Birthday Giacosas
Antico, Chicago IL
Tasted Friday, May 18, 2012 by KeithAkers with 726 views
Introduction
I had set this up about a month and a half in advance. How better to celebrate my birthday than to have a bunch of friends and Giacosa?
Flight 1 (15 Notes)
Closing
This was a great night. It was a slight bit disappointing that we had two corked wines, but that couldn't take away from the fun at all. The wines showed young across the board to still bloody. The service at Antico was tremendous and helped really make the night.
NV L. Aubry Fils Champagne Premier Cru Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
nose: well balanced aromatically with tones of pears, white fruits, green apples, and some mineral tones as well. Solid depth, but somewhat straightforward.
taste: medium bodied with medium+ acidity and balanced tones of pears, green apples, and mineral tones. The acidity is refreshing, but the depth is lacking a slight bit.
overall: This was a nice NV champagne. Was expecting a little more from the designation, but a nice enough bubbly.
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2001 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
nose: there is a noticeable amount of oak from the outset. It isn't overpowering, but it is there along with tones of menthol, dark red fruits and some floral tones as well.
taste: medium/full bodied with good tannins that aren't too overpowering at this time. Balanced with medium+ acidity and very good tones of licorice, menthol, dark red fruit and oak as well. The oak is noticeable here as well.
overall: the oak is a bit too up front for me. It is supporting but everything is kind of wrapped around it. There are good dark red fruits along with it too. This seemed to be drinking very well right now.
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1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba Flawed
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this was badly corked
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2000 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
nose: nice and feminine though not exactly delicate. Balanced with a perfumed take on the tones of berries, red florals, licorice, white truffles and some dark red cherries. There is a very nice and savory quality to this with very nice depth.
taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. Very well balanced with some nice layering and pretty tones of dark red cherries, roasted herbs, berries, red florals and some licorice tones too.
overall: This is drinking quite well right now. This has a near ethereal quality to it with a real perfumed and feminine style. Rather surprising for a serralunga, but a real wonderful wine right now.
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2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
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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1999 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano di Nieve 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
nose: Very elegant and perfumed nose with nice layered tones of dark red cherries, incense, roasted herbs, roses and some fresh picked berries. Very flowing on the nose and lovely
taste: beautiful medium bodied feel with lots of layering. Still young, but reveals complex tones of dark red cherries, roses, fresh picked berries, roasted herbs and some dark red fruits. The youth is noticeable with the chewy tannins and medium/high acidity
overall: This was pretty robust with the tannins and acid. Noticeably young, but a very elegant and pretty barbaresco.
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2000 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà 91 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
nose: very pretty and feminine with perfumed tones of dark red cherries, berries, strawberries, roasted herbs, and various floral tones. Well balanced with very nice depth as well.
taste: medium bodied with medium/high acidity and very pretty tones of dark red cherries, strawberries, various florals, and some fresh picked berries. Good supporting tannins to this with a silkiness as well.
overall: This was a nice ruby color in the glass. Very pretty and feminine on both the nose and palate. This comes off as drinking young right now like the other 00s in the tasting.
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2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
nose: extremely tight nose that took some time to unravel. I had this in my glass for a while and great tones of dark red cherries, white truffles, roasted herbs, tar, florals, and dark red cherries unfold with a very savory quality as well.
Medium/full bodied with high acidity and very chewy tannins. Very youthful with the tannins being on the coarse side with deep tones of florals, berries, dark red cherries, strawberries, and roasted herbs with a touch of herbal spice tones.
overall: This has a ton to give at some point in the future, but is a pure infant right now. Does need another 6 years of nap time before really showing what it has.
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1997 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
nose: there is an attractive upfront quality to the tones with a very airy and perfumed take on the tones of tart red fruits, strawberries, cherries, roasted herbs, and red florals.
taste: very silky medium feel with medium+ acidity and good polished tannins right now. The tannins and acid aren't overbearing right now, though they certainly do show themselves. Polished with elegant tones of tart red fruits, strawberries, cherries, roasted herbs and some spice tones as well
overall: Not surprising that a 97 is drinking fairly well. This was certainly on the younger side with nice warmth to the tones on both the nose and palate. Excellent depth as well. This had been decanted for about 4 hours and bottled aired for 2.
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1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba Flawed
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
..........and we have corked wine #2 sadly
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2000 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
nose: deep and savory nose filled with tones of red fruits, dark red cherries, berries, spice tones, roasted herbs and some bits of black tea. There is a tartness to the tones and they seem to be holding back a slight bit.
taste: beautiful and silky medium feel with medium/high acidity and good chewy tannins. Deep with silky and yet savory tones of red fruits, dark red cherries, roasted herbs, spices and loads of dark red fruits and berries.
overall: This was the only 00 that seemed actually very young. Silky and polished, this is drinkable but it has so much more to give. This was filled with class and elegance.
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1995 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero di Castiglione Falletto 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
nose: this easily showed the most maturity on the nose from any of the previous wines. That is to be expected and it gave way to beautiful and savory tones of strawberries, perfumes, incense, tar, florals, and bits of red fruits. Well layered and very pretty.
taste: silky and regal medium body with medium+ acidity and good supporting tannins. Well balanced with a real deft touch on the palate and elegant tones of berries, incense, florals, red fruits, roasted herbs and a good amount of cherries.
overall: This was a gorgeous giacosa. Obviously this is the most mature wine at the tasting and it showed it. This had a regal quality to it and was extremely pretty. This was the kind of wine that I would've loved to have spent an entire night with.
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2004 André-Michel Brégeon Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Gorges 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
nose: I let this warm up a bit as it was too cold at first. Opened up to lovely and aromatic tones of pears, peaches, white fruits, bits of minerals and a nice dose of apples as well.
taste: medium/full bodied with nice and crisp medium+ acidity. Well balanced with good layered tones of pears, peaches, and a lot of apples and white fruits.
overall: This was a great experience. Extremely well balanced with it showing some effects of maturity and being more than a normal muscadet.
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2001 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
nose: this is coming wonderfully into balance right now, but still a bit tight with really good tones of marsh mellow, peaches, white fruits, candied apples and tones of nectarines.
taste: medium/full bodied with very nice medium+ acidity that is fairly refreshing behind the viscosity of the wine. Nicely balanced with tones of marsh mellow, peaches, white fruits and a touch of nectarines and apricots.
overall: this felt like it was holding back a slight bit right now. This has a few years before it's fully in bloom and should probably get some air if drunk right now.
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1970 Schloss Eltz Riesling Beerenauslese
Germany, Rheingau
nose: very aromatic right off the bat with tones of wax, hot caramel, honey and candied apples. Very good depth and very layered.
taste: medium bodied with medium acidity. Very complete with succulent tones of wax, caramel, and honey
overall: this was at the end of the night and a great capper to the event. I didn't give this enough attention to fully get into it, but it was a lot of fun to drink
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