Ken double-decanted this a couple of hours before we had it. It was still tight, but kept opening aromatically after we decanted it again, and really hit its stride about 4 hours after being opened. Just a spectacular bottle of wine with haunting aromatic complexity, and a remarkable combination of power and finesse on the palate. The aromatics keep evolving - redder fruited at first, then turning darker and more herbal with some air, and eventually taking on more savoury sandalwood, balsamic, lightly spicy, and dried floral notes along with with a low-toned earthiness. The palate - well, just wow. Seamless. Everything comes together into a whole that's far beyond the sum of the flavour components, and there's a sense of restrained power here. Lots of intensity to the fruit, but still some tannic grip and faint bitterness on the back end. An incredible, thrilling wine.
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[Dinner at Salil's. Double decanted for 1.5 hours at 4pm.] Muted nose of black cherries and licorice. Tight on the palate. Two more hours in an open decanter: Now it's beginning to sing. Loads of red fruit and fruitcake in the nose. Juicy red fruit, licorice and roses. Vibrant and exciting. One of the best non-riserva Fallettos ever.
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Barolo 2004 with the Jeroboam Club (Little Shop and Pantry, Bristol): Heavily oxidative. Very light, strawberry coloration, tending to orange at the rim. Sherry notes on the very lean nose, obscuring the strawberry and cherry cough linctus underneath. Disjointed on the palate - there's sweet fruit but a sherry overlay I can't really get past. NR
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Anise, tar, violets, cloves, cherries, plums, leather, tobacco, soy sauce. Very youthful, decanted for an hour and it wasn't enough. Deep and dark, maybe a touch ambering at the edges? Would never know this is a 25 year old wine. Cork was spongy in the middle and broke off half way. Once more bottle and I'll hold it a few years. A beautiful bottle.
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Purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, this wine was decanted off of its sediment and allowed three hours in carafe prior to sampling over the ensuing three hours. Medium garnet and with mild bricking at the rim, it flaunts an intense and complex bouquet of chocolate covered cherries, dried apricots, cigar tobacco, black olives, leather, espresso and loamy earth. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic and seamlessly alcoholic (13.5%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose. At this stage the oak and tannins have fully integrated, making for a smoothly-textured mid-palate and equally smooth, lengthy finish. This is aging very gracefully. Comparably cellared bottles should provide plenty of enjoyment throughout the remainder of this decade. Drink now-2030.
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Gorgeous nose first earth and a touch of licorice, later deep, dense with roses. Also the midpalate is exiting with cherries, and then the finish kicks in with a lot of structure and dryness, but feels like it needs more fruit in the finish. I have tasted al Giacosas wines mostly young and in tastings, and they are so impressive, but i still havent tasted a mature wine that blows me away.
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Immediately upon opening a tinge of VA but that quickly goes away.
First sips are soft on the palate and show sweet sweet red fruit, like cherries. Smooth and open.
With a little time some tannins firm up, adding to the finish and bracing the back of the teeth.
The aromas and flavors also evolve, the nose showing a bit of Nebbiolo mint and soil tones, the palate building with dark fruit and other darker notes.
Quite fine.
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September BYO (Ole Johan): Dark red with some browning. Nose with coffee, spices, and light red fruit. Concentrated palate with light and elegant red fruit, cherries, tea, licorice, leather, and spices. Still vibrant and alive with lively acidity and smooth tannins.
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Wine tasting at La Terre: Similar to a 2001 that I tried previously at 67PM, this was a little advanced as well. Dull red colour with some bricking. Balsamic and soy notes dominated the palate, but still retained some semblance of structure and elegance.
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1999 Barolo Dinner (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double-decanted around 2:30pm for 3 hours.] Nose of red fruit and roses. Still young but tannins are soft and balanced. Classic Giacosa fruitcake on a very long complex finish.
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Hints of smoke and rubber mixing with oak. For a 22 year old wine, tannins through and through, jaws almost cramped with back palate chewiness. Initial palate kick-off of mint and menthol, eventually flowing into red fruit (though not particularly distinct at the moment). 45 mins in, nose moving to dark chocolate and cacao. Finishes with a throaty spice bite. @Babbo
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White Truffle & 1971 Nebbiolo Dinner (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double decanted for an hours at 2:30pm. Served about 9:30pm.] WOTN for me. Maybe I don't like really old Barolo as much as I thought. Anyway, this wine is rich and gorgeous with great depth and length. Nose of cherries and spice. Stunningly complex. Just wow. Il Maestro is king!
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Served with herb roasted chicken and truffle pasta; the nose here only took about 15 minutes of air to be first class; lovely red berry fruits, mint, forest floor, a hint of tar, very floral. The palate took about 90 minutes to lose the tannic grip and mellow out to allow the fruit and spice to emerge on the palate. Very good, but still overall tight; based on this bottle I'd say this needs more time; very good cork seal on this bottle; saturated only about 5%.
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Decanted 1hr and dinner at the iconic Paley’s Place in PDX which I understand is closing down at the end of November after an outstanding run of 27 years. This baby was just dynamite on the nose, full on roses and soy, incredible floral and fragrant – certainly top shelf aromatics here. The palate tracked this pretty closely, but was perhaps a tad tighter, more firm, tons of structure, but nonetheless a real treat last night. I think its either in the early prime time zone or close, but certainly another 5 years or so should see this at its apex.
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A beautiful nose of macerated cherries, licorice, crushed flowers and tar. The palate is balanced with good acidity. Sweet tannins. Notes of menthol, cherries, strawberries and tar. Very tasty. Definitely rewarded opening early followed by a couple hours in the decanter.
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3 of 6 Opened at 1:00, decanted at 3:00, back in bottle at 6:00, drank at 7:30. Initial nose pretty tight checked back in two hours and it was making some progress and decided to decant... After six hours this finally showed beautifully, melange of red fruits, floral notes and spice. Supple texture, good acidity and energy managing to be both weightless and serious simultaneously. the finish lasts and draws you back for more....
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Lights out aroma of perfectly mature macerated cherry, balsam, licorice and florals. Youthfully fresh cherry with terrific concentration and power while staying bright and weightless. This vintage should hold in peak fashion for a couple of decades and go even longer than that.
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White Truffles & Nebbiolo: 1999/2000 Barolo pair. While this is great it has a degree of brawn and structure that will shine with more time. Better on night two.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume V (Chicago, IL): #4213/14666. Next to the more exuberant 2000, this comes across as a brooding, darker wine. It is darker in complexion and has far more structure. The fruit is not as forthcoming, nor are the tannins as resolved. The potential of this wine, however, is quite apparent, and I would suspect that this wine will keep longer than the 2000, even though the 2000 is the bottle I would prefer to drink today.
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Same experience as several years ago. Beautiful balance, light pretty rose petals, cinnamon and spice with a touch of tar on the nose and palate. Superb balance and smooth finish. Great elegance and finesse.
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Starts off with some tobacco, truffle and raisin like fruit. With air there is more precision and it shows a core of black cherry. There are engaging florals and a touch of Indian spice. It has depth, flesh and Serralunga muscle. A really good wine just starting to enter a nice drinking window.
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Vibrant and perfuming nose of crushed red cherries, wintergreen, violet and rose petals, licorice and earthy tones. Quite elegant and light but balanced body with remaining youthful tannins surrounded by mouth coating acidity. Long finish with dryness; makes me think this will do better with a bit more time in decanter and/or cellar.
This wine is all about the acidity and the nose, and if the tannins can relax further, will be even better!
94 with perhaps a bit of upside.
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Love this wine. Opened and poured and I'll say the last sip was still just getting better and better. Bright and fruity and also a nice tartness to it. There's power here, but it's well structured. And light.
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Even light ruby. Cool minty nose with some porcini. Light to medium body. Really most notable for its superb core of acidity, which keeps it fresh and energetic. After an hour in the decanter, some spice emerges, but the fruit never really pops. Subtle, gentle, and understated but rather subdued. Nothing off about this bottle at all, but more sound than exciting. I don't see it getting much better.
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I am always a sucker for Giacosa and this wine was no different. I really appreciate the level of elegance that he brings to the wines. Very light and ethereal. More floral in nature but a bit of red berries as well. There's a slightly iron undertone which I know can bother some but which I always find quite enjoyable. Very well done.
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My WOTD. This was just wonderful. Pure class. There's cranberry and cherry and a bit of spice and rose hips and an overall lightness and finesse to the wine. Good from the first pour but continued to evolve and perhaps gain a bit more weight with time. Very enjoyable.
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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 darker, denser fruit made this the more serious of these two 20 year old Barolos and likely the superior wine over the next decade or two.
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Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Very small taste. Refer to Chablis28 's note for details. Gorgeous, supple red fruits, cherry and berries, wonderful texture. Would have loved to explore this baby. 94pts or better.
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Opened four hours before leaving for our annual wine group holiday party. Cork was tight, only soaked about 1/2" and not crumbly. Expected but modest sediment for nearly age 20. Btl had a full fill. Immediately relieved to find both the nose and the palate clean and fresh. Still needed some air as it started out tight so I decanted for a couple hours+ before going back into the btl for further slow ox till I left home. Didnt pull cork immediately at venue because I wanted to maintain the btl temp in my bag while we cruised through some champagnes, whites and a flight of BdMs first. So re-pulled the cork about 10 minutes before drinking. I can't stand, too warm, reds.
The color was semi translucent ruby red with some nebbi bricking on the edges. Terrific aromas of roses, tar, red fruit and spice. The palate was energetic but a silky and resolved tour de force in class & elegance. Such a beautiful textural experience. Red cherry & raspberry abound along with cinnamon, licorice, underbrush and minerality. A more feminine finessed version of Barolo but not lacking power nor concentration. Impressive and squarely in its drinking window with possibly some room for further upside. Loved it! If only, I'd been buying more Giacosa 10-15 yrs ago! Wait a minute I did pick up one 2000 to try on release based on a glowing Parker TN that made it sound ready to go and drinking great. Boy, was that a waste of $115. It was all punishing structure and zero pleasure, back then. I'll need to keep an eye out for another 2000 some time and see how it evolved as I have :).
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Blind. Some spice and Spearmint bubble gum, intriguing; fresh and most structured, not the biggest fruit, intense, heavy tannic finish. Got producer and vintage right. Some discussion whether the fruit is strong enough to wait out the tannins, I have my doubts.
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Double decanted. Pours a faded garnet in the glass. Nose and palate show very pure and high toned red fruits, mouth coating bitter robitussin, touch of tar/acetone, orange peel, and clay mineralité. Rush of dry tannins on the judiciously weighted midpalate adds a serious structure to this that needs yet more time to resolve into something more elegant. Lovely as it is now with a little bit of upside.
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dark burgundy color. bright red cherries on nose, more black cherries on palate. Great depth, would love to try this again at some point in a more coherent state of mind... was lovely however. 94 pts
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Had it with wagyu strip loin at Banff Rimrock Eden. A little softer than I thought it would be. Good bite of tannins on the first sip, mellowed out over an hour or so. Gentle fruit and decent acid. Lovely bouquet.
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Truffle Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): The wine needs decanting and an hour or so definitely helped. Well evolved but still full of bright cherry notes, light earthy and with a soft, silky feel on the palate. Very classic barolo, not heavy or rich but with an elegant feel. Very classy. 93 once again
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Opened just to air some about 6 hours before service w/o any decant. Refined and delicate right away. Resolved tannins and medium bodied. Comes across with a soft power that makes the traditional winemaking style so appealing. Great minerality and crystalline cherry with just a hint of violets on the nose. Superb with truffle risotto.
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Some bricking. Full array of red fruits, mushrooms, dried herbs, sweet Oak. Very smooth and turning silky after a couple hours. Almost no sediment to speak of. Lovely wine.
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Drinking beautifully. Engaging nose of rose petals, pastel-like red fruits, lipstick and earth. It is sweet and vinous in the mouth with all sorts of savoury nuance. Tannins are supportive, not imposing and balance is outstanding. There's good persistence of earthy flavours well after the wine is swallowed.
Brown color with a bouquet and flavor of grilled meat with unbalanced tannin and acidity. Very unpleasant, but possibly flawed as the wine was cellared pre-Katrina, so I will withhold judgment and mark the bottle flawed, although most of my pre-Katrina wines were not noticeably harmed. I have had no great success with Barolo wines, and have not found any that I have liked.
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Randy's superb holiday feast at 1789 (1789 Restaurant in Georgetown, Washington D.C.): Floral is the word to use here, even dry flowers. The palate is smooth and exhibits both cherry and raspberry as well as more white flower aspects. Very cool and pure, with a certain depth and richness that only ends with a somewhat less impressive length (than that promised from the get go). Still, I really liked this wine! And it paired well with the cheese.
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Kids' play-date at Alex and Fiona's (Alex and Fiona's in AMK): A delicious Barbaresco, just starting to hit its stride after sitting in an open bottle for a day or so. This showed everything I like about the 1999 vintage - great aromatics, ripe but nicely balanced fruit, nice structure. Yummy. The nose was a wonderful melange of dried roses, smoky herbs, savoury meat and earth, and some enchanting ripe black fruit aromas. The palate had a lighter, higher-toned profile than the nose, with a more flowery, dried herb and lightly spiced feel to it, all these flavours dancing about a core of ripe but still fresh black fruit. Fine boned tannins and nicely bright acidity then carried it I to a satisfying finish marked by a little burst of warm, smoky spices swirling around a little meaty, animale tail. A nicely elegant expression, yet with no lack of depth and interest. Just starting to drink well now, this may not be the longest lived Nebbiolo, but it will be a very nice one indeed over the next 5-10 years.
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Opened and left to rest for a good 2 hours. Has quite a bit of sediment so decanting would not be a bad option but one needs to be careful as the wine is a bit fragile and maybe will oxidise. Fine and elegant, good dark fruits on the nose, light dark cherries, light notes of tar at times. Good depth, round tannin albeit still with a bit of a bite and good acidity. Was a real treat. 92-93
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Nebbiolo Dinner with Punch Brothers (Peck's Arcade, Troy, NY): [Double-decanted for 1.5 hours at 5:30pm. Consumed around 1:30am.] Wow! This is simply a great wine. A gloriously fragrant nose. Huge and expansive in the mouth. A great future for this wine, but so much pleasure right now.
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Finally a good bottle after 2 oxidized ones from this batch. Needs decanting and in this case we did for a good 2 hours and helped develop the wine. Granted not the best Giacosa one will encounter but still a pretty solid and well made, classic Barolo. Good fruit, nice ripe light sweet core of cherry, fine grain tannin, silky and round at this stage (especially after decanting). A very good 92 and drink sooner than later.
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Blind Tasting Challenge (Tribeca Wine Merchants): Served blind; all we knew was that there was a Piedmont wine in the lineup somewhere. To me this was obviously not correct once it was revealed; it drank like a mediocre 40-year-old wine past its prime and not like a 15-year-old Barolo from a great producer in a great vintage. Browning, bricked color. Tarry nose, some balsamic and spice. Short and uninteresting. A shame.
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Slightly reserved, but lovely perfumed nose of red, blue and black fruit along with some roses and tar. Interesting on the palate as this exhibits beautifully pure fruit, raspberries and roses, and perfect balance on the palate and while this is forward and seemingly mature, you can tell it will reveal so much more. Incredibly finessed on the long finish.
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Agree with the tasting profile by PSPatrick. Very well made wine from a nice vintage that is jest ready to drink but still hiding a lot of its charms. I'd open one every 3-4 years if I had a few. Quality wine.
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Very intense, but also delicate and attractive Nebbiolo aromas. Has taken on som volatile paint / furniture polish aromas. Powerful and concentrated in the mouth, but also clean and delicate. A great wine.
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Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): Earthy mulchy nose. Tannic and backward, but there is some gorgeous fruit hiding in there. This one I was sure was the 01 given how tannic and unyielding it was.
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Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was rich and intense with dark red fruits, cinnamon, cedar, and hints of herbs. On the palate, red berry fruit played a sweet and sour act on the senses, while inner floral and tobacco notes completed the experience. Tannin shut down the finish, allowing only a hint of red berry fruit to linger.
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opened (no decant and consumed approx 1 hr later) a bit more age than anticipated...bricking around edges. palate was solid but I would have expected a bit more expansive and a presence. Macro comment would be most aspects just a bit more muted...based on this bottle I would consume. Secondary flavors ok but just, in the mouth good but would have hoped for a bit better mouthfeel...maybe expectations a bit high. just solid on this occasion.
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A big-scaled wine, possibly way too young, showing dark plum marks and almost a port like quality with perhaps a bit too much alcohol sticking out. Plenty of air reins it in to show more of a traditional Nebbiolo character with floral notes and spices. Lacks a bit of the Giacosa finesse and comes across as flabby at times. May just be a matter of opening this 5-10 years too early but I'm not sure. With the Hansen family in Canazei.
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Bottle #14’623 of 14'666 bottles produced. Popped and poured, without decanting, and consumed over three days. Very long cork. The wine offered rose petal, red fruit, red cherry, marzipan, hey, tar, liquorice, a hint of chocolate, nail polish remover, some tobacco and some underbrush on the nose. On the palate the wine showed rosewater, red fruit, sour cherry, tea, tobacco and a hint of chocolate, paired with high lively, almost tart acidity, high fine, well-integrated tannin, a good mouthfeel and incredible length. The wine was smooth, balanced and very elegant. It drank well over three evenings and I probably liked it best the third day. I loved the nose and the wine’s great length, but it lacked complexity on the palate to merit an even higher score.
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Verticale Barolo Falletto di Bruno Giacosa 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998 e 1997 (7 Giugnio 2013). 2004 Falletto: alla vista è granato appena evoluto vivace, al naso si presenta un po chiuso con note di tabacco ed eucalipto con sentori di spezie e prugna. All'esame gustativo entra sottile e caldo, con tannini sottili, ma lunghi. Una bella struttura! Questo vino è da dimenticare in cantina ed avrà una vita lunga. Il suo stato "giovanile" non gli rende giustizia, specie all'olfatto,lasciando comprendere le grandi potenzialità di questa splendida annata di Serrelunga, ma la piacevolezza e la godibilità della sua evoluzione inizierà a trapelare non prima di 7/8 anni. 2001 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato vivace, al naso spiccano le note di chicco di caffè e sentori di caruba, con una sottile alternanza di frutto e vegetale. In bocca è ampio, con tannino pieno, molto lungo. E' un capolavoro! Sicuramente il migliore della verticale. Anche questa bottiglia però è da lasciare in cantina per anni, al fine di poterlo bere al pieno della sua evoluzione. 1999 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato evoluto prevalgono note di caffè, liquirizia, funghi, terra e humus. in bocca si ritrovano le note di caffè e funghi, ma il 1999 ha una lunghezza moderata. E' il più deludente dei 5. In verità questo eccellente millesimo si presenta, in tutte e tre le bottiglie, eccessivamente evoluto, forse troppo anche se senza arrivare ai sentori medicinali e comunque non così persistente. Deludente. 1998 Falletto: alla vista granato evoluto, al naso note di caffè e frutta secca. In bocca si presenta avvolgente, elegante e minerale con prevalenti note balsamiche e sentori di cuoio. Il più piacevole del quintetto per evoluzione, ampiezza ed eleganza. 1997 Falletto: di colore granato evoluto, ma compatto. Al naso sentori di rabarbaro e prugna secca, forse non troppo ampio. Al palato si presenta con tannini sottili e lunghi con sentori di spezie. Il 1997 è un'annata osannata, ma in realtà un po troppo calda e spesso non rispecchia le aspettative. In questo caso il vino ha una notevole struttura, ma personalmente lascia qualche perplessità sull'armonia e la completezza.
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An intense wine--with typical, very pure Barolo flavors--but with Burgundian weight and texture. Good energy but not drying on the palate. Just entering its drinking window.
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Needs time to open up. It is a bit tight to start and the sweetness to start is on the foreground. Give it 1 hour is a decanter and it blooms. The wine becomes soft, pure elegant. The nose develops vherry notes, light earth. On the palate the tannin it is still firm and the wine is on the start of its drinking life. It is a touch dry (not harsh though) on the finish but noonetheless a beautifly pure and balance wine. Drink from now but could easily benefit from for a few more years of aging. 92 now but with lots of potential
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Seemed slightly corked at first, but the funk blew off and it developed into deep cherry and leather with wonderful elegance. Still, a bit tired, as though at the end of its drinking window, when it should really be at the front end. Perhaps an off bottle.
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Consumed at the SAFW Reunion . Another complex nose, with aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, violet-perfume, a touch of tar and licorice, leather, spice and cigar box. Very nice balance and structure. A long and velvety finish.
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Double decanted, drank the following 4 hrs. Peaked at hr2 and held. Tar, dried cherry and cranberry, leather, red plum, cinnamon, black tea. Great balance and acidity. One thought the nose displayed too much heat but I ddn't get it. Medium + finish. Paired fantastic with lamb kebobs. Great on its own, but deserves food.
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This medium garnet wine, purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, was double-decanted prior to presentation at a walk-around wine and food event. The wine was allowed two hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The nose opens after the first hour in decanter to show intense aromas of cinnamon, cherries, tobacco and clove. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with fresh acidity, medium sweet tannins, well-integrated alcohol (listed as 13.5%) and flavors in line with the nose. The middle palate is solid and the finish is long and fairly smooth. This wine is now just entering its drinking window. It has the stuffing to provide pleasure for at least another 10-15 years. Drink now-12/27.
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Beautiful bright ruby colour - Completely transparent. Extremely focused and lovelly balance A gorgeous nose featuring anis, Sweet cherries and a whif of tar. And elegant wine. Still lots of time left. A beautifully crafted ballarina in the mouth. perfectly balanced, racy and pure fruit and vibrant tannins. Great wine from a great winemaker.
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Monday Bouteille at Restaurant Carlton in Zürich. We tasted the 1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba alongside the 1997 Pianpolvere Barolo Soprano Bussia. The Falletto offered an immensely intriguing nose, with floral notes, clove, sherry, coffee and a hint of chocolate. On the palate the wine showed red cherry, hints of sherry, coffee and chocolate. The light- to medium-bodied wine was very well balanced, with fine tannins, good acidity and very good length. A lovely and very intriguing wine, which drank best on its own. We loved it and will definitely try to find more. Drink now.
Compared with the 1997 Pianpolvere the Falletto was lighter-bodied and more balanced, with rounder tannins. The Pianpolvere, on the other hand, despite being two years older, seemed younger than the Falletto and longer-lived. The Falletto drank better on its own, whereas the Pianpolvere shouted for food. As for my personal taste and particularly for drinking now, I clearly prefer the 1999 Falletto; the Pianpolvere might, however, might come around nicely in the long run. 91+
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A big and heavy wine, this showed a succulent nose of overwrought flowers and syrup - on the palate it was not terribly elegant but rich and port-like. It improved in the glass over the night, putting on muscle and losing some fat. In the end it was a nice wine but a bit strange to figure out.
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Youthful and shockingly open on the nose with classic aromas...the palate was a bit upset and tannic and demanded some decanting...HOLD...way too early to open, but what the hell.
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High-pitched red cherry fruit, rose, and heady white truffle notes. Hard, abrasive young structure and medium-fine tannins. Very young. Should turn out great.
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This bottle was taken from my personal cellar and served in double-blind fashion to the Friday night tasting group at Vintage Wines, Ltd. My tasting was, therefore, unblinded. Showing a bright disc, medium-to-deep ruby robe and red rim, and very intense nose, this wine struts beautiful aromas of bing cherries, exotic spices and mocha. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and big ripe tannins. The flavors mirror the nose, with the dominant spice being cinnamon. The finish is long and relatively smooth for this young wine. Most tasters felt that the wine needed at least another 5 years before re-tasting. ALL tasters felt that the wine was magnificent. I feel that another 2-3 years is in order before re-tasting. This is clearly a wine which will be delicious for another 15-20 years.
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Okay, You're not supposed to crack a Giacosa before, like forever, but I had to try this to see if I could tell what all the fuss is about. It feels like it is opening and shutting down at the same time. You could definitely taste the fruit coming out, but not really exploding. I sense this needs five years or more before you switch over to the long-range flavors. My other recent Giacosa comparisons include the 99 Barbaresco Santo Stefano which was already exploding with violent-violet aromas, and the 2001 Barb SS which was totally closed.
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3/25/2024 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Ken double-decanted this a couple of hours before we had it. It was still tight, but kept opening aromatically after we decanted it again, and really hit its stride about 4 hours after being opened. Just a spectacular bottle of wine with haunting aromatic complexity, and a remarkable combination of power and finesse on the palate. The aromatics keep evolving - redder fruited at first, then turning darker and more herbal with some air, and eventually taking on more savoury sandalwood, balsamic, lightly spicy, and dried floral notes along with with a low-toned earthiness. The palate - well, just wow. Seamless. Everything comes together into a whole that's far beyond the sum of the flavour components, and there's a sense of restrained power here. Lots of intensity to the fruit, but still some tannic grip and faint bitterness on the back end. An incredible, thrilling wine.
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3/25/2024 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
[Dinner at Salil's. Double decanted for 1.5 hours at 4pm.] Muted nose of black cherries and licorice. Tight on the palate.
Two more hours in an open decanter: Now it's beginning to sing. Loads of red fruit and fruitcake in the nose. Juicy red fruit, licorice and roses. Vibrant and exciting. One of the best non-riserva Fallettos ever.
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3/20/2024 - wineamateur wrote: flawed
Barolo 2004 with the Jeroboam Club (Little Shop and Pantry, Bristol): Heavily oxidative. Very light, strawberry coloration, tending to orange at the rim. Sherry notes on the very lean nose, obscuring the strawberry and cherry cough linctus underneath. Disjointed on the palate - there's sweet fruit but a sherry overlay I can't really get past. NR
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2/23/2024 - Sean Tay wrote: 94 Points
Pronounced nose intensity with notes of red and black fruits, spices, toast, earth. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin.
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2/17/2024 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Anise, tar, violets, cloves, cherries, plums, leather, tobacco, soy sauce. Very youthful, decanted for an hour and it wasn't enough. Deep and dark, maybe a touch ambering at the edges? Would never know this is a 25 year old wine. Cork was spongy in the middle and broke off half way. Once more bottle and I'll hold it a few years. A beautiful bottle.
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12/10/2023 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 96 Points
Purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, this wine was decanted off of its sediment and allowed three hours in carafe prior to sampling over the ensuing three hours. Medium garnet and with mild bricking at the rim, it flaunts an intense and complex bouquet of chocolate covered cherries, dried apricots, cigar tobacco, black olives, leather, espresso and loamy earth. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic and seamlessly alcoholic (13.5%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose. At this stage the oak and tannins have fully integrated, making for a smoothly-textured mid-palate and equally smooth, lengthy finish. This is aging very gracefully. Comparably cellared bottles should provide plenty of enjoyment throughout the remainder of this decade. Drink now-2030.
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12/6/2023 - Fftjr wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding. Lite ruby color. Beautiful cherry and rose nose. Well blended fruit and tannin. Still has 5-10 years
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11/10/2023 - Whitman wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous nose first earth and a touch of licorice, later deep, dense with roses. Also the midpalate is exiting with cherries, and then the finish kicks in with a lot of structure and dryness, but feels like it needs more fruit in the finish. I have tasted al Giacosas wines mostly young and in tastings, and they are so impressive, but i still havent tasted a mature wine that blows me away.
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10/21/2023 - kkazaks Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good cork, barely any staining.
Immediately upon opening a tinge of VA but that quickly goes away.
First sips are soft on the palate and show sweet sweet red fruit, like cherries. Smooth and open.
With a little time some tannins firm up, adding to the finish and bracing the back of the teeth.
The aromas and flavors also evolve, the nose showing a bit of Nebbiolo mint and soil tones, the palate building with dark fruit and other darker notes.
Quite fine.
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9/15/2023 - Torchy wrote: 93 Points
September BYO (Ole Johan): Dark red with some browning. Nose with coffee, spices, and light red fruit. Concentrated palate with light and elegant red fruit, cherries, tea, licorice, leather, and spices. Still vibrant and alive with lively acidity and smooth tannins.
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3/30/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote:
Wine tasting at La Terre: Similar to a 2001 that I tried previously at 67PM, this was a little advanced as well. Dull red colour with some bricking. Balsamic and soy notes dominated the palate, but still retained some semblance of structure and elegance.
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11/20/2022 - viking92067 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprising amount of tannin at this mature age and after 3 hour decant. Very nice.
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4/2/2022 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
1999 Barolo Dinner (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double-decanted around 2:30pm for 3 hours.] Nose of red fruit and roses. Still young but tannins are soft and balanced. Classic Giacosa fruitcake on a very long complex finish.
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2/26/2022 - ash_then_chase Likes this wine: 90 Points
Hints of smoke and rubber mixing with oak. For a 22 year old wine, tannins through and through, jaws almost cramped with back palate chewiness. Initial palate kick-off of mint and menthol, eventually flowing into red fruit (though not particularly distinct at the moment). 45 mins in, nose moving to dark chocolate and cacao. Finishes with a throaty spice bite. @Babbo
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12/9/2021 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
White Truffle & 1971 Nebbiolo Dinner (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC): [Double decanted for an hours at 2:30pm. Served about 9:30pm.] WOTN for me. Maybe I don't like really old Barolo as much as I thought. Anyway, this wine is rich and gorgeous with great depth and length. Nose of cherries and spice. Stunningly complex. Just wow. Il Maestro is king!
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10/13/2021 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Served with herb roasted chicken and truffle pasta; the nose here only took about 15 minutes of air to be first class; lovely red berry fruits, mint, forest floor, a hint of tar, very floral. The palate took about 90 minutes to lose the tannic grip and mellow out to allow the fruit and spice to emerge on the palate. Very good, but still overall tight; based on this bottle I'd say this needs more time; very good cork seal on this bottle; saturated only about 5%.
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10/9/2021 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1hr and dinner at the iconic Paley’s Place in PDX which I understand is closing down at the end of November after an outstanding run of 27 years. This baby was just dynamite on the nose, full on roses and soy, incredible floral and fragrant – certainly top shelf aromatics here. The palate tracked this pretty closely, but was perhaps a tad tighter, more firm, tons of structure, but nonetheless a real treat last night. I think its either in the early prime time zone or close, but certainly another 5 years or so should see this at its apex.
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6/6/2021 - A.Hansen Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful nose of macerated cherries, licorice, crushed flowers and tar. The palate is balanced with good acidity. Sweet tannins. Notes of menthol, cherries, strawberries and tar. Very tasty. Definitely rewarded opening early followed by a couple hours in the decanter.
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5/24/2021 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
3 of 6 Opened at 1:00, decanted at 3:00, back in bottle at 6:00, drank at 7:30. Initial nose pretty tight checked back in two hours and it was making some progress and decided to decant... After six hours this finally showed beautifully, melange of red fruits, floral notes and spice. Supple texture, good acidity and energy managing to be both weightless and serious simultaneously. the finish lasts and draws you back for more....
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2/27/2021 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Lights out aroma of perfectly mature macerated cherry, balsam, licorice and florals. Youthfully fresh cherry with terrific concentration and power while staying bright and weightless. This vintage should hold in peak fashion for a couple of decades and go even longer than that.
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1/15/2021 - BradE wrote:
Very good, if not great. Second half of bottle on night two was a step function better.
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11/14/2020 - Nanda wrote:
White Truffles & Nebbiolo: 1999/2000 Barolo pair. While this is great it has a degree of brawn and structure that will shine with more time. Better on night two.
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11/14/2020 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume V (Chicago, IL): #4213/14666. Next to the more exuberant 2000, this comes across as a brooding, darker wine. It is darker in complexion and has far more structure. The fruit is not as forthcoming, nor are the tannins as resolved. The potential of this wine, however, is quite apparent, and I would suspect that this wine will keep longer than the 2000, even though the 2000 is the bottle I would prefer to drink today.
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8/23/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
More reserved and tannic
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7/21/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Same experience as several years ago. Beautiful balance, light pretty rose petals, cinnamon and spice with a touch of tar on the nose and palate. Superb balance and smooth finish. Great elegance and finesse.
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7/17/2020 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Starts off with some tobacco, truffle and raisin like fruit. With air there is more precision and it shows a core of black cherry. There are engaging florals and a touch of Indian spice. It has depth, flesh and Serralunga muscle. A really good wine just starting to enter a nice drinking window.
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6/20/2020 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant
Vibrant and perfuming nose of crushed red cherries, wintergreen, violet and rose petals, licorice and earthy tones. Quite elegant and light but balanced body with remaining youthful tannins surrounded by mouth coating acidity. Long finish with dryness; makes me think this will do better with a bit more time in decanter and/or cellar.
This wine is all about the acidity and the nose, and if the tannins can relax further, will be even better!
94 with perhaps a bit of upside.
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3/12/2020 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Love this wine. Opened and poured and I'll say the last sip was still just getting better and better. Bright and fruity and also a nice tartness to it. There's power here, but it's well structured. And light.
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12/28/2019 - .M. wrote: 89 Points
Sliten frukt, volatil og for langt utviklet.
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10/28/2019 - drwine2001 wrote:
Even light ruby. Cool minty nose with some porcini. Light to medium body. Really most notable for its superb core of acidity, which keeps it fresh and energetic. After an hour in the decanter, some spice emerges, but the fruit never really pops. Subtle, gentle, and understated but rather subdued. Nothing off about this bottle at all, but more sound than exciting. I don't see it getting much better.
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9/20/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
I am always a sucker for Giacosa and this wine was no different. I really appreciate the level of elegance that he brings to the wines. Very light and ethereal. More floral in nature but a bit of red berries as well. There's a slightly iron undertone which I know can bother some but which I always find quite enjoyable. Very well done.
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9/7/2019 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
2 of 6 Decanted for 4 hours, another excellent bottle, but a hair behind the bottle in February
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7/12/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
My WOTD. This was just wonderful. Pure class. There's cranberry and cherry and a bit of spice and rose hips and an overall lightness and finesse to the wine. Good from the first pour but continued to evolve and perhaps gain a bit more weight with time. Very enjoyable.
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5/12/2019 - JazzManWine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Overall very good. Didn't decant. Better after 2+ hours in the opened bottle during dinner. Youthful for 20 years old. Long serious finish.
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3/17/2019 - Cmainardi wrote:
A bit disappointing for me. Seemed on its way down. There seemed to be a hint of premox. Will try another soon.
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2/23/2019 - paul195 wrote: 95 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 darker, denser fruit made this the more serious of these two 20 year old Barolos and likely the superior wine over the next decade or two.
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12/21/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Very small taste. Refer to Chablis28 's note for details. Gorgeous, supple red fruits, cherry and berries, wonderful texture. Would have loved to explore this baby. 94pts or better.
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12/21/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Opened four hours before leaving for our annual wine group holiday party. Cork was tight, only soaked about 1/2" and not crumbly. Expected but modest sediment for nearly age 20. Btl had a full fill. Immediately relieved to find both the nose and the palate clean and fresh. Still needed some air as it started out tight so I decanted for a couple hours+ before going back into the btl for further slow ox till I left home. Didnt pull cork immediately at venue because I wanted to maintain the btl temp in my bag while we cruised through some champagnes, whites and a flight of BdMs first. So re-pulled the cork about 10 minutes before drinking. I can't stand, too warm, reds.
The color was semi translucent ruby red with some nebbi bricking on the edges. Terrific aromas of roses, tar, red fruit and spice. The palate was energetic but a silky and resolved tour de force in class & elegance. Such a beautiful textural experience. Red cherry & raspberry abound along with cinnamon, licorice, underbrush and minerality. A more feminine finessed version of Barolo but not lacking power nor concentration. Impressive and squarely in its drinking window with possibly some room for further upside. Loved it! If only, I'd been buying more Giacosa 10-15 yrs ago! Wait a minute I did pick up one 2000 to try on release based on a glowing Parker TN that made it sound ready to go and drinking great. Boy, was that a waste of $115. It was all punishing structure and zero pleasure, back then. I'll need to keep an eye out for another 2000 some time and see how it evolved as I have :).
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12/21/2018 - wa2ofd Likes this wine:
A bit dry on the finish...unclear if this wine needs more time or is on the downside...
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11/28/2018 - LWI wrote: 92 Points
Blind. Some spice and Spearmint bubble gum, intriguing; fresh and most structured, not the biggest fruit, intense, heavy tannic finish. Got producer and vintage right. Some discussion whether the fruit is strong enough to wait out the tannins, I have my doubts.
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6/9/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
Double decanted. Pours a faded garnet in the glass. Nose and palate show very pure and high toned red fruits, mouth coating bitter robitussin, touch of tar/acetone, orange peel, and clay mineralité. Rush of dry tannins on the judiciously weighted midpalate adds a serious structure to this that needs yet more time to resolve into something more elegant. Lovely as it is now with a little bit of upside.
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6/9/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
dark burgundy color. bright red cherries on nose, more black cherries on palate. Great depth, would love to try this again at some point in a more coherent state of mind... was lovely however. 94 pts
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4/20/2018 - FYS wrote: 85 Points
Had it with wagyu strip loin at Banff Rimrock Eden. A little softer than I thought it would be. Good bite of tannins on the first sip, mellowed out over an hour or so. Gentle fruit and decent acid. Lovely bouquet.
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10/21/2017 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Truffle Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): The wine needs decanting and an hour or so definitely helped.
Well evolved but still full of bright cherry notes, light earthy and with a soft, silky feel on the palate. Very classic barolo, not heavy or rich but with an elegant feel. Very classy. 93 once again
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9/20/2017 - Bourgognefreak Likes this wine: 93 Points
razorsharp and clean Barolo which is still in its infancy.
All the expected flavours but not really developed yet.
Interesting to follow in 10-15 years.
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8/27/2017 - portman63 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened just to air some about 6 hours before service w/o any decant. Refined and delicate right away. Resolved tannins and medium bodied. Comes across with a soft power that makes the traditional winemaking style so appealing. Great minerality and crystalline cherry with just a hint of violets on the nose. Superb with truffle risotto.
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8/26/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Some bricking. Full array of red fruits, mushrooms, dried herbs, sweet Oak. Very smooth and turning silky after a couple hours. Almost no sediment to speak of. Lovely wine.
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8/16/2017 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Drinking beautifully. Engaging nose of rose petals, pastel-like red fruits, lipstick and earth. It is sweet and vinous in the mouth with all sorts of savoury nuance. Tannins are supportive, not imposing and balance is outstanding. There's good persistence of earthy flavours well after the wine is swallowed.
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7/28/2017 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very well balanced! Good up front fruit, mello tannins. Can probably go another 10!
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6/12/2017 - tcosgriff Does not like this wine:
Brown color with a bouquet and flavor of grilled meat with unbalanced tannin and acidity. Very unpleasant, but possibly flawed as the wine was cellared pre-Katrina, so I will withhold judgment and mark the bottle flawed, although most of my pre-Katrina wines were not noticeably harmed. I have had no great success with Barolo wines, and have not found any that I have liked.
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1/4/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Randy's superb holiday feast at 1789 (1789 Restaurant in Georgetown, Washington D.C.): Floral is the word to use here, even dry flowers. The palate is smooth and exhibits both cherry and raspberry as well as more white flower aspects. Very cool and pure, with a certain depth and richness that only ends with a somewhat less impressive length (than that promised from the get go). Still, I really liked this wine! And it paired well with the cheese.
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9/12/2016 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Kids' play-date at Alex and Fiona's (Alex and Fiona's in AMK): A delicious Barbaresco, just starting to hit its stride after sitting in an open bottle for a day or so. This showed everything I like about the 1999 vintage - great aromatics, ripe but nicely balanced fruit, nice structure. Yummy. The nose was a wonderful melange of dried roses, smoky herbs, savoury meat and earth, and some enchanting ripe black fruit aromas. The palate had a lighter, higher-toned profile than the nose, with a more flowery, dried herb and lightly spiced feel to it, all these flavours dancing about a core of ripe but still fresh black fruit. Fine boned tannins and nicely bright acidity then carried it I to a satisfying finish marked by a little burst of warm, smoky spices swirling around a little meaty, animale tail. A nicely elegant expression, yet with no lack of depth and interest. Just starting to drink well now, this may not be the longest lived Nebbiolo, but it will be a very nice one indeed over the next 5-10 years.
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5/29/2016 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Opened and left to rest for a good 2 hours. Has quite a bit of sediment so decanting would not be a bad option but one needs to be careful as the wine is a bit fragile and maybe will oxidise.
Fine and elegant, good dark fruits on the nose, light dark cherries, light notes of tar at times. Good depth, round tannin albeit still with a bit of a bite and good acidity. Was a real treat. 92-93
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4/24/2016 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Meaty and earthy but with enticing perfume. It is a wine that has good depth and all elements are in harmony.
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12/10/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nebbiolo Dinner with Punch Brothers (Peck's Arcade, Troy, NY): [Double-decanted for 1.5 hours at 5:30pm. Consumed around 1:30am.] Wow! This is simply a great wine. A gloriously fragrant nose. Huge and expansive in the mouth. A great future for this wine, but so much pleasure right now.
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11/14/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Super refined and delicate. Dark fruit, tar roses. Lovely in every way but very subtle.
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11/8/2015 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Finally a good bottle after 2 oxidized ones from this batch.
Needs decanting and in this case we did for a good 2 hours and helped develop the wine. Granted not the best Giacosa one will encounter but still a pretty solid and well made, classic Barolo. Good fruit, nice ripe light sweet core of cherry, fine grain tannin, silky and round at this stage (especially after decanting). A very good 92 and drink sooner than later.
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10/27/2015 - Papies wrote: flawed
Another maderised bottle..
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8/13/2015 - coremill wrote: flawed
Blind Tasting Challenge (Tribeca Wine Merchants): Served blind; all we knew was that there was a Piedmont wine in the lineup somewhere. To me this was obviously not correct once it was revealed; it drank like a mediocre 40-year-old wine past its prime and not like a 15-year-old Barolo from a great producer in a great vintage. Browning, bricked color. Tarry nose, some balsamic and spice. Short and uninteresting. A shame.
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7/3/2015 - S1 Likes this wine:
Finishing HRH's anniversary week in (mostly Italian) style: Too young but still delicious. Wild strawberry, licorice, wet earth, dark medicinal cherry. There are tannins which still need to resolve but a treat nonetheless.
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6/8/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Slightly reserved, but lovely perfumed nose of red, blue and black fruit along with some roses and tar. Interesting on the palate as this exhibits beautifully pure fruit, raspberries and roses, and perfect balance on the palate and while this is forward and seemingly mature, you can tell it will reveal so much more. Incredibly finessed on the long finish.
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5/23/2015 - ubercuvee wrote:
Surprisingly advanced. Quality is solid rather exceptional. Not worth the tarrif: I'd rather have either Mascarello or Cavallotto
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3/12/2015 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
Agree with the tasting profile by PSPatrick. Very well made wine from a nice vintage that is jest ready to drink but still hiding a lot of its charms. I'd open one every 3-4 years if I had a few. Quality wine.
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2/15/2015 - AudunG wrote: 95 Points
Very intense, but also delicate and attractive Nebbiolo aromas. Has taken on som volatile paint / furniture polish aromas. Powerful and concentrated in the mouth, but also clean and delicate. A great wine.
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12/4/2014 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Oxidized
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9/12/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Barolo 1999 vs. 2001 Blind (New York Vintners, NYC): Earthy mulchy nose. Tannic and backward, but there is some gorgeous fruit hiding in there. This one I was sure was the 01 given how tannic and unyielding it was.
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9/12/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dueling Blind Barolo Vintages (New York Vintners): The nose was rich and intense with dark red fruits, cinnamon, cedar, and hints of herbs. On the palate, red berry fruit played a sweet and sour act on the senses, while inner floral and tobacco notes completed the experience. Tannin shut down the finish, allowing only a hint of red berry fruit to linger.
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6/14/2014 - Papies wrote: flawed
We were so looking fwd to this.. but maderisation took it away.. shame
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5/25/2014 - JBVino Likes this wine:
opened (no decant and consumed approx 1 hr later) a bit more age than anticipated...bricking around edges. palate was solid but I would have expected a bit more expansive and a presence. Macro comment would be most aspects just a bit more muted...based on this bottle I would consume. Secondary flavors ok but just, in the mouth good but would have hoped for a bit better mouthfeel...maybe expectations a bit high. just solid on this occasion.
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3/10/2014 - Bbaldinger wrote: 94 Points
A real treat. Licorice, fruit, tannins. Imagine in ten more years.
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2/8/2014 - pbaek wrote:
A big-scaled wine, possibly way too young, showing dark plum marks and almost a port like quality with perhaps a bit too much alcohol sticking out. Plenty of air reins it in to show more of a traditional Nebbiolo character with floral notes and spices. Lacks a bit of the Giacosa finesse and comes across as flabby at times. May just be a matter of opening this 5-10 years too early but I'm not sure. With the Hansen family in Canazei.
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11/24/2013 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Bottle #14’623 of 14'666 bottles produced. Popped and poured, without decanting, and consumed over three days. Very long cork. The wine offered rose petal, red fruit, red cherry, marzipan, hey, tar, liquorice, a hint of chocolate, nail polish remover, some tobacco and some underbrush on the nose. On the palate the wine showed rosewater, red fruit, sour cherry, tea, tobacco and a hint of chocolate, paired with high lively, almost tart acidity, high fine, well-integrated tannin, a good mouthfeel and incredible length. The wine was smooth, balanced and very elegant. It drank well over three evenings and I probably liked it best the third day. I loved the nose and the wine’s great length, but it lacked complexity on the palate to merit an even higher score.
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6/7/2013 - Teacher of wrote: 87 Points
Verticale Barolo Falletto di Bruno Giacosa 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998 e 1997 (7 Giugnio 2013).
2004 Falletto: alla vista è granato appena evoluto vivace, al naso si presenta un po chiuso con note di tabacco ed eucalipto con sentori di spezie e prugna. All'esame gustativo entra sottile e caldo, con tannini sottili, ma lunghi. Una bella struttura! Questo vino è da dimenticare in cantina ed avrà una vita lunga. Il suo stato "giovanile" non gli rende giustizia, specie all'olfatto,lasciando comprendere le grandi potenzialità di questa splendida annata di Serrelunga, ma la piacevolezza e la godibilità della sua evoluzione inizierà a trapelare non prima di 7/8 anni.
2001 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato vivace, al naso spiccano le note di chicco di caffè e sentori di caruba, con una sottile alternanza di frutto e vegetale. In bocca è ampio, con tannino pieno, molto lungo. E' un capolavoro! Sicuramente il migliore della verticale. Anche questa bottiglia però è da lasciare in cantina per anni, al fine di poterlo bere al pieno della sua evoluzione.
1999 Falletto: alla vista si presenta granato evoluto prevalgono note di caffè, liquirizia, funghi, terra e humus. in bocca si ritrovano le note di caffè e funghi, ma il 1999 ha una lunghezza moderata. E' il più deludente dei 5. In verità questo eccellente millesimo si presenta, in tutte e tre le bottiglie, eccessivamente evoluto, forse troppo anche se senza arrivare ai sentori medicinali e comunque non così persistente. Deludente.
1998 Falletto: alla vista granato evoluto, al naso note di caffè e frutta secca. In bocca si presenta avvolgente, elegante e minerale con prevalenti note balsamiche e sentori di cuoio. Il più piacevole del quintetto per evoluzione, ampiezza ed eleganza.
1997 Falletto: di colore granato evoluto, ma compatto. Al naso sentori di rabarbaro e prugna secca, forse non troppo ampio. Al palato si presenta con tannini sottili e lunghi con sentori di spezie. Il 1997 è un'annata osannata, ma in realtà un po troppo calda e spesso non rispecchia le aspettative. In questo caso il vino ha una notevole struttura, ma personalmente lascia qualche perplessità sull'armonia e la completezza.
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3/30/2013 - vendange Likes this wine: 92 Points
An intense wine--with typical, very pure Barolo flavors--but with Burgundian weight and texture. Good energy but not drying on the palate. Just entering its drinking window.
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1/25/2013 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Needs time to open up. It is a bit tight to start and the sweetness to start is on the foreground. Give it 1 hour is a decanter and it blooms. The wine becomes soft, pure elegant. The nose develops vherry notes, light earth. On the palate the tannin it is still firm and the wine is on the start of its drinking life. It is a touch dry (not harsh though) on the finish but noonetheless a beautifly pure and balance wine. Drink from now but could easily benefit from for a few more years of aging. 92 now but with lots of potential
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12/9/2012 - danibus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Seemed slightly corked at first, but the funk blew off and it developed into deep cherry and leather with wonderful elegance. Still, a bit tired, as though at the end of its drinking window, when it should really be at the front end. Perhaps an off bottle.
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11/21/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Consumed at the SAFW Reunion . Another complex nose, with aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, violet-perfume, a touch of tar and licorice, leather, spice and cigar box. Very nice balance and structure. A long and velvety finish.
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11/7/2012 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Kelly and Kevin’s excellent adventure before WWS 2012; 11/4/2012-11/11/2012 (La Morra): Brought by a couple from Greenwich, ripe, exotic, spicy, caramel and lead pencil. Warm and round mouthfeel, drinking nicely.
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10/14/2012 - DarinC wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted, drank the following 4 hrs. Peaked at hr2 and held. Tar, dried cherry and cranberry, leather, red plum, cinnamon, black tea. Great balance and acidity. One thought the nose displayed too much heat but I ddn't get it. Medium + finish. Paired fantastic with lamb kebobs. Great on its own, but deserves food.
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7/15/2012 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 94 Points
This medium garnet wine, purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, was double-decanted prior to presentation at a walk-around wine and food event. The wine was allowed two hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The nose opens after the first hour in decanter to show intense aromas of cinnamon, cherries, tobacco and clove. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with fresh acidity, medium sweet tannins, well-integrated alcohol (listed as 13.5%) and flavors in line with the nose. The middle palate is solid and the finish is long and fairly smooth. This wine is now just entering its drinking window. It has the stuffing to provide pleasure for at least another 10-15 years. Drink now-12/27.
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6/19/2012 - Rubinstein wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful bright ruby colour - Completely transparent. Extremely focused and lovelly balance
A gorgeous nose featuring anis, Sweet cherries and a whif of tar. And elegant wine. Still lots of time left.
A beautifully crafted ballarina in the mouth. perfectly balanced, racy and pure fruit and vibrant tannins.
Great wine from a great winemaker.
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4/11/2012 - S1 wrote: flawed
corked--bummer
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3/19/2012 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Monday Bouteille at Restaurant Carlton in Zürich. We tasted the 1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba alongside the 1997 Pianpolvere Barolo Soprano Bussia. The Falletto offered an immensely intriguing nose, with floral notes, clove, sherry, coffee and a hint of chocolate. On the palate the wine showed red cherry, hints of sherry, coffee and chocolate. The light- to medium-bodied wine was very well balanced, with fine tannins, good acidity and very good length. A lovely and very intriguing wine, which drank best on its own. We loved it and will definitely try to find more. Drink now.
Compared with the 1997 Pianpolvere the Falletto was lighter-bodied and more balanced, with rounder tannins. The Pianpolvere, on the other hand, despite being two years older, seemed younger than the Falletto and longer-lived. The Falletto drank better on its own, whereas the Pianpolvere shouted for food. As for my personal taste and particularly for drinking now, I clearly prefer the 1999 Falletto; the Pianpolvere might, however, might come around nicely in the long run. 91+
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7/20/2011 - lepetitchateau wrote: 93 Points
A big and heavy wine, this showed a succulent nose of overwrought flowers and syrup - on the palate it was not terribly elegant but rich and port-like. It improved in the glass over the night, putting on muscle and losing some fat. In the end it was a nice wine but a bit strange to figure out.
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4/17/2010 - davidselvia wrote: 93 Points
Bottle #3 of C Negotiation. Very nice. Tobacco, black tea, sweet tar, core of dark red fruit.
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11/8/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 92 Points
For a "village" this is quite extraordinary. Very complex, full nose. Beautifully integrated, excellent balance. Very long. Beautiful.
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1/2/2009 - Mike V wrote:
Not ready. Pop and pour at Fabrizio in Larkspur
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11/11/2008 - mdavis wrote:
Youthful and shockingly open on the nose with classic aromas...the palate was a bit upset and tannic and demanded some decanting...HOLD...way too early to open, but what the hell.
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10/1/2007 - psmith wrote:
High-pitched red cherry fruit, rose, and heady white truffle notes. Hard, abrasive young structure and medium-fine tannins. Very young. Should turn out great.
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9/28/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was taken from my personal cellar and served in double-blind fashion to the Friday night tasting group at Vintage Wines, Ltd. My tasting was, therefore, unblinded. Showing a bright disc, medium-to-deep ruby robe and red rim, and very intense nose, this wine struts beautiful aromas of bing cherries, exotic spices and mocha. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and big ripe tannins. The flavors mirror the nose, with the dominant spice being cinnamon. The finish is long and relatively smooth for this young wine. Most tasters felt that the wine needed at least another 5 years before re-tasting. ALL tasters felt that the wine was magnificent. I feel that another 2-3 years is in order before re-tasting. This is clearly a wine which will be delicious for another 15-20 years.
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7/1/2007 - ParkHill wrote: 90 Points
Okay, You're not supposed to crack a Giacosa before, like forever, but I had to try this to see if I could tell what all the fuss is about. It feels like it is opening and shutting down at the same time. You could definitely taste the fruit coming out, but not really exploding. I sense this needs five years or more before you switch over to the long-range flavors. My other recent Giacosa comparisons include the 99 Barbaresco Santo Stefano which was already exploding with violent-violet aromas, and the 2001 Barb SS which was totally closed.
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