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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 95.8 pts. and median of 96 pts. in 33 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by shifter on 2/16/2024 & rated 94 points: Jon's 50th Birthday Dinner: Opened for 4 hours. Nose is more subtle compared to the Barbaresco, but possesses more weight on the back end. (446 views) | | | Tasted by paul195 on 2/16/2024 & rated 96 points: #3 of a 6 pack purchased on release in 1986. This was paired with a 1978 Giacosa Barbaresco Speciale Reserva Santa Sefano. Decanted at 3:00 served at 8:00
The Colina Rionda had a brilliant deep garnet core with slightly aging rims. Remarkably fresh and youthful in every way. Perfect balance, amazing energy, layer upon layer of red fruit, laced with spice and rose petals. Elegant, complete and weightless.
The Santa Stefano color showed slightly more maturity, but the nose exploded with layers of bright red fruit and spice. Rich silky texture, fine tannins, impressive finish. Where the Colina was more elegant and refined the Santa Stefano richer and more exotic.
Both of these wines were remarkable youthful and should evolve further over the next 20 years. Each were impressive in their own right. Which was better is more more about ones personal taste rather than the wine itself. (286 views) | | | Tasted by cadamson on 12/11/2022: Decanted 5 + hours, drank over a few hours after that. Dark and brooding, a powerhouse even after 44 years. Closed and reticent initially, opened up and became pretty spectacular. Youthful, overflowing with classic notes, especially red cherry fruit, tar, truffle, earth, balsamic, and a myriad of herbs. This is fantastic. (1380 views) | | | Tasted by bill00 on 2/17/2021 & rated 93 points: Tar and roses. This bottle was a bit dark and grumpy and clearly not as great as this wine can be. (2299 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 10/10/2019 & rated 92 points: A Study of Vigna Rionda (Racines, NYC): I had higher expectations for this wine, but as they say… no great wines, only great bottles…. The nose was dark and earthy, showing rich black cherry with moist fall leaves and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, I found soft textures, still lively through brisk acidity, as dark red fruits with hints of spice and inner earth tones filled the senses. The finish was medium in length, showing hints of light tannin, minerals and inner-floral tones. It was a very pretty and completely mature wine, yet I think we’ve all been trained to expect more from ‘78s. That said, I’d drink this any time it was offered to me. (4214 views) | | | Tasted by CamWheeler on 9/15/2018 & rated 91 points: An incredible birthday dinner: Earthy, cherry, leather, lemon, roses and plenty of spice and ash. Really nicely composed on the palate, sits with great harmony and great texture. Shows plenty of class, but doesn't quite rise fully to the occasion tonight. Still lovely though. (3716 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 8/20/2018 flawed bottle: Appeared to have some heat damage. 91- (3201 views) | | | Tasted by Paul S on 6/15/2018 & rated 97 points: Bruno Giacosa Tribute Dinner (Casa Tartufo, Singapore): Wow. What a way to start. This was truly special wine. It had an entrancing nose - sweet red fruit laced with tarry, smoky spice and lifted herb - think mint and menthol - and then a beautiful fragrance of violet petals and attar of rose, with a sweet lilt that reminded me of a pomegranate-flavoured Turkish delight, all this weighted down with a deeper note of earth and leather. Wow, wow, and wow. It was just lovely on the palate too, maybe not as seductively attractive as the nose, but absolutely delicious. It was transparent and pure, with red fruited pomegranate and cherry fruit floating across the mouth on a bed a still firm acidity and fine tannins, with little flecks of spice and herb drifting away into an ethereal finish. Still fresh, still lively, but altogether completely mellow and mature. This almost brought tears to my eyes. A magnificent wine, drinking at a short window of absolute peak. It did start to tighten-up and shut down a little after awhile in glass, but when it was singing, it was strong, wild, powerful and savoury, yet all perfumed and elegant and ethereal. A special, special bottle - perhaps the best Nebbiolo I have ever had. (3108 views) | | | Tasted by fclarity on 5/28/2018 & rated 96 points: Tasted blind, this wine had a deep red center and orange/puce rims. The high- intensity nose displayed black cherries, tar, roses, wax, and some soil.
In the mouth, this wine was rich and ripe with lovely rounded tanin and firm acidity. All of this structure was just noticeable as it was buried in fruit.
I was told that this bottle had been decanted for several hours and it still seemed a bit young. This wine will last for decades and may even improve a point or two. Very impressive! (2492 views) | | | Tasted by Gregory Dal Piaz on 4/12/2018 & rated 99 points: Shit. Not as in this smells of, but rather one is immediately blown away by, and cool, coiled black cherry, mint and white soil aromas that this so willing gives up. So elegant and complete, with tension in the mouth and near perfect balance
Full review available at: http://www.simplybetterwines.com/celebrating-bruno-giacosas-life-and-work.html (2400 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 10/22/2017 & rated 100 points: Big 50 lunch (Mi Casa): Unbelievably youthful intense nose displaying decadent red and black fruit, dry cherry, blackberry jam, candied rose petal, tar, sap, strong iron/rust a la Monfortino, anise, black truffle, limestone and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of decadent black fruit, unctuous yet silky and polished, incredible iron and mineral presence, bright acidity and still a hint of tannins. The finish that never ends. Perhaps the most youthful and intense example of this wine. It is so youthful that it can improve for another two decades or more. Monumental immortal wine. (3591 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 1/31/2017 & rated 97 points: Fresh and young with light spice and rose petal nose, high note red fruit and vibrant acid. 97-98 (2373 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 12/2/2016 & rated 95 points: Wow, to be able to taste a great Barolo at this age is a real treat although I think I liked this wine better when I had it several years ago when it had a bit more intensity (this bottle came from that same perfectly stored case). So silky smooth and refined at this point with wonderful flavors of balsamic, dried dark cherries and tobacco. Finishes with smooth and softened tannins and this wonderful fine complexity with notes of underbrush and old wood. Double-decanted for 3 hours prior to consumption and it didn't really lose anything in the glass. At Lilia in Brooklyn. (2802 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 8/5/2016 & rated 100 points: French and Italian wine gathering (The Grill Room at Rosewood DC): Incredibly youthful explosive nose displaying everything you want in Barolo and then some. There is so much of everything, ripe black and red fruits, dry cherry, cherry liqueur, tar, leather, cedar, baking spices, sap, limestone and more. Incredible concentration, unctuous, warm, rich, strong presence of mineral, bright acidity and endless finish. There is so much going on here, sensory overload. The way this bottle is showing, it can easily last another fifty years. Simply perfect in every way. (4149 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 4/21/2016 & rated 94 points: This bottle didn't soar the way this wine is certainly capable of doing. Nonetheless, it presented a broad palate of red fruit and berries, dark earth notes, and herbal highlights. This bottle appeared to be fully mature and past peak. (2414 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 11/23/2015 flawed bottle: A very disappointing off bottle. Not corked. Hint of fruit and spice but overall this was more dark caramel and espresso beans than anything else. (2909 views) | | | Tasted by The Vines That Bind on 11/12/2015 & rated 94 points: Intriguing and developed nose of leathers, rust, cool mint, and menthol. Thin and tertiary on the palate with very grippy tannin. Fruit shows like fall leaves with savoury maple. Complex notes of fennel, spicy root beer, and fresh liquorice. Deep perfume, spice, cumin, paprika, oregano, and mustard powder. Gets real tertiary at the end - heavy fennel. (2795 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 7/16/2015 & rated 99 points: Monumental Barolo dinner - Monfortino, Giacosa, Taurasi and La Romanee (Fleet Street Kitchen - Baltimore, MD): Thanks to Tom M’s generosity, I drank this monumental wine twice previously. This time, it was Henry who generously brought the bottle. Incredibly youthful and expressive nose displaying red and black fruits, dry cherry and blackberry, cherry liqueur, rose, lavender, tar, stem, sap, black spices, strong presence of mineral via rusty nail and wet limestone and strong earthy note. Incredibly youthful palate, exceptional concentration, quite chewy, decadent dry red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and still noticeable tannin presence. Tom mentions he thought the 78 was going down the hill a couple years ago. He also mentions how each bottle expresses differently, some are quite youthful and others are more ready and hedonistic. This is an incredibly youthful example. With air, it displays more iron but remains incredibly youthful. Monumental wine. (3968 views) | | | Tasted by ricknat1 on 6/10/2015 flawed bottle: mildly corked (2557 views) | | | Tasted by bill00 on 6/9/2015 flawed bottle: BYO Barolo Dinner (Campagna at the Bedford Post Inn): Sadly this was corked. (3014 views) | | | Tasted by BaroloRob on 2/18/2015 & rated 96 points: Ultimate Conterno versus Giacosa battle (Troquet): See event notes. (3536 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 11/30/2014 & rated 98 points: White Truffle Dinner – 78 Giacosas riservas, 88 Gentaz, 89 & 90 Sandrone, 00 CdM and etc. (Al Tiramisu - Washington DC): Decadently sweet nose displaying cherry liqueur, tar, white truffle, balsamico, sweet spices, grilled porcini, wet forest floor and iron. Impressive concentration, decadently sweet, round and generous sweet red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and incredibly long sweet finish. A great example, really hedonistic wine. (3589 views) | | | Tasted by lepetitchateau on 7/12/2014 & rated 96 points: Way, way too young to evaluate this properly, but it is amazingly intense, tart and deep. red turn to this in 20-30 years. (Squam) (2715 views) | | | Tasted by reichken on 7/7/2014 & rated 93 points: Good bottles, dry roses and cherries, still holding to a nice sharpness, (2124 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 2/7/2013 & rated 96 points: Cityzen gathering – no great wines only great bottles (Cityzen, Washington DC): I am definitely a label whore and I was hoping that I would rate this 100 or at least 99. I had a monumental bottle from the same source in 2008 that I rated 99+. Although this was an exceptional wine, it wasn’t quite like the other bottle. Dry cherries, soy, balsamico, iron, rose, tar and earth. The palate is not as energetic, soft, sweet fruits and still a hint of dry tannins. Was it the balsamico based sauce? Not sure. This is an exceptional wine but I ever so slightly preferred the 93 Arnoux RSV as my WOTN. No perfect wines, only perfect bottles. I am not a Barolo expert but my guess is that your chance of having a perfect bottle of the 78 Rionda riserva is 50/50. (4152 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Cellar Favorite: 1978 & 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda (Sep 2020) (9/1/2020)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, La Festa del Barolo 2013 Gala Dinner (Mar 2014)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Rocche Riserva Collina Rionda) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2012, Issue #39, Revisiting the 1978 Piemonte Vintage: A Great Set of Wines Really Starts to Stir
(Barolo “Collina Rionda” Riserva - Bruno Giacosa) Login and sign up and see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Nomadness (4/30/2012)
(Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda Riserva) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 9th Annual Wine Dinner and Auction to Benefit The Mount Sinai Hospital (Feb 2012)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Speciale Collina Rionda) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 9th Annual Wine Dinner and Auction to Benefit The Mount Sinai Hospital (Feb 2012)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, First Annual Nebbiolo and White Truffle Charity Dinner (Nov 2007)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2007, Issue #7, The Brilliant Barbarescos and Barolos of Bruno Giacosa
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo “Collina Rionda” Riserva) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, A Memorable Evening of Barolo and Barbaresco: 1978 – 1990 (May 2006)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Speciale Collina Rionda) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2006, Issue #1, 1978 Barolo: A Legendary Vintage in Full Bloom
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva “Collina Rionda” (red label)) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Vintage Retrospective: The 1978 Barolos and Barbarescos (Jan 2006)
(Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Bonus Articles, Piemonte (tasted 2002-03)
(Barolo “Rionda di Serralunga” Riserva- Brune Giacosa) Login and sign up and see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and View From the Cellar and Vintage Tastings. (manage subscription channels) |
| Bruno Giacosa Producer website | Importer website
IMPORTANT: Please read this guide to ensure that you are cataloging your wine correctly.
Links: Ken Vastola's fabulous guide to Giacosa labels
WINES OF THE WINERY "AZIENDA AGRICOLA FALLETTO"The grapes are grown in the winery’s own vineyards and vinified in their cellars. These wines are sold with a label bearing the wording: "Azienda Agricola FALLETTO"– di Bruno GiacosaNebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
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