tannic - lacks much fruit
Needs grilled meat
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4/19/2022 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Erik's. Dark berry with tar, spices and underbrush. Full bodied and powerful. Tasted younger than 21 years, with grippy tannins that need another ten years to relax and evolve.
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3/12/2022 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours. Terrific. Rose and underbrush on the nose. The wine is full bodied with a lovely inner core of cherry and accents of tar and spices. Full bodied and powerful but at the same time very well balanced. This is drinking at peak.
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1/30/2022 - A.Hansen Likes this wine: 94 Points
A fragrant nose of menthol, roses and dark red fruit. The palate is concentrated with notes of leather, sweet cherry, menthol, tar and roses. The tannins are fine but present. Good length on the finish. A very nice Barolo in a good place, but will improve.
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1/29/2022 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
This is strictly for purists who value structure over fruit. Seriously tannic and slightly bitter. Powerful. Medium high acidity. Begs for fatty meat to tame it (which is not my culinary preference). I can admire it from a distance but I like more fat in my wine, if not my food.
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1/28/2022 - lepetitchateau wrote: 93 Points
Bright and sweet, earthy, rich and open - yum.
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1/22/2022 - don_quichotte Likes this wine: 94 Points
In it’s prime drinking window. Tannins fully resolved but plenty of vigor left. Textbook giacosa Barolo. Tar, liquorice, roses. Long. Very fragrant. Last glass the best so won’t collapse overnight.
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12/21/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
This was a highlight thanks to to good aromatic intensity, high precision but especially the absolute harmony and weightless feel. This is in a great early drinking window but can will certainly gain with more age and more teritary complexity. 95 pts today. With a strong menthol note, which seems to be typical for this wine/vineyard according to a friend, this reminded me a touch of a well-aged Martha’s Vineyard from Heitz with a Barolo soul.
TN: Medium+ expressive on the nose which displays intense, sexy menthol notes, smoke, tar wrapped around a wonderful dark red berry core. The palate shows high precision with the same menthol, dark red berry, some rose water, tar, graphite, some faint tobacco aromas from the attack through to the medium length finish. Very light, weightless feel, superb balance, very fine tannins, no hard edges, a good , medium+, round and perfectly integrated acidity. Quite complete and balanced.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary.
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12/11/2021 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Swoon. An absolutely stunning btl of Barolo, that has plenty of gas in the tank. The nose was a shimmering cascade of blood orange, dusted with dried roses, cranberry, menthol, dried herbs. On the palate: fantastic acidity and density. So powerful while simultaneously weightless, still some finely grained velvety tannin on the finish, but fantastic.
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11/13/2021 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
White Truffles & Nebbiolo - 2021 Edition (Chicago, IL): Similar to the SS but more amped up in every way. In the middle of a long drinking window that will probably outlive me.
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11/13/2021 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VI (Chicago, IL): Beautifully light and elegant, this was more lifted and red-fruited than the 2001 Santo Stefano (di Neive). Crystalline purity here, with the red fruit the real star of the show, even if there are a good amount of tannins still (though they feel slightly powdery). Most at the table preferred this to the SS; I was probably the opposite because I thought the SS was more enjoyable paired with food.
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10/16/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
SO'd for an hour the night before then double decanted for 2 hrs, pale garnet/tawny, rose with some raisin on the nose, cherries on the palate, med. tannins, mod/long finish; outstanding & one of the better barolos I have had & fully mature, drink
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10/15/2021 - cct wrote: 97 Points
2001 Barolo and Barbaresco Retrospective (La Cuchara, Baltimore): 2001 Barolo-Barbaresco Horizontal .
La Cuchara, Baltimore
Opened at 8AM, decanted form noon to 5pm, then drunk over several hours at dinner
Roses, tar, balsamic and ferrous notes on the nose. This has a terrific sense of sap and density, yet a little more poise than the other (non Pie Franco) Serralunga bottles tonight. Expansive and deep on the palate, with more spice, medicinal, and savory notes. This has wonderful palate presence: expansive yet fresh with terrific lift, poise, and a sense of calm and harmony. Youthfully delicious.
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5/8/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
The Gang Drinks Blind (Mesa Verde Country Club in the OC): Served blind as part of a 2001 Italian flight. Of note, I had this same wine back in late 2018 and I didn't care for it. Like this week, that wine was served blind as part of a Giacosa flight and I found the 2001 Falletto both fumes and over-ripe that night. So, having a chance to retaste it blind was cool, as this time the wine showed terrific. Accessible, with a fine balance between the acid, fruit and weight. The length was spot-on too. My favorite of the flight.
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3/16/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vibrant cherry with resolved tannin and a deep mahogany wood character. While I am not a die hard Barolo guy, I did enjoy this wine.
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2/20/2021 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
This is pure heaven right away showing off a real expressive side filling the glass with crushed rocks, sour Red cherries, raspberries, cranberries, rose petals, tobacco, leather, earth, violets, and balsamic notes. The Full bodied feel is deep and layered with tart, high acidity and silky, high tannins. The structure is starting to resolve and reveal a gorgeous and refined feel. This is a real knockout and a special Barolo. This is in full flight right now and there's no reason to feel like it will drop off any time soon.
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2/6/2021 - Bob H wrote:
Very nice - roses, tar & menthol on the nose; better on the nose at this point - the palate is nice, but still feels like it needs some time to unwind (this was popped & poured). While there is no harm in drinking this now, if you only have a bottle or two, I would still advise giving it some more time in the cellar.
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1/23/2021 - Red Sox Fan wrote:
I’ve got a number of Barolos that are now 20 years old, and I open one every year or so, and there are nice strawberry, rose, tea and oriental spice flavors, and I marvel at the age of the wine, and then I open a Cabernet because the Barolo just doesn’t do it for me.
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1/10/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
at this point in its life it is still pretty bright and lifted with medium to med-minus body, nice acidity with what felt like purple fruit and most tannins absorbed and a little secondary character (which was hard to identify)... overall impression of the body being a tad in hiding for this bottle
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1/4/2021 - Fractalage Likes this wine:
2020 was a bizarre year indeed with most tasting opportunities shut down!
But still, having tasted a good amount of stuff from all over the world, the best that I tasted of 2020 is this one.
Hands down winner.
And best my life.
Yes, this wine was the best of my entire life.
I think I am ruined now.
Thank you.
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12/25/2020 - Fractalage Likes this wine:
Bottle number 332.
Purchased at auction.
Let rest upright for 16 months.
Wednesday, 23rd December, two days before planning on drinking, used Durand to open, but did not need it. Cork was in great shape and held no TCA.
Slowly poured out using LED to stop when the sediment smoke showed.
Double decanted. Had to swish the bottle thoroughly with the left-over sediment laden juice.
It had no nose.
Most aged Barolo are very open right on first decant then close back up, but this one had nothing.
It had energy on the palate, but still not ready. This will probably be better on Christmas day.
The second day, Christmas Eve, it still had no nose, even after a fresh pour that sat in the glass for an hour. Palate was incredible and full of energy, but still not ready.
What?! I was surprised, but indeed it was so.
This indicated that this is might be a 50 year bottle. 2051 or more!
On the third day...
Ironic that here on Christmas evening it was just perfect!
Watch out for too much air. It will make it oxidized.
It needed just enough air incorporated to let it softly, slowly open into the sweet spot. Double decanting 48 hours in advance was the ticket. Make sure to keep it at about 65-degree temperature to provide the perfect slow ox temperature. The bottle provided just enough air surface area to bring that oxygen in to the just right place.
Jeez, it was just perfect on Christmas evening!
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, herbs, and tar.
Then the palate, wow! Here, 48 hours later, at first sip, it was almost nothing but airy roses and then the herbs kicked in with cardamom, dried orange peel, wild desert stuff, touches of dried cherries, then BAM the mid hit and the finish was an explosion of energy. This was a wine nuclear powerplant of stuff going on. It carried and carried on and on with power. It was a volcano. Those herbs morphed into depths of Vulcan embers that smoldered on the tongue and just burned there for what seemed like a very long time to carry off into a mouth coating of tar and millions of tiny explosions finishing in luxurious tar laden honeycomb. I detected some hoisin, dense complex BBQ rub, smoke, menthol, and tobacco.
Each sip brought something new.
There were caramelized embers, grip, and herbal extract with a light brown sugar coat.
This bottle at auction cost less that the retail of the Insignia, which was opened Christmas Eve, (see my review) but delivered so far and beyond. Price to enjoyment here was at a unique place. I must say that it was worth the investment, which for most wines at $200, I cannot say the same thing.
This bottle was iconic. It was something that blew me away. Its energy was just a joy to discover and enjoy.
I will be painting with the other two bottles.
Legendary!
Bruno, we salute you from Earth to Heaven!
These bottles must carry you to higher degrees of light in that place beyond, for surely the Gods are absolutely pleased at your craft’s results.
What would Jesus drink? Bruno Giacosa!
In my mind I imagine that the Gods possess those who drink soma as this, for that is how they enjoy the earthly, human-created heaven that is beyond their lofty residence. These corporal experiences are why humans were created. Each of these moments treasured and captured in the Akasha for all eternity.
Imagine if you could drink Mozart! Or drink Rembrandt! What would you pay for that?
Thank you Bruno Giacosa!
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12/24/2020 - Dave Canada wrote: 95 Points
This is a dark, gorgeous monster.
Black cherry, balsamic, leather, menthol, sweet baking spice, rosehip, asphalt, raspberry liquor and eucalyptus that transitions into an intensely mineral laden long, long finish. This is really drinking well today.
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12/24/2020 - Fractalage Likes this wine:
Double decanted on the 23rd. Still closed.
No nose.
It has energy on the palate, but still not ready. This will probably be better on Christmas day.
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11/29/2020 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Full bodied, youthful, nice acidity. Double decanted, minimal sediment, touch of amer at the edges initially, opened up with air as we went. Cherries, raspberries, earth, spice, tobacco, a bit of floral/roses/violets. Great wine, first of three, and wish I bought more when released. Looking forward to the next two.
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11/7/2020 - Arsene Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blodrød kjerne til mursteinsrød mot lett orange rand. Klassisk Barolo på duft. Flotte aromaer som nesten fyller rommet. Modne kirsebær, roser, vanilje, tjære og lær.
Tøff og stram munnfølelse. Tidlig tanninrik men to tre timer i karaffel mykner vinen på en forførerisk måte. Fortsatt syrefrisk og mørke deilige røde bær driver vinen opp til ett høyere nivå. Dette er elegant og godt. Her er lakris og høstløv. Halvtørr deilig avslutning med litt menthol til slutt. Varer lenge.
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8/6/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Same as prior notes. Still needs time.
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3/21/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted one hour before service - a bit of fine sediment at the bottom. In the glass, deep auburn. On the nose, cherries, oak, and a bit of raisin. On the palate, the depth and ever-so-slight midpalate sweetness that exemplifies Giacosa is present, but so was a slight reductive note reminiscent of port. Nice bottle of wine, no doubt, but I was expecting quite a bit more, based on past experience. At least on visual inspection, the cork was in reasonable shape, so is it possible that this bottle was slightly over the hill? Maybe. Hard to know if this bottle was representative, but it might be time to check in...
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3/15/2020 - pcwoz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely. Really traditional but so so good. I could be underscoring. Lovely weight, balance. Tannins nicely integrated. Liquorice, darker red fruits (fading but still there), loads of minerality (iron?), that tar element is fab
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2/11/2020 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Vinci-Dave Dryoff visits town (Vinci, Chicago IL): Nose: There is a refined and understated power with deep tones of red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spice tones, leather, roasted herbs, licorice, earth notes, and loads of violets.
Taste: The feel is full bodied with tart, high acidity and silky, high tannins. There is still some rebellious youth to the structure but it has balanced out beautifully. The feel underneath the structure is poised and deep with red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spice tones, leather, licorice, earth notes, and violets.
Overall: Yet again, this is killing it. This is in a wonderful spot and should absolutely be enjoyed now. It's not even close to falling apart anytime soon and should give a lot of joy for years to come.
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2/5/2020 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still would benefit from more age for sure
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1/13/2020 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
(mostly) Castiglione Falletto vs Serralunga, 2005-earlier (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: Oh wow, this is something special immediately as my nose gets near the glass. So much depth and expression with strawberries, red cherries, raspberries, cranberries, licorice, rose petals, tobacco, leather, roasted herbs, and spice notes with a touch of tar.
Taste: The feel is full bodied with mouthwatering, high acidity and silky, high tannins. The tannins are still very much there, but they are receding a bit and revealing a light-heavyweight of a feel with strawberries, red cherries, raspberries, licorice, rose petals, tobacco, leather, and roasted herbs.
Overall: This is a knockout of a Barolo. It is showing off all of the hallmarks that comes with aging as this has hit that next level. There is so much depth and elegance with an understated power that is immensely enjoyable.
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1/13/2020 - CADomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gained weight from when I opened this wine 12 hours before. Tons of depth and class. Licorice, tar, and dark fruit. Wonderful weight and fine tannin.
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1/11/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deeply traditional Barolo with lots of earth, acid and leather but there’s enough rustic fruit to support it. Very interesting and probably even compelling if you are a Nebbiolo fanatic. I greatly appreciate it as it was my Wine of the Night among an octet of Barolo.
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1/11/2020 - DougLee wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Medium garnet color with lightening at the edges. Dense, potent nose of salty earth, camphor, soy, asphalt, violets, alpine air, damp cellar. Integrated layers of autumnal strawberry and black cherry fruit on the palate girded by deep earth, tar, and iodine. Surprisingly zippy acidity and structured tannin leading to a long finish of echoing red and black fruit supported by superb rocky structure and firm grip. Absolutely beautiful and open at this stage.
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12/25/2019 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Wines with Christmas DInner (Home): ~7 hour decant. This is a magical Barolo and so typical for Giacosa with harmonious balance over an elegant, ethereal frame. Cherry and strawberry fruit profile with florals, licorice and emerging road tar. Still super young but no harm to drink this now with extended air.
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10/31/2019 - T.E.D. wrote: 93 Points
Intense and complex. Rose box, crunchy mineral, tangy cherry.
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10/12/2019 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still youthful, needed 90 minutes in decanter
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5/7/2019 - Beachfan Likes this wine: 94 Points
More upside possible with a little more age! But great now.
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1/19/2019 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty average - decanted for 4 hours and drank over 2 but not much development or standout taste
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1/5/2019 - Ben F Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner with friends, Mill Valley, CA. Opened, decanted and returned to bottle 6 hrs prior to serving. From 750ml.
First from a 1/2 case bought on release. Youthful but engaging nose, fuller and rounder than expected, with considerable tightness on the palate from the still youthful tannins. Very enjoyable to check in on this wine, but it's still early days for my palate. Will leave the others to rest for a while yet.
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11/2/2018 - brigcampbell wrote:
Blind: seems sweet compared to the others in the lineup. Didn't really enjoy this one.
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10/31/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasted blind, as part of a 4 wine flight of various Giacosa, with all wines opened about 5 hrs before consuming. This was my least favorite of the flight. It came across as fumey to me, as if there was some residual alcohol that was bothering the aromatic. Hard red cherry fruit candy, which comes off to me candied in tone. Seems very ripe to me, jammy, not like the other Giacosa we had.
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10/8/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great barolo in a sweet spot. Tannins soft and approachable with nice tar and sweetness on the nose. Really lovely
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9/8/2018 - sbfoote wrote:
Unapproachable and not that interesting day one. I missed day two, but was informed that it was "singing".
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7/15/2018 - Dalex Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brief tasting tonight with a clerico ciabert mentin. This was stunning. As it was a brief testing of multiple wines I can only comment that this had a meaty flavor component unlike most other nebiolos
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1/28/2018 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 96 Points
The cork was perfect with only a slight discolouration on the tip. Lovely light ruby colour with a little orange bricking. Nose was open with flowers, spices and red berries. Wine was perfectly balanced, medium body with the red berries and a honey taste in the background. It continued to develop on time, adding even more balance and complexity. Drinking perfectly but significant potential to age further. What a great wine and lovely treat.
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1/13/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Intense funky nose of dark berries and smoky Brett. None of the Brett shows up on the palate though. The wine has excellent intensity and a great backbone of acidity but also plenty of crunchy dark cherry fruit with notes of underbrush, tar, licorice and spices and a lovely savory texture developing. Really tangy and grippy on the finish with a great spicy intensity. This is a lively wine that I think is just beginning to drink well and I feel it’s one of the best white label Falletto’s in the making. 93+
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1/12/2018 - Tad GW wrote:
50+5+13+17+9=94
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1/10/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
A Study of Falletto di Serralunga (La Pizza Fresca): The ‘01 Falletto was remarkably pretty and undeniably classic, as gorgeous floral perfumes and dusty spice wafted up from the glass, giving way to crushed cherry, smoke, and “sweet” undergrowth. It grew deeper and richer with time in the bottle, taking on an earthy and sweet herbal persona. On the palate, I found juicy, feminine, acid-driven textures, with notes of crushed tart cherry, lifting minerality, sous boix, and fine tannin that saturated the senses, yet never dried them out. The finish was long and energetic with a coating of classic tannin, inner florals and sweet minerals. This only got better and better throughout the evening, as I found myself regretting that I didn’t buy more when it was first released. Totally classic.
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12/13/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
The ‘01 Falletto showed all of the classic hallmarks of the vintage married to the Giscosa style. The bouquet was lifted and pure with a sweet-and-sour persona, as spicy black cherry mixed with sweet herbs and hints of savory tomato leaf. On the palate, I found silky textures that were quickly offset by a combination of dusty minerals and crystalline tannin, as tense, youthful crisp red fruits were ushered across the senses by brisk acidity. The finish was long, showing its youthful tannin with saturating tart red fruits. We still have a ways to go before the ‘01 is in its perfect drinking window, but this night’s bottle was enjoyable on potential alone.
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12/11/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 60 Points
Ooh, no no no. Vinegar, port, mederized, brown sugar. If somebody told me this was a dessert wine from the 40s, I would happily taken a few sips with some cheese. But my expectations was of course something completely different, hopes of another magic Nebbiolo. What happened to this bottle?cooked? Bad storage? Bad corke? (It's not TCA corked) Insights anyone?
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12/10/2017 - kenthecpa wrote:
Coravin with ribs. Mindy no wine.
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10/27/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Brooding and dense right now. This was showing well, but you know there is so much more to give. Great concentration without being heavy -- tannins are firm yet suave. Will be better in 10+ years.
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10/27/2017 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume II (Chicago, IL): Of the three 2001 white labels, this was the one that really hit the spot for me (most others preferred the Asili). I found this concentrated, dark, and brooding, with a really intense fruit profile that worked really well with the earthiness and florals. And despite the relatively darker character of this wine, there's a contrast with the lightness and lift which is really enjoyable.
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10/2/2017 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and let sit for 5 hours on first note. Not enough time. Wine didn't open up until day 2 and was fabulous. Remained solid on day 3. Translucent reddish orange in color. Doesn't give up much on the nose. Fills the palate with tart sour cherry flavor which lingers for a long time and dissolves gracefully. This has plenty of years left!
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8/18/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Pop n' pour as a back-up to a flawed Barolo (99 Vajra BdV). This was quite good but way too young. Fun to peak at the wine now in any event. Ethereal and silky with firm tannic grip on the back end.
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4/27/2017 - AMRS wrote: 92 Points
Open for 3 hours now, bright red with no brown rims. Nose still young with some shiny hedonist smell of new oak that decreases as it stays in the glass for 15 min. Nice sharp red fruit on the palate, but not fully open for business yet. This one needs 5 years for the oak to fully integrate and for terroir to be more dominant. Still very good now. Drink 2020-2030. 90 points now, potentially 94-95. So score is 92.
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12/3/2016 - the godfather wrote:
4.75 stars, as good as any giacosa I've had. 8 hour slo ox, 100 nose, impeccable balance
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9/10/2016 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clean ruby color. Somewhat tannic upon opening, but becomes soft and lush with air. Cherries, tar, some anise on the palate; cherry and rose aromas. All elegantly balanced. Classic Barolo. Drink now or hold through 2021.
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6/13/2016 - Bob H wrote:
Uncorked and sampled for a dinner tomorrow night.
Light translucent ruby; menthol & red fruits on the nose.
Like the Asili, this is very tannic on opening. Tonight, this is all about potential right now.
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1/21/2016 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
2016 Sella Ronda Ski Trip; 1/21/2016-1/24/2016 (Alta Badia, Italy): Decanted for 30 minutes.
Crossing paths with such a wine is always a joy. A beautiful classic Barolo and much like 5 or so years when we tried it last ( Papies 94) it has a feminine and subtle face. Lovely cherry, light tar notes, evolved but still very much fruit driven ( in a traditional style though) good depth and elegance. Proper stuff here. 93-94 and very good.
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12/28/2015 - lepetitchateau wrote:
Not nearly as interesting this time - perhaps the Caribbean air, but this lacks depth or verve. Argh.
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8/16/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
another great bottle. Christmas spice
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8/9/2015 - ledwards wrote: 90 Points
Partially closed down. The promise is there as extended air loosens it up but muted today.
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4/15/2015 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Dégustation FOUDUVIN au RESTO AVV The Main kitchen!
Super jeune et fringant, belle trame tannique, en a encore sous la pédale.
Goudron et anis au nez. Prunes, réglisse et moka en bouche, un peu asséchant. Bien.
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3/31/2015 - beatles wrote: 97 Points
Barolo 2010 & 2001 (chez moi): Old school, intense, elegant - and seem ready and open with cherry stones, camphor and a little smokiness. Tannins in the aftertaste. Tasted blind, it wins the battle vs Monfertino, actually - I have the same impression on day 2; intense, living - huge wine.
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1/1/2015 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
2nd January, 2015 with Bud and Liz, Chris and John, Marc and Justine, Lottie and Moss (Eketahuna, New Zealand): Stunning old-school wine that is etherial but savagely tannic in the mouth. Lovely and classic Barolo perfume. The delicacy of the flavors work really well with food and are multi-layered and very complex. This is fabulous but I think needs at least another 5-7 years to bring balance.
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12/7/2014 - ledwards wrote: 96 Points
Completely consistent with my last and Keith's note below. Given such consistency and the wine's classicism, the future is even more encouraging. Again, tight- needs 2-4 hours and then opens into a slightly restrained but elegant wine with red label- like fruit component, lead and chalky notes on mid palate. You can get lost in this wine thinking about the subtle layers. Buy if you can as it's future is even better.
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10/27/2014 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Chicago Rotating Dinner Series - 2001 Piedmont (Osteria Langhe - Chicago, IL): This has P-R-O-M-I-S-E written all over it. The youth of this wine was painfully evident with the barrage of tannis you get on the palate. The nose was really great though. Truly hypnotic. Multiple layers of earthy red fruits, smokey tobacco, and roses. What I'm hoping is that as the tannins recede, the underlying fruit mirror the gorgeous aromas it had. Hold, hold, hold.
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10/27/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
Rotating Dinner Series- A tour of 2001 Barolo (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: While there is a tightness to the nose, it is deep, elegant, and savory with licorice, dark red cherries, strawberries, tar, rose petals, roasted herbs, wild flowers, and some bits of earth. There is real polish and perfume to the nose that just draws you in with each passing moment.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with big chewy tannins and high acidity. The structure is extremely youthful and noticeable with licorice, dark red cherries, strawberries, tar, roses, roasted herbs, and some incense.
Overall: Though the structure is showing off the youth of the wine, there is real class and elegance to this with a lot of depth. This can and will get even better from here.
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9/13/2014 - chanukha wrote: 88 Points
Another Italian wine with tannins not worked out after 13 years.
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9/12/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): Muted black fruit nose. Soft and beautiful in the mouth. Wow! Surprisingly forward, I thought this was the 99.
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9/12/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was earthy and somewhat vegetal with tart red berry, sweet peas, and parchment. With time the fruit became sweeter and dark, yet a formidable earthiness remained. On the palate, it was lean showing tart red berry and spice, which lingered throughout the finish with stern structural components tugging at the cheeks.
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8/21/2014 - ClausJ wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful ruby color - vibrant cherry nose.
Developed over the first 3 hours with a brief shut down after an hour.
Dark berries berries herbs all in a strong structure.
Tannin most certainly promises further development and I guess at least 3 years before the next bottle should be opened.
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4/15/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with prior notes. Great fruit. Tannin needs time to integrate.
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4/8/2014 - clayfu wrote:
Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley Day 2 (Napa Valley): needed about 30 minutes in the decanter to bloom. Filled the whole glass with rose petal, roasted meats and dark red fruit. The tannins were firm but forgiving and the dark fruit was starting to come out on the palate.
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1/24/2014 - vespa110 wrote: 93 Points
Granato limpido,profuma di nebbiolo con fruttini rossi piccoli e dolci, spezie dolci e fiori, bocca tannica fitta, fruttata con finale fresco e fragrante.
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1/18/2014 - bill00 wrote: 93 Points
Really nice young Barolo. Consistent notes with recent bottle.
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1/17/2014 - jrkennedy37 Likes this wine:
Elegant barolo completely in its primary phase.
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12/25/2013 - bill00 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful young Barolo. Still very primary dark cherry fruit. Great complexity and balance. Drinking quite well young with very smooth tannins but should age nicely.
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11/16/2013 - ttholst wrote: 91 Points
Litt fersk og hard, men kommer til å bli super om 10 år
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11/10/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful Barolo. A tad tighter and drier than my last bottle.
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9/22/2013 - ledwards wrote: 96 Points
Thankfully we did a 2.5hour decant. Sublime and lingering layers of stoney earth, pencil lead, licorice and dark fruits. Great length. For me, this bottle is a classic.
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6/27/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
At home. Interesting nose of red fruit, tar, figs, plum and iron. Beautiful pure red and black fruit with cinnamon on the palate. Glossy texture. Rich and creamy with a long finish emphasizing dusty tannin. Really nice.
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6/7/2013 - Teacher of Likes this wine: 96 Points
Verticale Barolo Falletto di Bruno Giacosa 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998 e 1997 (7 Giugnio 2013).
2004 Falletto: alla vista è granato appena evoluto vivace, al naso si presenta un po chiuso con note di tabacco ed eucalipto con sentori di spezie e prugna. All'esame gustativo entra sottile e caldo, con tannini sottili, ma lunghi. Una bella struttura! Questo vino è da dimenticare in cantina ed avrà una vita lunga. Il suo stato "giovanile" non gli rende giustizia, specie all'olfatto,lasciando comprendere le grandi potenzialità di questa splendida annata di Serrelunga, ma la piacevolezza e la godibilità della sua evoluzione inizierà a trapelare non prima di 7/8 anni.
2001 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato vivace, al naso spiccano le note di chicco di caffè e sentori di caruba, con una sottile alternanza di frutto e vegetale. In bocca è ampio, con tannino pieno, molto lungo. E' un capolavoro! Sicuramente il migliore della verticale. Anche questa bottiglia però è da lasciare in cantina per anni, al fine di poterlo bere al pieno della sua evoluzione.
1999 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato evoluto prevalgono note di caffè, liquirizia, funghi, terra e humus. in bocca si ritrovano le note di caffè e funghi, ma il 1999 ha una lunghezza moderata. E' il più deludente dei 5. In verità questo eccellente millesimo si presenta, in tutte e tre le bottiglie, eccessivamente evoluto, forse troppo anche se senza arrivare ai sentori medicinali e comunque non così persistente. Deludente.
1998 Falletto: alla vista granato evoluto, al naso note di caffè e frutta secca. In bocca si presenta avvolgente, elegante e minerale con prevalenti note balsamiche e sentori di cuoio. Il più piacevole del quintetto per evoluzione, ampiezza ed eleganza.
1997 Falletto: di colore granato evoluto, ma compatto. Al naso sentori di rabarbaro e prugna secca, forse non troppo ampio. Al palato si presenta con tannini sottili e lunghi con sentori di spezie. Il 1997 è un'annata osannata, ma in realtà un po troppo calda e spesso non rispecchia le aspettative. In questo caso il vino ha una notevole struttura, ma personalmente lascia qualche perplessità sull'armonia e la completezza.
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4/30/2013 - clayfu wrote:
Deathly young on the pop and pour. needed about 6 hours to really open up. When it did you got a bunch of black olives, tea leaves, dark berry fruit mixed in with copious amounts of earth with this big brutish structure.
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10/29/2012 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 94 Points
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco and Barolo Vertical (Salone di Gusto, Torino, Italy): Medium(-) ruby-garnet with orange rim, viscous @ 14% abv. Medium developed savory aromas of earth, truffle, red fruit, cherries, ham, blood, soft spices, complex and elegant. Dry, medium acidity, medium(+) ripe tannins, and medium(+) alcohol. Medium(+) flavors of truffle, red fruits, blood, some saltiness, mineral/clay, leather: a great and complex palate. Great power and structure, great length and perfect balance with persistent finish. Not quite as elegant nor as monumental as 2004 which still means a great wine. Loads of cellar potential 10+ yrs. Do not drink now.
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5/18/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Birthday Giacosas (Antico, Chicago IL): nose: wonderfully deep and gorgeous nose filled with all sorts of tones of dark red fruits, berries, tar, roasted herbs, incense and a lot of fresh picked roses. This took a bit to unwind and really show itself.
taste: utterly thrashing tannins at first. Certainly on the oppressive side with high acidity. This is painfully young right now on the palate. It does reveal deep tones of red fruits, berries, roasted herbs, tar, and a lot of red florals.
overall: I had given this about 3 hours in the decanter and another 2 in bottle and it was still brutally young. There is a lot behind this though and it more than has the ability to be a complete stunner.
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5/18/2012 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Giacosa Dinner (Antico - Chicago, IL): Yummy stuff that's about 20 years too young. The tannins are so strong at this point that it's hard to enjoy the wonderfully silky fruit that's somewhere underneath. Will be a fun wine down the line to revisit.
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5/10/2012 - dream wrote: 91 Points
Lovely complex nose of road tar, spicy red fruits and ether. A spicy and complex wine that is lighter-bodied than I expected. Delicious dark cherry fruit with notes of tar and leather. Finishes with very dry tannins and a lovely spice component. A very elegant wine that is less substantial that I hoped for and it lacks a middle palate but it becomes more tannic with air so I'm assuming more time is needed. 91+?
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3/13/2012 - Dale M wrote: 95 Points
My second Giacosa, and I’ll I can say is…….wow. My first bottle, the 03 Rocche was complex, elegant and certainly fun to drink, but upon reflection I wonder how much of that was due to the label. Conversely, this 01 Falleto was showing every quality that I desire in high end wine, and did so with power, grace, Christ, it was good. Decanted for 8 hrs. The nose was throwing out all kinds of ridiculous Nebbiolo charms like it was a Mardi Gras float: roses, soy, fresh earth, dark cherries etc. etc. Overt yes, but showing a reserved side, still much more to come I think. The palate (and surprisingly so) was immediate and generous, coating the mouth with rich and decadent dark fruit, but quickly gained a light and weightless feel that caressed both the palate as well as the soul. I’m sure there were tannins and acidity present, but this beauty was so well balanced and synched that until I wrote this tn, did I even think or consider those traits. The finish just stayed and stayed and stayed. If one thinks this will improve further, hey, I’ll go along with that, but the bottle I had on Sunday night deserves serious consideration if you have a few in the cellar.
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3/4/2012 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ok, so I couldn't resist. Promised myself I would hold these for a few more years. But one year on from the last bottle, I wanted to try it again. This is a brilliant wine - it's ruby red and relatively light coloured in the decanter. Very strong fruit, turning to darker fruits as the it airs.
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2/4/2012 - Lombardi wrote: 94 Points
Intense and pure nose. You get no oak at all here, which is great. Some initial complex notes that could be attributed to the time in bottle. Spices, wild game, strawberries. Full-bodied but lite and fresh as the acidity makes it clean and elegant. Lots of red fruits. Tannins are at this point quite firm, which gives a nice edge to the finish. Mdeium++ finish. Simply great. Overall, this reaffirms the idea that the Giacosa white labels are a great way to go (as opposed to the unaffordable red labels). This wine will hold for couple more decades.
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6/29/2011 - lepetitchateau wrote: 94 Points
love, love and yet more love!! This was beautiful wine, and what great Italian wine is all about. It started a bit slow but unlike some reviewers we found this bottle to be open for business. It was showing strawberry and dried leaves, a delicacy to the fruit yet a powerful and intense personaltiy. As it evolved, it just got better and better, more intense and rich. A lovely wine, even T seemed to enjoy!
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4/15/2011 - Lombardi wrote: 94 Points
What an amazing wine. Young but already layered and complex. Intense nose and palate. Firm and balanced structure. Medium+ finish. Obviously this can be aged for another decade or two given the intensity of the fruit and accompanying structure. Decanted for 30min before started serving. Good choice out of Babbo (NYC) wine list.
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4/5/2011 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
They say that it is a crime to even touch a Barolo before it's 10 years of age. In this case, whilst it wasn't perhaps a crime, there is still much more time needed for this wine. It will, though, show very well in a few years and I will hold the remaining 4 bottles I have until perhaps 2015.
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12/25/2010 - GBK wrote: 88 Points
needs time
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11/23/2010 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Bruno Giacosa Wines with Bruna Giacosa (The Sampler, London): Dense wine with lots of sweet red fruit. Black Cherries.A feminine barolo , very classic and pure. Very expressive and complex. Vibrant too and will age nicely. Both of us had this as WOTN and definitely one we will look to buy.
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6/11/2010 - il_diavolo wrote: 93 Points
nose not so expressive. with time it evolves into a complex and powerful traditional style barolo. good length and intensity. still early and needs to improve more but this looks promising for 5-10 years down the line.
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5/20/2010 - Jossik wrote: 90 Points
Ancora un po' legnosetto balsamico, poi esce un bel frutto dolce, lampone, in generale frutta di bosco e dopo un po' il classico brodino-
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4/18/2010 - DKelly wrote: 93 Points
very good
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3/15/2010 - TannicBeast wrote: 93 Points
Pappas Bros. Barolo Tasting. One of the best wines of the evening. Extremely tannic and earthy, this wine needs another 5-10 years to reach its peak.
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2/21/2010 - DianeR wrote: 93 Points
Limited notes on this wine. Noted cherry, smoky meat, spice, and truffle.
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9/3/2007 - MattJ wrote: 93 Points
My first giacosa barolo so my expectations were high. Ruby red, beautiful nose of cherries. Drank without decanting. Very pure delicious fruit on the pallate and smooth. Nice balance. Fine tannins on the finish that were not harsh. Not particularly complex. On the 2nd and 3rd days this aspect improved a little. Probably too young so room for upside. A good solid traditional style barolo but not one that would have me rushing back to buy more at this price point.
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4/1/2007 - 97mjr wrote:
Popped and poured. Loved it. Classic profile, rose pedals, red berries, leather. Great concentration. Very enjoyable. Started to close after an hour but was gone by that time
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3/10/2007 - Scheper wrote: 94 Points
Far too young right now but very impressive already. great structure and great fruit.
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5/6/2006 - goofy Yno wrote: 96 Points
tasted at WS Grand Tour- WOW!! what a wine. even right out of the bottle- waves of rose and tar envelop my nose. red fruits. surprisingly drinkable. round velvet tannins and a strong presence of fruit give this a very masculine feel. my WOTN- and a keeper. note to self- get more.
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5/5/2006 - goofy Yno wrote: 96 Points
roses, tar, masculine, nice sweet tannins
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4/22/2006 - rbaskin wrote:
very traditional
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