2009 Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d'Alba Falletto di Serralunga

• By Antonio Galloni
  New Releases from Piedmont (Dec 2010), (See more on Vinous...)

  (Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto D'alba Falletto) Login and sign up and see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  2/1/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (GIACOSA Dolcetto Falletto) 2009 Giacosa Dear Friends, Ok, this one is exciting. Bruno Giacosa occasionally dabbles with brilliance when his Falletto Vineyard Dolcetto shows itself to be, as he would say, "above average". In 2009, the harvest was way above average and Giacosa's Falletto cru produced results with Nebbiolo and Dolcetto that are head-spinning (at this very early stage, anyway). What's bubbling in the cauldrons of his cellar will make any enthusiast of Piedmont stand up and take notice. Like many areas of Europe, Piedmont had a potentially exceptional vintage in 2009. While the weather was quite warm, even torrid during most of the summer, the preceding winter dumped buckets of moisture into the soil that allowed the vines to thrive and produce deep, dark wines that are, in most cases, not over-ripe. The climate cooled during the harvest so acidities were up to the task as well (unlike 2003, where drought conditons the preceding winter and through the summer doomed any chance of a balanced harvest). In general, the vintage combines a quality of 2007 with the depth of 2001, 2004 or even 1989 - in other words, very interesting indeed. Some vintners even compare the vintage to 1996 meets 1997 which is also an interesting analogy (a slight exoticism of 1997 with the long-term, classic structure of 1996). While these statements are gross generalizations, you get the idea that it's a vintage for us to watch closely. To get a read on this anticipated year, what better than a cru-level early release from one of the grand masters of the Langhe? While Bruno Giacosa produces several bottlings of Dolcetto, the cr_me-de-la-cr_me originates from the Falletto Vineyard and his 2009 Dolcetto should be the finest he's yet produced. The material screams terroir at this stage and the depth of tannin, bright red cherry fruit and minerality are almost akin to a Chinon. The vats will age for a few more months followed by a quick bottling run and immediate pickup for transport to Seattle (arrival in the late spring) - that's as fresh as it gets in red wine from the environs of Barolo and a welcome chance for all of us to get an early peak at the vintage. While the price is up quite a bit over the last few years, the wine appears to be more than worth extended exploration. Giacosa does not usually boast about the quality of his young reds but he's not bashful about his 2009s - he even believes this Dolcetto could age for 6-8 years (not the norm with this typically young-drinking varietal). An example with a specific pedigree that appears to be a steal of a deal at this tariff. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2009 Giacosa Dolcetto "Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba" Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy6492