Grand Sichuan, Jersey City edition (Grand Sichuan, Grove St.): Seth's bottle - he said he decanted this around 9 AM, and about 9 hours later it was only just starting to open out. First impressions were of a wine that was still somewhat tight, showing a beautiful core of red and dark fruited flavours accented by savoury herbal, floral, and tarry notes, but with a firm tannic spine dominating on the back end. Still more air helped ease out the tannin a bit more (though it never entirely relents), and brought out more aromatic depth as the various non-fruited elements became more prominent around the core of bright fruit. Lovely wine - even if it needs a lot more time to be 'ready', I'm glad for the opportunity to drink it now.
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Jersey Boys (Grand Sichuan, Jersey City, NJ): Trying the remains (with a little sediment) after decanting the bottle this morning for a dinner tonight. This was very clenched when poured. With a bit of air, it’s still closed but starting to show beauty underneath - really urgent and potent red fruits and roses. Almost candied but with such structure and acid. The palate is very similar in its own way - enters closed showing earth and some leather but there are swirls of red sweetness and florals under there. The finish is clenched and tart.
About 8 hours later after some decanting and double decanting: Finally opening a bit. Rosss, spices, sweet marzipan. Clenched like a MF on the palate - Lots of spice and roses w some tar. Really pure and fierce and with tons in reserve. Sour cherry. Hard to rate but superb potential.
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Good Barolo and Barbaresco (67 Pall Mall): Another really strong wine. Such a beautiful nose, everything nicely integrated and some delightfully sweet strawberry fruit. Neat and tidy on the palate, again with the pretty red fruit, excellent balance of structure and acidity, and a savoury finish. A lovely bottle - my #3 and the group's #2.
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Nick’s Barolo and Barbaresco (67 Pall Mall, London): Pale garnet. Smoky, earthy and mineral but with a lovely floral top note. Elegant and composed. Notes are a bit sparse on this one but I remember enjoying it
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Ruby color with just a slight garnet. Nose is very forward, with red fruit and underbrush. Full body, very giving with sift tannins and very long finish. This drinks great right now.
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Fantastic showing. Beautiful Giacosa in perfect form. Nice Giacosa VA on opening, the tannins are still there even after 2 hour decant. With more air, it became more and more delicate and red fruited. By the end of the night, it was in a perfect spot to drink. These have a long way to go still.
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Earth, balsamic, minty herbs. Classically fresh on the palate, lovely balance. Develops lovely fresh aromatics with air. Lovely elegance on the palate. No fireworks from this but it’s textbook Nebbiolo. ‘Merely exquisite’!
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Beautiful nose of earth and roses that steadily evolved over the evening towards roses and raspberries. Much secondary on the palate, earthy, and vibrant. Still of lots of tannins. Decant several hours in advance if you can (we didn’t). Lacked a bit in the mid palate so not the best bottle but still a joy and great with dinner.
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01/04 pairing. The 01 was my and the group's clear favorite with more red fruit that is open knit with floral/spice/earth complexities more apparent and available. In an early peak drinking window.
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"The stench is dissipating" (Chicago, IL): No. 13791. Perfumed, aromatic, and red-fruited, this is Giacosa in classic form. Extremely youthful fruit expression, especially in comparison to the 2004, this is simply precise and crystalline. Hard to pick out any distinct secondary characteristics on this right now. Silky textured, with plenty of tannins, though they are far more subtle and less overt than most other wines on the table tonight.
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Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml purchased on release in US. Decanted and returned to bottle 6 hrs prior to serving.
A stunning wine, exploding from the glass with an enthralling mix of pure fruit, flowers and soil. Long engaging finish. Paired perfecting with grilled tritip. Fully open at this point, although no hint of decline on the horizon. This is why one cellars wines….
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VI (Chicago, IL): It's so interesting to reread my old notes and discover that I felt the opposite way about this wine when compared to the Falletto a few years ago. Goes to show how fickle palates are and how little value these notes have in terms of reproducibility. Anyway, today, I found this wine the darker of the two, with more black fruit and a sterner tannic structure, all of which made it a better pairing for a delicious rabbit ragu over polenta.
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Singing. At the early end of a long drinking window with plump, rich strawberry and cherry fruit balanced with grippy tannin. Some leathery complexity is starting to emerge along with floral nuances.
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Classic, if quiet Nebbiolo. Leather, cedar, touch of anise with gentle tannin. Restrained wine that one has to listen closely to hear, but says things worth hearing.
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No formal note. Served during a post Thanksgiving dinner and really didn't attract a lot of attention. Tight -- solid wine but never really unfolded fully over the course of the evening.
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Piedmont Lunch: Significantly more mature than when last drunk, but still quite a young and very fresh wine. Elegant, floral, nose with rose and violets, and quite understated. A different experience to the bigger wines alongside, but representative of the range of what great Nebbiolo can be.
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Courtesy of Fut. Cherry and rose petal notes in abundance on the nose and palate. Shows nice tannins and acidity, adding sandalwood and balsamic in the midpalate and finish. Absolutely lovely- I could have spent the entire evening with my nose in the glass. Thanks, bro!
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Opened and drank over two hours. Wish I could have waited longer...but I couldn’t. Soft, gentle pale red color; bold spicey strong taste. Beautiful now beautiful later.
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My least favorite of the 01 Giacosa Asili/Santo Stefano/Barolo flight. Just seemed more subdued next to the sensational Asili and brooding Barolo. Good, not great showing. Will only get better with 10+ years. Decanted for ~12 hours.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume II (Chicago, IL): This bottle fell a little flat in comparison to the Falletto and Asili. While it had many of the same light red fruited characteristics as the Asili, all in all, this was a less intense and concentrated version of that wine. The palate also came across a little less concentrated as well, and even though this is an excellent wine in its own right which I would be happy to drink independently any time, it did suffer a bit in comparison to the domaine wines.
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Decanted for ~4 hours, then back into the bottle for another ~2 hours before serving. Adrian's note is pretty spot on. Full nose of cherries, florals and earthy spice. The palate is classic Nebbiolo with so much purity of cherry fruit and florals. Silky. All in proportion, but still so young. Weightless fruit and fine, but firm tannin. I fully expect this will evolve incredibly over the coming decade or two. Enjoyable now, but nowhere close to it's full potential. Lots of upside from here.
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Dinner at Formento's (Chicago, IL): No. 2844. Giacosa does it again. That magic touch is in this bottle too. The nose is perfumed and light, with those classic nebbiolo aromas of flowers and red fruit (but not too much tar). The palate, while obviously young, is fairly giving, and showing plenty of that juicy red fruit as well. The tannins are still fairly prominent, but they are fine-grained and quite elegant. Excellent now, but I feel this has yet to reach its full potential.
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Decanted and slow-oxed 8 hrs prior to dinner. A lovely, aromatically complex and captivating wine. Youthful but approachable with sufficient aeration. Highly enjoyable now but has all indications to be even better with more aging.
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my first giacosa. stunning. the sheer purity of fruit is amazing on it's own. This drinks like it was bottled yesterday - decades of development to go. pure cherry - bordering on going too sweet but it manages to lean tart/savory instead. amazing sweet spice note, dark deep core. cherries in a wild dance of power and structure. all i can say - the empty bottle is on the Wall of Fame now.
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Another stunning performance from the 2001 Santo Stefano. Here I found a lifted and elegant nose with sweet spice, roses, dried strawberry, minerals, and dusty earth with a hint of orange peel and leather. On the palate, it showed silky, lifted textures, in a focused and pure expression of tart cherry with hints of spice, fine tannin and zesty acidity. The finish was fresh with savory minerals, as the fruit dried slightly and tannin coated the senses.
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If paisley had a scent this wine is what it would smell of. The nose is expansive and there are notes of lipstick, fresh flowers and earth as well. It has wonderful detail with crisp cherry, pomegranate and raspberry fruits. There's a thread of licorice weaving through the flavour profile and it plays in that perfect space between sweet and savoury. Balance is exquisite. It is till supremely youthful but the pleasure derived meant that I didn't feel cheated for opening this too early.
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pretty light red color, clear, a nose that shows sweet cherries. the mouthfeel here was the best part of this wine as the tannins are silky smooth and its medium weight is really pleasant, the flavor is good but not super intense and if anything is perhaps a bit more advanced than i expected. a very good drink now giacosa
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Nose of fig, rose, and strawberry. Fig paste, sweet cherry, and spice in the mouth. This bottle is soft, feminine, floral, and totally accessible today. (Bottle 10536)
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Perhaps an off bottle. Not nearly as good as one from my cellar 4 years ago or other recent CT tasting notes. Medium cherry red with cherry, earth and wood on the nose and palate which was somewhat rough and showing some tannin. Had at our annual truffle dinner with braised rabbit with truffle and sage stuffed with sausage and rabbit liver. Lots of wines this night the best of which was the 99 Gaja Barbaresco that exploded with beautiful cherry fruit and a nose infused with roses.
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Barbaresco (New York Vintners, NYC): Double decanted at 11am. Can it be that this is even better than the Rabaja and Asili? Wow, incredibly rich black fruit. Young, intense, with great structure. Amazing.
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This showed a lifted and elegant nose of pretty rose, strawberry, minerals, and licorice with a hint of orange peel and dusty spice. On the palate, it showed silky textures, in a focused and very pure expression of red fruit with hints of spice and zesty acidity. The finish was clean and youthful, yet it held back, as the fruit dried slightly and a tannic grip completed the experience.
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Decanted and poured, this wine gave an outstanding showing. The wine shows an expressive and nuanced bouquet the mingled youthful and maturing notes of black cherry, spice, tar, anise, truffle and earth. The color is a tarnished dark ruby. The medium (full) bodied palate gives a balanced, lengthy finish where tannins and acidity give the wine a sense of structure and focus. Both the bouquet and palate give an overall sense of harmony. This wine should continue to drink well for many years.
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Spago: Brown spice, dried sauteed shrooms, rose petals, flowers, hint of clove and orange; silky structured, ample fine tannins; soft earth and leather with dried plums in the finish. Very nice indeed.
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Drinking white Burgundies and Italians at Bluegrass (Bluegrass restaurant, Baltimore): Henry mentioned how tight some of the 01 Giacosas are yet this bottle is an exception. Fresh black cherries, Kirschwasser, rose, anise, earth, truffle, balsamico and fresh cigarette. Excellent concentration and acidity with strong presence of tannins. This expressive bottle is drinking beautifully with noticeable secondary nuances. Although I have not tasted side by side with the 96 version, this reminds me of that wine.
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DC Crew's Gem Tasting - 3rd Annual (Palena - Washington, DC): It goes without saying that this wine is way too young. But that doesn't mean it isn't tasty. Gorgeous purple-red color. A burst of aromas: tar, plum, black cherry, and a medley of spices. Even after decanting, this wine just needed more air to show its full stuff. The palate is full of dense tannins, spicy acid, and gritty plum fruit. There's a hint of brine that is just delicious. It's a gritty wine that needs time to settle down, but it was delicious with the venison. As Tim put it, "Only twenty years too young."
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2001 Piedmont Retrospective - A classic vintage (part 1) (Tolani, Wine Restaurant, 410 Amsterdam Ave, New York, New York, 10024): The nose showed rich sweet raspberry and herbs but with time in the glass it turned to tart cherry, orange peel and the slightest hint of shoe polish. On the palate, it showed a solid core of cherry fruit, which was zesty with acidity, yet full in body. An impression of balance and focus struck me as I sipped this wine, which should mature into something magical. The finish was clean with dried cherry and fine tannins.
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Ditto abh's comment of 6/10/2010. Light ruby in color. Plum, cherry, mineral and spice on a subtle, but haunting nose. Tannin, if any, light and finely grained. A balanced, elegant and silky structured palate of red fruit, rose, minerals and spice. To me, very drinkable now, but certainly with a long way to go. Clear evidence that a wine need not be big to be beautiful. A delight!
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Classic aromas - fall leaves, wood and hints of the rose ! Acidic and quite itannic, yet complex and the elegance shining through. This should probably have a lot more years; however i enjoy this wine and it's characteristics right now !
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Still young looking light ruby red color...Decanted for 5 hours..Nose: Floral, tar, leather, forrest floor along with fresh red fruit..Palate: Elegant and silky on the palate. Floral. tar, mushrooms, tasty red fruit and spice. I also got a rusty nail component as the night wore on...Really well made and structured to last another 15 years easy..It is drinking well now with the fine grained tannins in the background allowing the fruit to shine, however this is only going to get better as time goes on..Cheers!!!
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ruby color , decanted for only one hour ... needs more. Delicate nose of fruit ,spices and minerals. Gentle in the mouth ,full bodied , tannins not yet rounded but never agressive, long finish.
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Bruno Giacosa Wines with Bruna Giacosa (The Sampler, London): Wine is getting into drinking window. Smooth, round yet also lean and focussed on the palatte (especially vs 01 Faletto) . Decanting helps for sure and wine improved in the glass over 1 hour. Mild body and good finish.
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Giacosa Lunch: A gorgeous, poised and elegant, Barbaresco, with real typicity and clearly different from the 2 Giacosa Barolos drunk alongside. This still has plenty of structure, with lovely light elegant mineral and floral components. On one level ready to drink - the tannins are fine and not blocking the fruit - but also a way from proper maturity.
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I like the originality of this wine. Still youthfully tannic, but the tannins are well integrated and friendly. Dark plum, leather, intense. Yes, it really does complement Italian food better than any other type of wine.
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Interesting, unapologeticly traditional Barbaraesco from the master. Relatively modest in color; bricky edge. Meaty and earthy aromas introduce a powerful young wine with somewhat coarse tannins. Perfect for a cold night with traidtional Italian food. I wonder if this wine will become smoother in years to come.
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I kissed a Giacosa for the first time and I liked it. Surprisingly amber at age eight. Simple disarmingly lovely nose of cherries, fruit pit and light wisp of smoke. Medium full on the palate. Obviously very carefully crafted and distinctive. The finish is distractingly dry, though, so there are tannins which may resolve in the years to come. I am finding the nebbiolo unique in flavor profile when made traditionally like this and enjoyable relatively young.
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Pale ruby in color as the wine was decanted. Pale orange-ish hue on the edges of the wine as it swirled in the decanter. Slightly muted nose of anise, leather, graphite and black cherries on the initial plunge of the olfactory sensors. First taste was tight and tannic, wondering if we opened too soon. Of course we did; this is only a 2001. As the wine rested in the glass notes of a richer but still bright cherry and minerals began to emerge. Tannins softened somewhat, though this is still clearly a youngster in the grand scheme of Barbarescos. Lingering and fickle finish, depending on what morsel of food preceded the taste.
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SFwine Nebbiolo Tasting (San Francisco): Sweet cherry/strawberry scents, but rather tight and underwhelming on the palate. Retasted after two days - wow - awesome nose of rust/iron tailings, dried rose petal, sour cherry, anise. Flavors follow through on the palate, a little tight but pretty amazing stuff. Really furry tannins coat the tongue on the finish but it's quite worth it here. Tightens up again in the glass, though. This is going to be fantastic stuff.
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Disappoining in comparison with the 1999 Giacosa I bought for comparison, especially at this price range. Both are lighter-styled Barbarescos from the San Stefano vineyard, from the "cult" producer Giacosa. The 99 burst with aromas, a long finish and addictive violet, caramel & spices. Although I could perceive some of the same aromas, the 2001 was unbalanced and closed. A bit acidic and tannic, without enough fruit and flavor to deal with either. Both of these wines were in a lighter style. I don't know enough about these more elegant Barbarescos to guess whether aging will help. Tannins would need to lighten (and I usually like some tannin), and the fruit or aromas would have to come forward.
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4/20/2024 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Grand Sichuan, Jersey City edition (Grand Sichuan, Grove St.): Seth's bottle - he said he decanted this around 9 AM, and about 9 hours later it was only just starting to open out. First impressions were of a wine that was still somewhat tight, showing a beautiful core of red and dark fruited flavours accented by savoury herbal, floral, and tarry notes, but with a firm tannic spine dominating on the back end. Still more air helped ease out the tannin a bit more (though it never entirely relents), and brought out more aromatic depth as the various non-fruited elements became more prominent around the core of bright fruit. Lovely wine - even if it needs a lot more time to be 'ready', I'm glad for the opportunity to drink it now.
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4/20/2024 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:
Jersey Boys (Grand Sichuan, Jersey City, NJ): Trying the remains (with a little sediment) after decanting the bottle this morning for a dinner tonight. This was very clenched when poured. With a bit of air, it’s still closed but starting to show beauty underneath - really urgent and potent red fruits and roses. Almost candied but with such structure and acid. The palate is very similar in its own way - enters closed showing earth and some leather but there are swirls of red sweetness and florals under there. The finish is clenched and tart.
About 8 hours later after some decanting and double decanting: Finally opening a bit. Rosss, spices, sweet marzipan. Clenched like a MF on the palate - Lots of spice and roses w some tar. Really pure and fierce and with tons in reserve. Sour cherry. Hard to rate but superb potential.
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3/24/2024 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nick's "Good Barolo and Barbaresco" Dinner - Friday 22 March, 67 Pall Mall; 3/24/2024-3/25/2024 (67 Pall Mall): Limited notes on this wine but remember it being beautifully open and deep fruited on the nose with a touch of licorice.
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3/22/2024 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good Barolo and Barbaresco (67 Pall Mall): Another really strong wine. Such a beautiful nose, everything nicely integrated and some delightfully sweet strawberry fruit. Neat and tidy on the palate, again with the pretty red fruit, excellent balance of structure and acidity, and a savoury finish. A lovely bottle - my #3 and the group's #2.
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3/22/2024 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nick A's "Good Barolo and Barbaresco" at 67 PM (67 Pall Mall, London): Red fruited, some smoke and a little grenadine. With air some caper salinity and citrus hints. Palate feels fresh and youthful; great focus.
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3/22/2024 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Nick’s Barolo and Barbaresco (67 Pall Mall, London): Pale garnet. Smoky, earthy and mineral but with a lovely floral top note.
Elegant and composed. Notes are a bit sparse on this one but I remember enjoying it
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1/26/2024 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby color with just a slight garnet. Nose is very forward, with red fruit and underbrush. Full body, very giving with sift tannins and very long finish. This drinks great right now.
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12/16/2023 - Dibbs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic showing. Beautiful Giacosa in perfect form. Nice Giacosa VA on opening, the tannins are still there even after 2 hour decant. With more air, it became more and more delicate and red fruited. By the end of the night, it was in a perfect spot to drink. These have a long way to go still.
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12/10/2023 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Earth, balsamic, minty herbs. Classically fresh on the palate, lovely balance. Develops lovely fresh aromatics with air.
Lovely elegance on the palate.
No fireworks from this but it’s textbook Nebbiolo. ‘Merely exquisite’!
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2/5/2023 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of earth and roses that steadily evolved over the evening towards roses and raspberries. Much secondary on the palate, earthy, and vibrant. Still of lots of tannins. Decant several hours in advance if you can (we didn’t). Lacked a bit in the mid palate so not the best bottle but still a joy and great with dinner.
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12/31/2022 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful nose. Pure red fruit and roses. Fuller and rounder than the Asili tonight.
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12/27/2022 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
01/04 pairing. The 01 was my and the group's clear favorite with more red fruit that is open knit with floral/spice/earth complexities more apparent and available. In an early peak drinking window.
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12/27/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
"The stench is dissipating" (Chicago, IL): No. 13791. Perfumed, aromatic, and red-fruited, this is Giacosa in classic form. Extremely youthful fruit expression, especially in comparison to the 2004, this is simply precise and crystalline. Hard to pick out any distinct secondary characteristics on this right now. Silky textured, with plenty of tannins, though they are far more subtle and less overt than most other wines on the table tonight.
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9/30/2022 - Ben F Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml purchased on release in US. Decanted and returned to bottle 6 hrs prior to serving.
A stunning wine, exploding from the glass with an enthralling mix of pure fruit, flowers and soil. Long engaging finish. Paired perfecting with grilled tritip. Fully open at this point, although no hint of decline on the horizon. This is why one cellars wines….
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11/13/2021 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
White Truffles & Nebbiolo - 2021 Edition (Chicago, IL): A stellar vintage for Giacosa. Elegant, rich cherry fruit with beautiful florals. Suave, elegant tannins.
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11/13/2021 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VI (Chicago, IL): It's so interesting to reread my old notes and discover that I felt the opposite way about this wine when compared to the Falletto a few years ago. Goes to show how fickle palates are and how little value these notes have in terms of reproducibility. Anyway, today, I found this wine the darker of the two, with more black fruit and a sterner tannic structure, all of which made it a better pairing for a delicious rabbit ragu over polenta.
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10/17/2021 - jsebiri wrote:
Very nice wine , was missing something iMHO so no greatness. Pure Italian juice, well done.
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7/19/2021 - futronic wrote: 94 Points
Another beautiful showing. A very elegant wine to enjoy over the next 3-5 years, at a minimum.
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1/30/2021 - Nanda wrote:
Singing. At the early end of a long drinking window with plump, rich strawberry and cherry fruit balanced with grippy tannin. Some leathery complexity is starting to emerge along with floral nuances.
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12/4/2020 - Strohecker Likes this wine:
Classic, if quiet Nebbiolo. Leather, cedar, touch of anise with gentle tannin. Restrained wine that one has to listen closely to hear, but says things worth hearing.
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9/28/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pure fruit. Mineral. Finish seemed a tad clipped. Still delightful though.
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8/15/2019 - Ben F Likes this wine:
Opened, decanted and returned to bottle for 6 hrs slow-ox. Opened and decanted at restaurant.
Closed, not showing much right now. A complete contrast to the last bottle two years ago. Will let these rest for a while.
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11/25/2018 - BordeauxNut wrote: 92 Points
No formal note. Served during a post Thanksgiving dinner and really didn't attract a lot of attention. Tight -- solid wine but never really unfolded fully over the course of the evening.
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10/14/2018 - abh wrote:
Piedmont Lunch: Significantly more mature than when last drunk, but still quite a young and very fresh wine. Elegant, floral, nose with rose and violets, and quite understated. A different experience to the bigger wines alongside, but representative of the range of what great Nebbiolo can be.
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7/6/2018 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Courtesy of Fut. Cherry and rose petal notes in abundance on the nose and palate. Shows nice tannins and acidity, adding sandalwood and balsamic in the midpalate and finish. Absolutely lovely- I could have spent the entire evening with my nose in the glass. Thanks, bro!
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12/1/2017 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and drank over two hours. Wish I could have waited longer...but I couldn’t. Soft, gentle pale red color; bold spicey strong taste. Beautiful now beautiful later.
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10/27/2017 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
My least favorite of the 01 Giacosa Asili/Santo Stefano/Barolo flight. Just seemed more subdued next to the sensational Asili and brooding Barolo. Good, not great showing. Will only get better with 10+ years. Decanted for ~12 hours.
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10/27/2017 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume II (Chicago, IL): This bottle fell a little flat in comparison to the Falletto and Asili. While it had many of the same light red fruited characteristics as the Asili, all in all, this was a less intense and concentrated version of that wine. The palate also came across a little less concentrated as well, and even though this is an excellent wine in its own right which I would be happy to drink independently any time, it did suffer a bit in comparison to the domaine wines.
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10/6/2017 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth and pretty. Decanted for 2hours
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4/12/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for ~4 hours, then back into the bottle for another ~2 hours before serving. Adrian's note is pretty spot on. Full nose of cherries, florals and earthy spice. The palate is classic Nebbiolo with so much purity of cherry fruit and florals. Silky. All in proportion, but still so young. Weightless fruit and fine, but firm tannin. I fully expect this will evolve incredibly over the coming decade or two. Enjoyable now, but nowhere close to it's full potential. Lots of upside from here.
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4/12/2017 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Formento's (Chicago, IL): No. 2844. Giacosa does it again. That magic touch is in this bottle too. The nose is perfumed and light, with those classic nebbiolo aromas of flowers and red fruit (but not too much tar). The palate, while obviously young, is fairly giving, and showing plenty of that juicy red fruit as well. The tannins are still fairly prominent, but they are fine-grained and quite elegant. Excellent now, but I feel this has yet to reach its full potential.
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3/23/2017 - Ben F Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and slow-oxed 8 hrs prior to dinner. A lovely, aromatically complex and captivating wine. Youthful but approachable with sufficient aeration. Highly enjoyable now but has all indications to be even better with more aging.
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2/12/2017 - Mlermontov wrote: 96 Points
my first giacosa. stunning. the sheer purity of fruit is amazing on it's own. This drinks like it was bottled yesterday - decades of development to go. pure cherry - bordering on going too sweet but it manages to lean tart/savory instead. amazing sweet spice note, dark deep core. cherries in a wild dance of power and structure. all i can say - the empty bottle is on the Wall of Fame now.
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2/12/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another stunning performance from the 2001 Santo Stefano. Here I found a lifted and elegant nose with sweet spice, roses, dried strawberry, minerals, and dusty earth with a hint of orange peel and leather. On the palate, it showed silky, lifted textures, in a focused and pure expression of tart cherry with hints of spice, fine tannin and zesty acidity. The finish was fresh with savory minerals, as the fruit dried slightly and tannin coated the senses.
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1/16/2017 - smphelps wrote: 93 Points
Very very good. Strong tannins, earthy with dried lemon and raspberries. Long finish.
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8/13/2016 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
If paisley had a scent this wine is what it would smell of. The nose is expansive and there are notes of lipstick, fresh flowers and earth as well. It has wonderful detail with crisp cherry, pomegranate and raspberry fruits. There's a thread of licorice weaving through the flavour profile and it plays in that perfect space between sweet and savoury. Balance is exquisite. It is till supremely youthful but the pleasure derived meant that I didn't feel cheated for opening this too early.
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4/30/2016 - reichken wrote: 91 Points
pretty light red color, clear, a nose that shows sweet cherries. the mouthfeel here was the best part of this wine as the tannins are silky smooth and its medium weight is really pleasant, the flavor is good but not super intense and if anything is perhaps a bit more advanced than i expected. a very good drink now giacosa
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4/10/2016 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
started out with major tar and black fruit but really opened to lovely raspberry and roses. Lovely
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12/25/2015 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Nose of fig, rose, and strawberry. Fig paste, sweet cherry, and spice in the mouth. This bottle is soft, feminine, floral, and totally accessible today. (Bottle 10536)
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10/25/2015 - cos82 wrote: 88 Points
Perhaps an off bottle. Not nearly as good as one from my cellar 4 years ago or other recent CT tasting notes. Medium cherry red with cherry, earth and wood on the nose and palate which was somewhat rough and showing some tannin. Had at our annual truffle dinner with braised rabbit with truffle and sage stuffed with sausage and rabbit liver. Lots of wines this night the best of which was the 99 Gaja Barbaresco that exploded with beautiful cherry fruit and a nose infused with roses.
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7/26/2015 - the godfather wrote:
This was a beauty albeit super young. Opened 24 hours earlier
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1/7/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
Barbaresco (New York Vintners, NYC): Double decanted at 11am. Can it be that this is even better than the Rabaja and Asili? Wow, incredibly rich black fruit. Young, intense, with great structure. Amazing.
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1/7/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
This showed a lifted and elegant nose of pretty rose, strawberry, minerals, and licorice with a hint of orange peel and dusty spice. On the palate, it showed silky textures, in a focused and very pure expression of red fruit with hints of spice and zesty acidity. The finish was clean and youthful, yet it held back, as the fruit dried slightly and a tannic grip completed the experience.
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12/21/2013 - sehill Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine gave an outstanding showing. The wine shows an expressive and nuanced bouquet the mingled youthful and maturing notes of black cherry, spice, tar, anise, truffle and earth. The color is a tarnished dark ruby. The medium (full) bodied palate gives a balanced, lengthy finish where tannins and acidity give the wine a sense of structure and focus. Both the bouquet and palate give an overall sense of harmony. This wine should continue to drink well for many years.
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10/8/2013 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Spago: Brown spice, dried sauteed shrooms, rose petals, flowers, hint of clove and orange; silky structured, ample fine tannins; soft earth and leather with dried plums in the finish. Very nice indeed.
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5/21/2012 - Pixelm wrote: 95 Points
Not tightly wound at all. Fresh and thoroughly enjoyable
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3/23/2012 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Drinking white Burgundies and Italians at Bluegrass (Bluegrass restaurant, Baltimore): Henry mentioned how tight some of the 01 Giacosas are yet this bottle is an exception. Fresh black cherries, Kirschwasser, rose, anise, earth, truffle, balsamico and fresh cigarette. Excellent concentration and acidity with strong presence of tannins. This expressive bottle is drinking beautifully with noticeable secondary nuances. Although I have not tasted side by side with the 96 version, this reminds me of that wine.
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2/7/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
DC Crew's Gem Tasting - 3rd Annual (Palena - Washington, DC): It goes without saying that this wine is way too young. But that doesn't mean it isn't tasty. Gorgeous purple-red color. A burst of aromas: tar, plum, black cherry, and a medley of spices. Even after decanting, this wine just needed more air to show its full stuff. The palate is full of dense tannins, spicy acid, and gritty plum fruit. There's a hint of brine that is just delicious. It's a gritty wine that needs time to settle down, but it was delicious with the venison. As Tim put it, "Only twenty years too young."
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2/1/2012 - Vinomarcus wrote:
Wednesday Night Blind - February 2012 (Don Tommaso's, Yorktown Heights, NY): This wine was hard as nails, brutally young and closed fisted. You can see the incredible potential of this wine but it just isn't there yet. This needs at least 10yrs in the cellar. I couldn't rate the wine though.
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12/7/2011 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
2001 Barbaresco and Barolo (Tolani Wine Restaurant, 410 Amsterdam Ave, NYC): Tight red fruit and iron nose. Medium body. Long finish. Needs time. 93-95 points.
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12/7/2011 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
2001 Piedmont Retrospective - A classic vintage (part 1) (Tolani, Wine Restaurant, 410 Amsterdam Ave, New York, New York, 10024): The nose showed rich sweet raspberry and herbs but with time in the glass it turned to tart cherry, orange peel and the slightest hint of shoe polish. On the palate, it showed a solid core of cherry fruit, which was zesty with acidity, yet full in body. An impression of balance and focus struck me as I sipped this wine, which should mature into something magical. The finish was clean with dried cherry and fine tannins.
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10/23/2011 - cos82 wrote: 95 Points
Ditto abh's comment of 6/10/2010. Light ruby in color. Plum, cherry, mineral and spice on a subtle, but haunting nose. Tannin, if any, light and finely grained. A balanced, elegant and silky structured palate of red fruit, rose, minerals and spice. To me, very drinkable now, but certainly with a long way to go. Clear evidence that a wine need not be big to be beautiful. A delight!
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1/29/2011 - donStrandini wrote: 92 Points
Classic aromas - fall leaves, wood and hints of the rose ! Acidic and quite itannic, yet complex and the elegance shining through. This should probably have a lot more years; however i enjoy this wine and it's characteristics right now !
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1/10/2011 - vinopa wrote: 93 Points
Still young looking light ruby red color...Decanted for 5 hours..Nose: Floral, tar, leather, forrest floor along with fresh red fruit..Palate: Elegant and silky on the palate. Floral. tar, mushrooms, tasty red fruit and spice. I also got a rusty nail component as the night wore on...Really well made and structured to last another 15 years easy..It is drinking well now with the fine grained tannins in the background allowing the fruit to shine, however this is only going to get better as time goes on..Cheers!!!
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12/15/2010 - Gian wrote: 89 Points
ruby color , decanted for only one hour ... needs more. Delicate nose of fruit ,spices and minerals. Gentle in the mouth ,full bodied , tannins not yet rounded but never agressive, long finish.
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11/23/2010 - Rupert wrote:
Bruna Giacosa in South Ken (The Sampler, South Kensington, London): Second bottle - not expressive, gentler than the 04s, hints of pretty fruit, but very tannic and not charming today
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11/23/2010 - Rupert wrote: flawed
Bruna Giacosa in South Ken (The Sampler, South Kensington, London): First bottle - corked
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11/23/2010 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Bruno Giacosa Wines with Bruna Giacosa (The Sampler, London): Wine is getting into drinking window. Smooth, round yet also lean and focussed on the palatte (especially vs 01 Faletto) . Decanting helps for sure and wine improved in the glass over 1 hour. Mild body and good finish.
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6/14/2010 - abh wrote:
Giacosa Lunch: A gorgeous, poised and elegant, Barbaresco, with real typicity and clearly different from the 2 Giacosa Barolos drunk alongside. This still has plenty of structure, with lovely light elegant mineral and floral components. On one level ready to drink - the tannins are fine and not blocking the fruit - but also a way from proper maturity.
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3/13/2010 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
I like the originality of this wine. Still youthfully tannic, but the tannins are
well integrated and friendly. Dark plum, leather, intense. Yes, it really does complement Italian food better than any other type of wine.
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1/2/2010 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
Interesting, unapologeticly traditional Barbaraesco from the master. Relatively modest in color; bricky edge. Meaty and earthy aromas introduce a powerful young wine with somewhat coarse tannins. Perfect for a cold night with traidtional Italian food. I wonder if this wine will become smoother in years to come.
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10/3/2009 - sdr wrote: 92 Points
I kissed a Giacosa for the first time and I liked it. Surprisingly amber at age eight. Simple disarmingly lovely nose of cherries, fruit pit and light wisp of smoke. Medium full on the palate. Obviously very carefully crafted and distinctive. The finish is distractingly dry, though, so there are tannins which may resolve in the years to come. I am finding the nebbiolo unique in flavor profile when made traditionally like this and enjoyable relatively young.
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10/2/2009 - jrglm wrote: 93 Points
Pale ruby in color as the wine was decanted. Pale orange-ish hue on the edges of the wine as it swirled in the decanter. Slightly muted nose of anise, leather, graphite and black cherries on the initial plunge of the olfactory sensors. First taste was tight and tannic, wondering if we opened too soon. Of course we did; this is only a 2001. As the wine rested in the glass notes of a richer but still bright cherry and minerals began to emerge. Tannins softened somewhat, though this is still clearly a youngster in the grand scheme of Barbarescos. Lingering and fickle finish, depending on what morsel of food preceded the taste.
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10/3/2007 - 5laton wrote:
SFwine Nebbiolo Tasting (San Francisco): Sweet cherry/strawberry scents, but rather tight and underwhelming on the palate. Retasted after two days - wow - awesome nose of rust/iron tailings, dried rose petal, sour cherry, anise. Flavors follow through on the palate, a little tight but pretty amazing stuff. Really furry tannins coat the tongue on the finish but it's quite worth it here. Tightens up again in the glass, though. This is going to be fantastic stuff.
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3/8/2007 - ParkHill wrote: 87 Points
Disappoining in comparison with the 1999 Giacosa I bought for comparison, especially at this price range. Both are lighter-styled Barbarescos from the San Stefano vineyard, from the "cult" producer Giacosa. The 99 burst with aromas, a long finish and addictive violet, caramel & spices. Although I could perceive some of the same aromas, the 2001 was unbalanced and closed. A bit acidic and tannic, without enough fruit and flavor to deal with either. Both of these wines were in a lighter style. I don't know enough about these more elegant Barbarescos to guess whether aging will help. Tannins would need to lighten (and I usually like some tannin), and the fruit or aromas would have to come forward.
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9/19/2006 - trankin wrote: 94 Points
Zachys Icons of Italy Tasting (Zachys): Serious mushroom and tannins on this wine. Great structure but a lovely package as well.
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