A bottomless intoxicating nose with cooler nebbiolo fruit, rose, violet and some savory notes. Fantastic clarity focus and poised. A vertical, powerful wine with incredible finesse and a sense of effortless calm. Floral inner perfume. Fantastic. Best bottle of this I have had. I will still hold my bottles for a few years thoughts I see this is not yet off the runway. 97+
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Leftovers from the previous evening Gala Dinner (in magnum)
A structured firm and vertical wine with terrific clarity depth. Ferrous notes add to the darker fruited perfumed and spice driven nose with some early maturing notes.
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Took JoshAbramson’s suggestion and decanted this for 3 hours which was spot on. All I kept thinking was this is so well balanced that it will be drinking well in 30 years. A multi dimensional well judged wine that is modest, polished and confident and it knows it. This wine is in its prime and will drink well for a very long time. Revisit 2028
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Amazing, amazing Barolo. One of the top 5 Barolo's I have ever had. Perfectly aged, garnet color, so smooth and silky….. Last bottle, unfortunately. Looking forward to drinking more of these stored in my buddies cellar ;-)
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What a beautiful expression of Barolo. It is drinking so well right now, so well balanced, great mouthfeel and finish. A superb bottle of wine. I wish we had more!!!!
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A powerfull and well balanced wine - that does not give you a lot of fruit - we get ripe plums and prunes - also some cranberries. We are getting leather and tobacco leaves - we are also getting camphor - the age gives you a lot of tertiary notes. Acidity and tannins are still medium plus. You get a very long aftertaste - we like the wine and end up 94.
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Unlike the vibrant prior two bottles from another source, this was close to dead-- ready to make an appointment with the undertaker, as my colleague said.
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A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Cristal, DP, Giacosa, Produttori and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying generous soft black fruit, blackberry, black cherry, tar, leather, cedar, sweet spices and earth. Very good concentration, layers upon layers of generous black fruit, round, soft and warm, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long round black fruit driven finish with a hint of cedar at the end. This is softer and rounder, also slightly less concentrated and structured than the 96 Asili. It is drinking beautifully.
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Didn't give this any time to breathe tonight as it was opened last minute. Such a good wine, but need a bit of air at this stage as it's definitely tightly wound still out of the bottle.
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What as treat! Once again hitting on all cylinders at high horsepower. Plenty of that dark cherry, a hint of licorice, moist earth and exquisite Nebbiolo branched, briary overlay. Multi layered complexity, the very long finish, and overall just right for drinking now.
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Wine and Food Vacation…Finally!; 4/18/2022-4/21/2022: Opened 2 hours in advance and decanted at the table. Still even ruby throughout. All earth, tobacco, and mint on the nose at first. It took a while for it to breathe up and show dull red fruit. Light to medium weight, great acidity running through, but it never quite blossoms or achieves a fully ripe, seamless feel due to lingering grainy tannins. Over a few hours, it oscillates between its savory and fruit elements being in the foreground. I must say that we were spoiled by recently drinking a 2004 Rabaja, but the texture, depth, and perfectly ripe fruit in that wine were well ahead of what we found in the Rocche tonight. Excellent but a little disappointing.
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1999 Barolo Dinner (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double-decanted around 10am.] Sweeter than the Falletto. Richer, with more black fruit. Expansive in the mouth. The complex finish goes on and on. Just wow! Bruno knocked it out of the park in 1999. Among the best white labels he ever made.
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(at Vito's - Baltimore) Loved this wine though would not have picked it as Giacosa blind. Clean - rose and florals. Where's the spice? Well - doesn't need it as the palate is beautiful and balanced with a good dose of finishing tannin. Young still with great potential. (94+)
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Wine Workshop: White Label Giacosa and White Truffles (Locanda Verde): Warm year so more fruit and less acid. To me this was not quite as complex or interesting as the '05 (served next to it - that one was much too young but there was a bright future ahead I thought). Interesting because some others I think found this more approachable and perhaps it was. Splitting hairs of course because all Giacosa is generally great.
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Double decanted for 3 hours, sediment removed. Yes, this is a beautiful wine. Nicely resolved to a mid-weight Barolo, with a gorgeous nose of red fruit, earth, mint over a palate that was utterly classic in its combination of cherry and raspberry intensity but still light, lithe even. Lovely, long peppery finish.
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What a delight! The extra level of soil-bound richness in this elegantly etched Barolo that is so ready for consumption now. Slo oxed for just 20 minutes after Coravinning half the bottle. On Day 2, slo ox in bottle for 30 minutes. Just dead -on both days and the perfect companion to both grilled veal and prosciutto et al. Redolent with dark cherry, a hint of black tea, expansive rose water overlay, a nice but not overdone smokey undertone which carried the fully developed and refined combinations of fruit and floral notes. It could be a bit richer, but that is quibbling.
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Return to Trompette (La Trompette): An interesting and serious wine. Looking over the notes I jotted on the menu (nettles, tobacco, undergrowth, tobacco, smoke, bright, juicy) you'd think this was the acme of mature Barolo, but it didn't make me respond emotionally; I think I would have preferred a little more bite or zip, and it was perhaps slightly overshadowed by the delicious Bordeaux we'd just had.
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Gareth's Post-lockdown Piedmont (Noize): Nicely mature - slightly volatile, gamey nose, and lovely deep cherry cola-accented fruit on the palate. Bright acidity made it a great match for the rich food it accompanied. Elegant and enjoyable, but (unlike some of my dining companions) I wasn't excited by this - perhaps partly because my glass had a lot of sediment in it.
Purchased on release. On the nose, dusty Morello cherry, graphite, tin, and cola. On the palate, dusty rose petals. A long, mouth-coating finish. The Rocche bottling is a step up.
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A lost Friday afternoon gathering – COVID safety measures - Mostly Blind (Reston, Va): Expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, black cherry, fruitcake, a hint of mint, tar, tobacco, leather, cedar, a hint of oak and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated black fruit, round and warm, also silky and nicely detailed, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, still a hint of tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with fruitcake and mint at the end. It is drinking beautifully with generous fruit but can still improve. For my palate, this could have been a red label.
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Seductive, sweet and beautifully layered, this is showing top-notch Giacosa character and completeness. Notes of sweet spices, sweet red cherries, brown sugar, truffle, tar, sweet dried fruit, rose petals. It‘s medium+ bodied, has medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin that is superbly silky. Excellent length. An incredible bottle of Giacosa, layered, complex, perfumed and seductive, this is really pulling all the stops.
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Ruby. Soft and sweet. Cherry, rose, camphor, and a hint of cedar. Plush texture, fine tannins, killer acidity. There's great depth to the fruit and its mineral underpinning. 1999 was originally overshadowed by 2000 but no one is fooled by that now — an absolutely stellar vintage. Drink now through 2040.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume IV (Chicago, IL): Very open and easy to drink, with a very approachable red-fruited nose and palate. This is surprisingly open; it's not a wine that needs more time to mature. There's some really pretty red fruit here, but I think it tends to be a little more sweet than there is acidity to balance it out. Nonetheless, there's a silkiness on the finish from the tannins that's really elegant and attractive. Certainly room for improvement via aging, but delicious now already.
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Double decanted in the AM, drunk over several hours.
A promising, initially reluctant, yet beautiful nose perfumed with cherry, roses and balsamic notes. On the palate, it was the most youthful and compact wine of the night. There is great depth and structure, and everything seems to be beautifully balanced, but it just seems to need time. Thereis a gracefulness to this opposed to the Granbussia which is youthful, but more overly structured and firm. Improves with air. Beautiful and I will hold my remaining bottles for at least 5 years before checking in again. 95++
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Decanted and took some time to truly strut its stuff. Very youthful appearance. Gorgeous and marked nose with floral and menthol elements. Complex Red fruit and spice with the tannic structure still very prominent. Very long finish. Beautiful wine.
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Very pure and silky-fine with classic flavors of tar and rose petal. Smooth and complex on the finish with notes of truffles, dark cherry and tree bark. Not a "wow" wine but very fine indeed! Out of magnum and decanted for 3 hours.
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Paired the 1999 Falletto and le Rocche this evening. Both were decanted for 2 hours and back in the bottle for another 3.
The Le Rocche had loads of sediment and was clearly the darker, younger looking wine. The Falletto had the more open and forthcoming bouquet filled with red fruit, rose petals, spice, tar and earth. The Rocche was darker, with tighter bluer fruit.
The vintages higher acidity level complemented the Falletto’s more mature red cherry fruit adding energy and balancing its fine tannins........
Today the Falletto was more ready to go, youthful, elegant and delicious with a bright future. The Le Rocche’s fruit darker and denser and seemed the more serious of these two 20 year old Barolos likely the superior wine over the next decade or two.
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The nose was exotic and sweetly spiced, showing ripe cherries, crushed strawberry, and hard red candies, followed by lifting hints of fresh mint, and an intriguing aroma that I can only describe as apple butter. On the palate, I found soft textures of endless depth, as dark fruits were energized by brisk acidity, giving way to a mineral thrust and resolving to show polished black fruits, hints of pepper and hauntingly beautiful blue and purple floral tones. The finish as long, with a sweet-and-sour red fruit persona, as lingering acids and adolescent tannins slowly dissolved. This was not quite the expression I’ve come to know from this wine, but it was certainly enjoyable.
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Ugh. Flawed. Not fatally. Opened long enough in advance to open but the fruit was missing and never made an appearance because, well, it wasn't there. With the benefit of having some of these that haven't been flawed, this was a little heartbreaking.
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PnP. Quite a bit of sediment. In an excellent spot right now for my tastes, nose was really singing, typical Giacosa florals and sweetness on the nose as well. Slight bit of tertiary creeping in. Didn't get to spend too much time with it as we drunk it up fairly quickly...
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90s Barolo night at Bishan. Tasted blind. Drank from small decanter over 3-4 hours. Appearance is clear, pale inensity, ruby colour with garnet rim. legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with a bouquet of soft sexy floral roses, red licorice, classic sour red cherries, sweet spices, sweet tar earth. So sexciting! Developing. On the palate, dry, bright high acidity, medium alcohol (13.5%), integrated melt on the palate high tannins, deceptively full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sour red cherries, red cherry plums, red licorice, sweet spices, tar earth. Mineral inflections and other complexities still tight not showing forth yet. Long finish. Outstanding quality. Enjoyable drink already, but can still develop further to reveal the depth and complexity. Score can only get better. Super sexy sleek mouth-feel. Top notch. Giacosa did not produce a Red Label Reserve of this plot in 1999. so all the good juice is in here already.
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Giacosa weekend - dinner at Masseria (Masseria, DC): En magnum, expressive nose displaying warm red fruit, raspberry, cherry liqueur, a hint of blackberry, strong cedar, leather, tar, caramel and iron. Fully integrated palate, soft and round red and black fruit, medium acidity, good mineral presence, noticeable but fine tannins and a medium to long soft red fruit and tar driven finish. It is not as complex and finely layered as the 00 red label. However, it is expressive and very enjoyable.
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Decanted 6 hours earlier. Clear light ruby core with tawny edge. Extremely fine, subtle aromas of balsam wood, faint dark cherry, then tobacco. It reminded me more of old Rioja than any other Barolo I can recall. Perfect, elegant medium weight. Savory mix, sweet fruit in the background, strong acidity, fine tannins at the end. Two prevailing thoughts tasting this wine-first, how amazing that this started as grape juice, and second, Burgundy, for its impact and mellow beauty given its modest weight. Do not open a bottle of this expecting a blockbuster.
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Again this delivers big time. 1 hour decant. Open nose with roses, tar and mature fruit, very detailed and transparent however. Has calmed down during last 2-3 years. Palate is very finely grained, medium body. Good grip from the tannins but there is ample sweetness to balance it. Not a chewy wine but an elegant, refined and succulent one.
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WOTN at an expansive tasting. Drinking this, I thought I heard Katy Perry singing "Firework" as the wine just exploded on the palate. Beautiful stuff by the master at his prime. While I love many barolo makers, Bruno Giacosa stands out as my favorite for the combination power and elegance. Tonight just confirmed that for me. In terms of value, I do like these Rocche wines from years when there was no red label reserve. They drink a little earlier and are a bit less overpowering. My idea of a good time.
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A Study of Falletto di Serralunga (La Pizza Fresca): Each time I taste the ‘99 Le Rocche, the words that first come to mind are Radiant Dark Fruit, and this night’s wine was no different. The nose was dark and inward at first, blossoming into a display of dusty black cherry, black raspberry, sweet herbs, and spices, mixed with hints of animal musk and cedar. On the palate, It was built like a racehorse, all muscle and compact, yet with a core of dark red fruits and minerality that’s just waiting to come forward as this wine’s classic tannin slowly resolves. Nearly six hours after a double decanting, the wine took on notes of tobacco, sweet herbs, and undergrowth which lasted well into the finish with a coating of fine tannin that saturated the senses. This wine is positioned for greatness.
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I’ve been lucky to taste the ‘99 Le Rocche on multiple occasions, as each time it has been stunning. The nose was radiant in its cool, dark red fruit, with raspberry and black cherry, as well as hints of plum. Rosy florals tones, dusty spice and minerals joined the fray with time in the glass. On the palate, I found a refined and structured expression, with black cherry, inner floral, mineral tones and crunchy youthful tannin. The finish was long with palate-coating spiced cherry, sweet inner florals, spice and hints of lingering undergrowth.
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Decanted 2 hours. Nose was open and sweet with roses, strawberry preserves and some balsamic notes. The attack is sweet and full bodied. The tannins are quite harsh still, but very drinkable. After further time in the glass, the sweetness comes out even further and it looses a bit of its nerve. Old school, but more heat than I would expect from 1999.
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Kelly’s 61st - Champ, Monfortino, Burgundy and a ringer ('14 Summum) (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): The fruit expression is black which is unusual for Giacosa. The black fruit, ripeness and energy are strangely similar to Monfortino. However, this seems a bit rounder and linear. Very sophisticate silky palate. This youthful wine will need at least ten more years to reach the peak. There is Rousseau like sophistication.
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Tight and refined. Subtle nose but pretty red fruit and roses on the palate. Tar and earth. An insane amount of sediment. Needs time but elegantly restrained now.
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From magnum. Similar notes to previous bottle. Beautifully complex aromatics that are loaded with tar and freshly cut roses. Huge, but super smooth tannin structure. Finishes with notes of black tea. This is already great. Classic Barolo.
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13.5% abv. Really bright and fresh. Floral nose, cascading with tart strawberries. Elegant and very long with a touch of sweetness. Tastes young still, will try and wait at least 5yrs for the next bottle.
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Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): There were 2 bottles of this same wine. Bottle 1: Heavenly nose. Sunning in the mouth. Sweet and forward, this must be the 99. Huge upside for this wine. 95-? Bottle 2: Very backward at first and quite tannic. Long, long finish. Cardamom and other spices. At first this was much tighter than the first bottle, but slowly it got more and more similar as it opened.
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Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was all at once intense, yet elegant and truly radiant. A bouquet of dark red fruits, plum, rosy florals, dusty spice and minerals wafted up from the glass without any coaxing. On the palate, it opened with bitter cherry, yet fleshed out turning riper and softer with a savory meatiness, dry spice, saline minerals and inner floral tones. The finish was tight yet focused with red fruit, cinnamon and gorgeous autumnal character.
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Beautiful, classic Barolo, Really impressive aromatics of pure red cherry and roses. Tremendous balance - intense and deep but with excellent lift and freshness. Great stuff. 95+
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Has the darkest fruit profile of the flight; lots of material here in terms of tannic structure; brightest acidity among the wines in this flight lend an energy that could make this the best of the bunch in the long run. Lovely, lovely wine but not quite as harmonious as the Cascina Francia currently; could certainly see this winning out two decades down the line though. 94-95+?
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '14 edition (Ben's (NYC)): A jawdropper. This has it all. Such an incredible aroma with layers of red fruit, truffles, earth, floral notes, and other savoury elements coming together on the nose and palate, and all conveyed with remarkable purity and finesse. The texture on the palate is pure silk, and the finish seems to resonate for minutes. Absolutely amazing wine.
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Supposedly all the Rocche went into a white label this year and it is a delicious and superbly balanced Barolo that is still quite young but showing beautifully. Classic flavors of tar and roses along with deep cherry notes and scents of underbrush. Finishes tannic and dry but with perfect ripeness and lovely licorice notes that would suggest it will continue to age very well. 93+
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Decanted for an hour or two. This bottle was running. Great nose of Borolo goodness and a full spectrum of wonderful flavors all with the lightness of body that only Nebbiolo can pull off. Long finish. Drinking well although will improve for many years. Truly excellent wine. And one of the better Giacosa's I have had recently.
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This'll turn out to be a beauty, it's already halfway there. Loads of tannin at first, but it's cashmere-soft and mellows out considerably in the decanter. Once it relaxes its grip the wine really shows how full and round it is--it practically has a billowing presence on the palate with pure red-fruited nebbiolo flavors and an interesting gravelly rockiness underneath.
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Annual Pilgrimage to Piedmont; 9/30/2011-10/2/2011 (Piedmont, Italy): Young, vibrant and at this stage requires a good hour decanting to open. Maybe more. Kept on improving and opening up in the glass. Very well made, big wine, lovely cherry notes on the nose, pure and very elegant. Tannins are still very much alive , very vibrant wine which will keep improving over the next 5-10yrs easily. 93+ at the moment
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Understandably still a baby but wanted to crack the first one to reveal it's potential. Great floral nose with black licorice, deep dark fruit and cigar box. Big chewy tannins on the palate and after 90 minutes in decanter the sweet Barolo fruit began to surface. Classic and can't wait to taste this again in 4-5 years.
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Rosso granato non limpido, naso scuro terziario...appena versato va subito su note di brodo e dado, poi si pulisce ed esce un piacevole frutto rosso dolce ma mai definito sempre "sporco", qualche nota di funghi\tartufo , bocca è fresco con un piacevole tannino sottile, sotto il palato è poco persistente e scivola via veloce ....
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New Year's Eve Party at the Rosas (Chez Rosa-Teixeira, Limmerston St, London): From double magnum ( number 145 of 200) and decanted over 3 hours. Decanting helped and definitely showed much better wine than the one we tried at the Giacosa tasting a month ago with no decanting. The centerpiece in our NYE party and such a great wine. Big wine and although young still drinks very well. Mild on the nose yet with a purity and finesse. Lots of earthy notes and red fruit. A sweet undertone in the core adds to the density and layes on the palate.. We can go on and on here.. 94 at the moment, maybe more as this develops in the future.
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Bruno Giacosa Wines with Bruna Giacosa (The Sampler, London): Very nice wine. Sweet core, round, classic vintage. Lots of mashrooms and mild red fruit on the nose. Wine was added last time so not given time to open up but still even straight out of the bottle this was a superb wine with lots of elegance and purity.
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Giacosa Lunch: This is a very great wine in the making, but still has a long way to go. Along with the classic tar and roses, there is a fantastic meaty, savory note here, which came out more and more over the 6 hrs or so the bottle was open and seems a real vineyard signature. This really isn't at all ready, though - the 1990 Riserva drunk alongside showed what this might become if we are lucky. Hold off for at least 5 years.
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Drank in magnum at 2009 Pig Fest with EWS customers and friends. Spectacular wine after 2 hours. I will hold the rest for another 10 years. For those who have plenty, suggest trying a bottle now. You will not be disappointed.
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Much more closed and impenetrable than the 1998 which I had last month. This mammoth wine needs at least 10 years more before it opens up. The fruit is clearly there, but masked by loads of mature tannins. Superb acidity as always in Giacosa's wines. A bit disappointing compared to the 1998, but it should be better with time.
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sisde by side with 93 Falletto it was clear that this was a superior vintage. Probably needs 20 years of age but what a finish. Staggering complexity but hard to judge this young
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Still young but WOW, what a wine. Tons of power on the palate with a deeply penetrating flavor. Unending finish. OMG thoughts were repeating in my head. A brilliant wine. Giacosa is indeed the Master.
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Had amongst other heavy hitters from Italy and France. The complexity was out of this world. It constantly changed from the moment I decanted it to the last drop left. Beautiful aromatics of truffles, crushed flowers and wild berries, earth and smoke. Then came the leathery, toasty, wet stone aromatics that overwhelmed the fruit. Overall the palate showed well, after being decanted 6 hours total, and the tannins were fine grained, dusty, yet well integrated. Needs more time in the bottle, but who can wait?
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decanted for 4 hours. WOW!!! intoxicating nose- everything a barolo aspires to be. roses, licorice, tar, berries. who wants to drink it when I could smell it all night? OK, I'll risk that disappointment that usually follows such a great nose- Bravo- perfectly balanced. everything in perfect harmony. good fruit, nice acid, fine grained tannins that take a back seat to the fruit. a wonderful sweet finish. all I can say is I like this wine!
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Dinner with England, Manlin, and Others (Brad's House): Decanted about 15 minutes. Deep red color. An expressive nose showing cherries and a beautiful earthy smell. This was concentrated and mouth coating, giving red fruit from the attack through a long lingering finish. It was slightly acidic and a little tannic on the finish, but was much more approachable than I would have expected. This is a wine to seek out and buy for drinking over the next 20 or more years. Wow.
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James Suckling liked the 1999 better than the 1998. I agree. I gave the 1998 a score of 92-94. The 1999 was more elegant and smoother. Fine tannins for this young wine. Although the fruit was mostly hidden, this wine had class and it was just waiting for the right time to emerge. Give it 5+ years. 94+ points.
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2/3/2024 - kenv Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bring a Great Nebbiolo (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double-decanted before noon.] Heavenly black fruit and spice cake nose. Big, rich, and expansive in the mouth but with that classic Giacosa elegance.
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2/3/2024 - cct wrote: 97 Points
Nebbiolo at the Goldberg's
Double decanted in the AM and drunk over dinner
A bottomless intoxicating nose with cooler nebbiolo fruit, rose, violet and some savory notes. Fantastic clarity focus and poised. A vertical, powerful wine with incredible finesse and a sense of effortless calm. Floral inner perfume. Fantastic. Best bottle of this I have had. I will still hold my bottles for a few years thoughts I see this is not yet off the runway. 97+
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2/3/2024 - cct wrote: 97 Points
Festa dal Barolo 2019 Masterclass (The Pool, Manhattan): Festa dal Barolo lunch
Leftovers from the previous evening Gala Dinner (in magnum)
A structured firm and vertical wine with terrific clarity depth. Ferrous notes add to the darker fruited perfumed and spice driven nose with some early maturing notes.
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11/11/2023 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 95 Points
Took JoshAbramson’s suggestion and decanted this for 3 hours which was spot on. All I kept thinking was this is so well balanced that it will be drinking well in 30 years. A multi dimensional well judged wine that is modest, polished and confident and it knows it. This wine is in its prime and will drink well for a very long time. Revisit 2028
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7/27/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious, but definitely needs 3 hours of air.
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7/14/2023 - sdsull Likes this wine: 98 Points
Amazing, amazing Barolo. One of the top 5 Barolo's I have ever had. Perfectly aged, garnet color, so smooth and silky….. Last bottle, unfortunately. Looking forward to drinking more of these stored in my buddies cellar ;-)
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6/2/2023 - RJ&JJ Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a beautiful expression of Barolo. It is drinking so well right now, so well balanced, great mouthfeel and finish. A superb bottle of wine. I wish we had more!!!!
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4/1/2023 - ILarsen wrote: 94 Points
A powerfull and well balanced wine - that does not give you a lot of fruit - we get ripe plums and prunes - also some cranberries. We are getting leather and tobacco leaves - we are also getting camphor - the age gives you a lot of tertiary notes. Acidity and tannins are still medium plus. You get a very long aftertaste - we like the wine and end up 94.
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2/13/2023 - Sotto325 wrote: flawed
Unlike the vibrant prior two bottles from another source, this was close to dead-- ready to make an appointment with the undertaker, as my colleague said.
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11/18/2022 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Cristal, DP, Giacosa, Produttori and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying generous soft black fruit, blackberry, black cherry, tar, leather, cedar, sweet spices and earth. Very good concentration, layers upon layers of generous black fruit, round, soft and warm, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long round black fruit driven finish with a hint of cedar at the end. This is softer and rounder, also slightly less concentrated and structured than the 96 Asili. It is drinking beautifully.
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10/1/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine:
Didn't give this any time to breathe tonight as it was opened last minute. Such a good wine, but need a bit of air at this stage as it's definitely tightly wound still out of the bottle.
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8/23/2022 - Sotto325 wrote: 95 Points
What as treat! Once again hitting on all cylinders at high horsepower. Plenty of that dark cherry, a hint of licorice, moist earth and exquisite Nebbiolo branched, briary overlay. Multi layered complexity, the very long finish, and overall just right for drinking now.
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7/1/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank side by side with 89’ red label Giacosa Barolo. The Riserva was far more special for sure, but this held up nicely! Very tasty
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4/21/2022 - drwine2001 wrote:
Wine and Food Vacation…Finally!; 4/18/2022-4/21/2022: Opened 2 hours in advance and decanted at the table. Still even ruby throughout. All earth, tobacco, and mint on the nose at first. It took a while for it to breathe up and show dull red fruit. Light to medium weight, great acidity running through, but it never quite blossoms or achieves a fully ripe, seamless feel due to lingering grainy tannins. Over a few hours, it oscillates between its savory and fruit elements being in the foreground. I must say that we were spoiled by recently drinking a 2004 Rabaja, but the texture, depth, and perfectly ripe fruit in that wine were well ahead of what we found in the Rocche tonight. Excellent but a little disappointing.
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4/2/2022 - kenv Likes this wine: 98 Points
1999 Barolo Dinner (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double-decanted around 10am.] Sweeter than the Falletto. Richer, with more black fruit. Expansive in the mouth. The complex finish goes on and on. Just wow! Bruno knocked it out of the park in 1999. Among the best white labels he ever made.
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3/28/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 96 Points
(at Foraged - Baltimore) Fuzzy red fruit, stems, tactile, spice, long. Hitting maturity. Very strong and very great. (96)
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12/9/2021 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
(at Vito's - Baltimore) Loved this wine though would not have picked it as Giacosa blind. Clean - rose and florals. Where's the spice? Well - doesn't need it as the palate is beautiful and balanced with a good dose of finishing tannin. Young still with great potential. (94+)
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10/25/2021 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful but embryonic. Needs a lot of time and/or a lot of air, but all the stuffing is there.
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10/18/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Workshop: White Label Giacosa and White Truffles (Locanda Verde): Warm year so more fruit and less acid. To me this was not quite as complex or interesting as the '05 (served next to it - that one was much too young but there was a bright future ahead I thought). Interesting because some others I think found this more approachable and perhaps it was. Splitting hairs of course because all Giacosa is generally great.
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9/11/2021 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted for 3 hours, sediment removed. Yes, this is a beautiful wine. Nicely resolved to a mid-weight Barolo, with a gorgeous nose of red fruit, earth, mint over a palate that was utterly classic in its combination of cherry and raspberry intensity but still light, lithe even. Lovely, long peppery finish.
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5/28/2021 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
What a delight! The extra level of soil-bound richness in this elegantly etched Barolo that is so ready for consumption now. Slo oxed for just 20 minutes after Coravinning half the bottle. On Day 2, slo ox in bottle for 30 minutes. Just dead -on both days and the perfect companion to both grilled veal and prosciutto et al. Redolent with dark cherry, a hint of black tea, expansive rose water overlay, a nice but not overdone smokey undertone which carried the fully developed and refined combinations of fruit and floral notes. It could be a bit richer, but that is quibbling.
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5/19/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Return to Trompette (La Trompette): An interesting and serious wine. Looking over the notes I jotted on the menu (nettles, tobacco, undergrowth, tobacco, smoke, bright, juicy) you'd think this was the acme of mature Barolo, but it didn't make me respond emotionally; I think I would have preferred a little more bite or zip, and it was perhaps slightly overshadowed by the delicious Bordeaux we'd just had.
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9/9/2020 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gareth's Post-lockdown Piedmont (Noize): Nicely mature - slightly volatile, gamey nose, and lovely deep cherry cola-accented fruit on the palate. Bright acidity made it a great match for the rich food it accompanied. Elegant and enjoyable, but (unlike some of my dining companions) I wasn't excited by this - perhaps partly because my glass had a lot of sediment in it.
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8/5/2020 - Burgland Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purchased on release. On the nose, dusty Morello cherry, graphite, tin, and cola. On the palate, dusty rose petals. A long, mouth-coating finish. The Rocche bottling is a step up.
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7/10/2020 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – COVID safety measures - Mostly Blind (Reston, Va): Expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, black cherry, fruitcake, a hint of mint, tar, tobacco, leather, cedar, a hint of oak and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated black fruit, round and warm, also silky and nicely detailed, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, still a hint of tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with fruitcake and mint at the end. It is drinking beautifully with generous fruit but can still improve. For my palate, this could have been a red label.
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1/24/2020 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 97 Points
Seductive, sweet and beautifully layered, this is showing top-notch Giacosa character and completeness. Notes of sweet spices, sweet red cherries, brown sugar, truffle, tar, sweet dried fruit, rose petals. It‘s medium+ bodied, has medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin that is superbly silky. Excellent length. An incredible bottle of Giacosa, layered, complex, perfumed and seductive, this is really pulling all the stops.
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11/3/2019 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Ruby. Soft and sweet. Cherry, rose, camphor, and a hint of cedar. Plush texture, fine tannins, killer acidity. There's great depth to the fruit and its mineral underpinning. 1999 was originally overshadowed by 2000 but no one is fooled by that now — an absolutely stellar vintage. Drink now through 2040.
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11/2/2019 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
White Truffles & Nebbiolo (Chez Nanda): In peak form now. Fresh with round, sweet fruit that is layered and delineated.
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11/2/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume IV (Chicago, IL): Very open and easy to drink, with a very approachable red-fruited nose and palate. This is surprisingly open; it's not a wine that needs more time to mature. There's some really pretty red fruit here, but I think it tends to be a little more sweet than there is acidity to balance it out. Nonetheless, there's a silkiness on the finish from the tannins that's really elegant and attractive. Certainly room for improvement via aging, but delicious now already.
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10/26/2019 - cct wrote: 95 Points
1999 Piedmont Retrospective (Brooklyn): 1999 Retrospective, Brooklyn
Double decanted in the AM, drunk over several hours.
A promising, initially reluctant, yet beautiful nose perfumed with cherry, roses and balsamic notes. On the palate, it was the most youthful and compact wine of the night. There is great depth and structure, and everything seems to be beautifully balanced, but it just seems to need time. Thereis a gracefulness to this opposed to the Granbussia which is youthful, but more overly structured and firm. Improves with air. Beautiful and I will hold my remaining bottles for at least 5 years before checking in again. 95++
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4/10/2019 - OldKingBalthazar Likes this wine:
Decanted and took some time to truly strut its stuff. Very youthful appearance. Gorgeous and marked nose with floral and menthol elements. Complex Red fruit and spice with the tannic structure still very prominent. Very long finish. Beautiful wine.
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3/10/2019 - DelYap wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/4/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very pure and silky-fine with classic flavors of tar and rose petal. Smooth and complex on the finish with notes of truffles, dark cherry and tree bark. Not a "wow" wine but very fine indeed! Out of magnum and decanted for 3 hours.
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2/23/2019 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
Paired the 1999 Falletto and le Rocche this evening. Both were decanted for 2 hours and back in the bottle for another 3.
The Le Rocche had loads of sediment and was clearly the darker, younger looking wine. The Falletto had the more open and forthcoming bouquet filled with red fruit, rose petals, spice, tar and earth. The Rocche was darker, with tighter bluer fruit.
The vintages higher acidity level complemented the Falletto’s more mature red cherry fruit adding energy and balancing its fine tannins........
Today the Falletto was more ready to go, youthful, elegant and delicious with a bright future. The Le Rocche’s fruit darker and denser and seemed the more serious of these two 20 year old Barolos likely the superior wine over the next decade or two.
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1/22/2019 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose was exotic and sweetly spiced, showing ripe cherries, crushed strawberry, and hard red candies, followed by lifting hints of fresh mint, and an intriguing aroma that I can only describe as apple butter. On the palate, I found soft textures of endless depth, as dark fruits were energized by brisk acidity, giving way to a mineral thrust and resolving to show polished black fruits, hints of pepper and hauntingly beautiful blue and purple floral tones. The finish as long, with a sweet-and-sour red fruit persona, as lingering acids and adolescent tannins slowly dissolved. This was not quite the expression I’ve come to know from this wine, but it was certainly enjoyable.
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1/12/2019 - ducster72 wrote: flawed
Ugh. Flawed. Not fatally. Opened long enough in advance to open but the fruit was missing and never made an appearance because, well, it wasn't there. With the benefit of having some of these that haven't been flawed, this was a little heartbreaking.
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11/4/2018 - mrbry83 Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP. Quite a bit of sediment. In an excellent spot right now for my tastes, nose was really singing, typical Giacosa florals and sweetness on the nose as well. Slight bit of tertiary creeping in. Didn't get to spend too much time with it as we drunk it up fairly quickly...
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10/5/2018 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 95 Points
90s Barolo night at Bishan. Tasted blind. Drank from small decanter over 3-4 hours.
Appearance is clear, pale inensity, ruby colour with garnet rim. legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with a bouquet of soft sexy floral roses, red licorice, classic sour red cherries, sweet spices, sweet tar earth. So sexciting! Developing.
On the palate, dry, bright high acidity, medium alcohol (13.5%), integrated melt on the palate high tannins, deceptively full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sour red cherries, red cherry plums, red licorice, sweet spices, tar earth. Mineral inflections and other complexities still tight not showing forth yet. Long finish.
Outstanding quality. Enjoyable drink already, but can still develop further to reveal the depth and complexity. Score can only get better. Super sexy sleek mouth-feel. Top notch.
Giacosa did not produce a Red Label Reserve of this plot in 1999. so all the good juice is in here already.
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8/26/2018 - RJ&JJ Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOW!
Glad we have another one!
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5/26/2018 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Giacosa weekend - dinner at Masseria (Masseria, DC): En magnum, expressive nose displaying warm red fruit, raspberry, cherry liqueur, a hint of blackberry, strong cedar, leather, tar, caramel and iron. Fully integrated palate, soft and round red and black fruit, medium acidity, good mineral presence, noticeable but fine tannins and a medium to long soft red fruit and tar driven finish. It is not as complex and finely layered as the 00 red label. However, it is expressive and very enjoyable.
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5/17/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Decanted 6 hours earlier. Clear light ruby core with tawny edge. Extremely fine, subtle aromas of balsam wood, faint dark cherry, then tobacco. It reminded me more of old Rioja than any other Barolo I can recall. Perfect, elegant medium weight. Savory mix, sweet fruit in the background, strong acidity, fine tannins at the end. Two prevailing thoughts tasting this wine-first, how amazing that this started as grape juice, and second, Burgundy, for its impact and mellow beauty given its modest weight. Do not open a bottle of this expecting a blockbuster.
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5/13/2018 - UTPK wrote:
Again this delivers big time. 1 hour decant. Open nose with roses, tar and mature fruit, very detailed and transparent however. Has calmed down during last 2-3 years. Palate is very finely grained, medium body. Good grip from the tannins but there is ample sweetness to balance it. Not a chewy wine but an elegant, refined and succulent one.
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4/3/2018 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
WOTN at an expansive tasting. Drinking this, I thought I heard Katy Perry singing "Firework" as the wine just exploded on the palate. Beautiful stuff by the master at his prime. While I love many barolo makers, Bruno Giacosa stands out as my favorite for the combination power and elegance. Tonight just confirmed that for me. In terms of value, I do like these Rocche wines from years when there was no red label reserve. They drink a little earlier and are a bit less overpowering. My idea of a good time.
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1/10/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 96 Points
A Study of Falletto di Serralunga (La Pizza Fresca): Each time I taste the ‘99 Le Rocche, the words that first come to mind are Radiant Dark Fruit, and this night’s wine was no different. The nose was dark and inward at first, blossoming into a display of dusty black cherry, black raspberry, sweet herbs, and spices, mixed with hints of animal musk and cedar. On the palate, It was built like a racehorse, all muscle and compact, yet with a core of dark red fruits and minerality that’s just waiting to come forward as this wine’s classic tannin slowly resolves. Nearly six hours after a double decanting, the wine took on notes of tobacco, sweet herbs, and undergrowth which lasted well into the finish with a coating of fine tannin that saturated the senses. This wine is positioned for greatness.
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12/13/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 96 Points
I’ve been lucky to taste the ‘99 Le Rocche on multiple occasions, as each time it has been stunning. The nose was radiant in its cool, dark red fruit, with raspberry and black cherry, as well as hints of plum. Rosy florals tones, dusty spice and minerals joined the fray with time in the glass. On the palate, I found a refined and structured expression, with black cherry, inner floral, mineral tones and crunchy youthful tannin. The finish was long with palate-coating spiced cherry, sweet inner florals, spice and hints of lingering undergrowth.
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9/13/2017 - UTPK wrote:
Decanted 2 hours. Nose was open and sweet with roses, strawberry preserves and some balsamic notes. The attack is sweet and full bodied. The tannins are quite harsh still, but very drinkable. After further time in the glass, the sweetness comes out even further and it looses a bit of its nerve. Old school, but more heat than I would expect from 1999.
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7/30/2017 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Kelly’s 61st - Champ, Monfortino, Burgundy and a ringer ('14 Summum) (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): The fruit expression is black which is unusual for Giacosa. The black fruit, ripeness and energy are strangely similar to Monfortino. However, this seems a bit rounder and linear. Very sophisticate silky palate. This youthful wine will need at least ten more years to reach the peak. There is Rousseau like sophistication.
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10/27/2016 - brigcampbell wrote:
Just the Bro' (Maro Grill, Laguna Beach): Young, coiled tight, and difficult. Does have a nice licorice note but the drying at the finish was off putting.
Don't waste a bottle opening now, wait 5+ years.
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8/2/2016 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Tight and refined. Subtle nose but pretty red fruit and roses on the palate. Tar and earth. An insane amount of sediment. Needs time but elegantly
restrained now.
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10/31/2015 - Paul Lin wrote:
Way too young. Tight as nails. Try again in 5 years or so.
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9/18/2015 - elamasters wrote: 90 Points
1999 Barolo Tasting - TWG; 9/17/2015-9/18/2015: Pretty and elegant. Not much fruit. Formidable tannins.
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5/18/2015 - MBKDK wrote: flawed
Completely corked. Really hurts with a bottle a this price point...
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12/28/2014 - bill00 wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. Similar notes to previous bottle. Beautifully complex aromatics that are loaded with tar and freshly cut roses. Huge, but super smooth tannin structure. Finishes with notes of black tea. This is already great. Classic Barolo.
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11/26/2014 - DrakkarNoir Likes this wine:
13.5% abv. Really bright and fresh. Floral nose, cascading with tart strawberries. Elegant and very long with a touch of sweetness. Tastes young still, will try and wait at least 5yrs for the next bottle.
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9/12/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): There were 2 bottles of this same wine.
Bottle 1:
Heavenly nose. Sunning in the mouth. Sweet and forward, this must be the 99. Huge upside for this wine. 95-?
Bottle 2:
Very backward at first and quite tannic. Long, long finish. Cardamom and other spices. At first this was much tighter than the first bottle, but slowly it got more and more similar as it opened.
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9/12/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was all at once intense, yet elegant and truly radiant. A bouquet of dark red fruits, plum, rosy florals, dusty spice and minerals wafted up from the glass without any coaxing. On the palate, it opened with bitter cherry, yet fleshed out turning riper and softer with a savory meatiness, dry spice, saline minerals and inner floral tones. The finish was tight yet focused with red fruit, cinnamon and gorgeous autumnal character.
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9/6/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 93 Points
En bra klassisk Barolo.
Har tyvärr slarvat bort mina anteckningar
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5/31/2014 - bill00 wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful, classic Barolo, Really impressive aromatics of pure red cherry and roses. Tremendous balance - intense and deep but with excellent lift and freshness. Great stuff. 95+
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5/18/2014 - amateurwino wrote: 94 Points
Has the darkest fruit profile of the flight; lots of material here in terms of tannic structure; brightest acidity among the wines in this flight lend an energy that could make this the best of the bunch in the long run. Lovely, lovely wine but not quite as harmonious as the Cascina Francia currently; could certainly see this winning out two decades down the line though. 94-95+?
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5/18/2014 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '14 edition (Ben's (NYC)): A jawdropper. This has it all. Such an incredible aroma with layers of red fruit, truffles, earth, floral notes, and other savoury elements coming together on the nose and palate, and all conveyed with remarkable purity and finesse. The texture on the palate is pure silk, and the finish seems to resonate for minutes. Absolutely amazing wine.
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3/7/2014 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Supposedly all the Rocche went into a white label this year and it is a delicious and superbly balanced Barolo that is still quite young but showing beautifully. Classic flavors of tar and roses along with deep cherry notes and scents of underbrush. Finishes tannic and dry but with perfect ripeness and lovely licorice notes that would suggest it will continue to age very well. 93+
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8/9/2013 - BobJohnson1 Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour or two. This bottle was running. Great nose of Borolo goodness and a full spectrum of wonderful flavors all with the lightness of body that only Nebbiolo can pull off. Long finish. Drinking well although will improve for many years. Truly excellent wine. And one of the better Giacosa's I have had recently.
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8/7/2013 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
This'll turn out to be a beauty, it's already halfway there. Loads of tannin at first, but it's cashmere-soft and mellows out considerably in the decanter. Once it relaxes its grip the wine really shows how full and round it is--it practically has a billowing presence on the palate with pure red-fruited nebbiolo flavors and an interesting gravelly rockiness underneath.
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10/18/2012 - taipanli wrote: 91 Points
Reticent. Short. Perhaps too early and needs a long decant.
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5/18/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: flawed
Birthday Giacosas (Antico, Chicago IL): ..........and we have corked wine #2 sadly
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5/18/2012 - tooch wrote: flawed
Giacosa Dinner (Antico - Chicago, IL): Slightly corked.
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4/7/2012 - MauriceE wrote: 93 Points
Lovely, fruity. Transparant, elegant. The wine was decanted at 18.00 and was still growing strong at 22.00. Great wine.
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10/1/2011 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Annual Pilgrimage to Piedmont; 9/30/2011-10/2/2011 (Piedmont, Italy): Young, vibrant and at this stage requires a good hour decanting to open. Maybe more. Kept on improving and opening up in the glass. Very well made, big wine, lovely cherry notes on the nose, pure and very elegant. Tannins are still very much alive , very vibrant wine which will keep improving over the next 5-10yrs easily. 93+ at the moment
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6/9/2011 - MikeZ wrote:
really entering a nice place, fabulous bottle of wine
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3/17/2011 - BurgFixx Likes this wine: 94 Points
Understandably still a baby but wanted to crack the first one to reveal it's potential. Great floral nose with black licorice, deep dark fruit and cigar box. Big chewy tannins on the palate and after 90 minutes in decanter the sweet Barolo fruit began to surface. Classic and can't wait to taste this again in 4-5 years.
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3/2/2011 - vespa110 wrote: 85 Points
Rosso granato non limpido, naso scuro terziario...appena versato va subito su note di brodo e dado, poi si pulisce ed esce un piacevole frutto rosso dolce ma mai definito sempre "sporco", qualche nota di funghi\tartufo , bocca è fresco con un piacevole tannino sottile, sotto il palato è poco persistente e scivola via veloce ....
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12/31/2010 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
New Year's Eve Party at the Rosas (Chez Rosa-Teixeira, Limmerston St, London): From double magnum ( number 145 of 200) and decanted over 3 hours. Decanting helped and definitely showed much better wine than the one we tried at the Giacosa tasting a month ago with no decanting. The centerpiece in our NYE party and such a great wine.
Big wine and although young still drinks very well. Mild on the nose yet with a purity and finesse. Lots of earthy notes and red fruit. A sweet undertone in the core adds to the density and layes on the palate.. We can go on and on here.. 94 at the moment, maybe more as this develops in the future.
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11/23/2010 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Bruna Giacosa in South Ken (The Sampler, South Kensington, London): Hastily produced from the shop's stockroom to make up for so many faulty wines, this was how it should be, broad, ripe and smooth, rich and animale, though still far from being fully expressive
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11/23/2010 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Bruno Giacosa Wines with Bruna Giacosa (The Sampler, London): Very nice wine. Sweet core, round, classic vintage. Lots of mashrooms and mild red fruit on the nose. Wine was added last time so not given time to open up but still even straight out of the bottle this was a superb wine with lots of elegance and purity.
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6/14/2010 - abh wrote:
Giacosa Lunch: This is a very great wine in the making, but still has a long way to go. Along with the classic tar and roses, there is a fantastic meaty, savory note here, which came out more and more over the 6 hrs or so the bottle was open and seems a real vineyard signature. This really isn't at all ready, though - the 1990 Riserva drunk alongside showed what this might become if we are lucky. Hold off for at least 5 years.
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6/5/2010 - Haltermr wrote: 96 Points
Close to perfection with its impeccable balance. Hardened down a bit after several hours.
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8/9/2009 - sdsull wrote: 96 Points
Drank in magnum at 2009 Pig Fest with EWS customers and friends. Spectacular wine after 2 hours. I will hold the rest for another 10 years. For those who have plenty, suggest trying a bottle now. You will not be disappointed.
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6/7/2009 - UTPK wrote:
Much more closed and impenetrable than the 1998 which I had last month. This mammoth wine needs at least 10 years more before it opens up. The fruit is clearly there, but masked by loads of mature tannins. Superb acidity as always in Giacosa's wines. A bit disappointing compared to the 1998, but it should be better with time.
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5/24/2009 - the godfather wrote: 95 Points
sisde by side with 93 Falletto it was clear that this was a superior vintage. Probably needs 20 years of age but what a finish. Staggering complexity but hard to judge this young
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5/24/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 96 Points
Still young but WOW, what a wine. Tons of power on the palate with a deeply penetrating flavor. Unending finish. OMG thoughts were repeating in my head. A brilliant wine. Giacosa is indeed the Master.
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12/27/2008 - arappaport wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. Relatively subtle, but beautiful balance. Just starting to drink well.
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5/12/2008 - djs wrote:
Nice balance. Too young. Try again in 2013.
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3/5/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 94 Points
rosses, tar, cherry jello. nice chewy wine with good balance. dark fruit. long finish.
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3/5/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
not as complex as some, but drinking beautifully tonight. i actually finished this glass.
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3/5/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
eRobert Parker Offline - Giacosa and other Italian Wine (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): From magnum. Cherry, earth and spice. Nice depth and elegance. Beautiful finish. Great balance and acidity. Chewy yet refined tannins.
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1/24/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 95 Points
Had amongst other heavy hitters from Italy and France. The complexity was out of this world. It constantly changed from the moment I decanted it to the last drop left. Beautiful aromatics of truffles, crushed flowers and wild berries, earth and smoke. Then came the leathery, toasty, wet stone aromatics that overwhelmed the fruit. Overall the palate showed well, after being decanted 6 hours total, and the tannins were fine grained, dusty, yet well integrated. Needs more time in the bottle, but who can wait?
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12/6/2006 - mattiasjansson wrote: 93 Points
Backstreet - Best of Cellar (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Smoky.
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12/6/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Phoenix eRP Offline - Best of Cellar (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): From magnum. Cherries and prunes. A bit primary. Chewy. Nicely balanced wine. Needs time. Too young. Brought by Dave.
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9/28/2006 - goofy Yno wrote: 95 Points
decanted for 4 hours. WOW!!! intoxicating nose- everything a barolo aspires to be. roses, licorice, tar, berries. who wants to drink it when I could smell it all night? OK, I'll risk that disappointment that usually follows such a great nose- Bravo- perfectly balanced. everything in perfect harmony. good fruit, nice acid, fine grained tannins that take a back seat to the fruit. a wonderful sweet finish. all I can say is I like this wine!
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4/25/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with England, Manlin, and Others (Brad's House): Decanted about 15 minutes. Deep red color. An expressive nose showing cherries and a beautiful earthy smell. This was concentrated and mouth coating, giving red fruit from the attack through a long lingering finish. It was slightly acidic and a little tannic on the finish, but was much more approachable than I would have expected. This is a wine to seek out and buy for drinking over the next 20 or more years. Wow.
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5/11/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
James Suckling liked the 1999 better than the 1998. I agree. I gave the 1998 a score of 92-94. The 1999 was more elegant and smoother. Fine tannins for this young wine. Although the fruit was mostly hidden, this wine had class and it was just waiting for the right time to emerge. Give it 5+ years. 94+ points.
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