1993 survey, or filling a hole with Chave (Chicago, IL): Much cleaner than the last bottle of this that I had. It was a little muted at first and took some time to actually start really expressing itself. But this was classic Giacosa, with its perfumed, airy red fruit and silky tannic structure. No real signs that this was an off vintage at all (is it? I always assumed it was.) I love the crisp, red berry profile here. To be fair, this is a bit thinner and lighter than the best Giacosas, but it's no slouch of a wine.
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Clear ruby with a garnet hue. Tar, roses, spice and leather with sweet red and dark fruit. Great acidity, medium weight palate with a very long finish. This is ready now.
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Blind "Grand Cru" with Lobster & Flannery Steak (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Served double blind. Red cherry with floral notes and plenty of earth. Slightly dirty, possibly bretty? Probably also getting tired. Good enough weight, but I didn't expect Giacosa. Not nearly as interesting as when last tasted in 2011. Probably 87-88 points tonight.
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Late night and didn't get nearly enough attention, but this came across as classic and traditional Nebbiolo if a little subdued and lacking that extra something you expect from Giacosa.
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"Grand cru" blinds (Chicago, IL): A slight hint of brett that's kind of atypical for Giacosa (and the region, really). At the same time there is some wispy red fruit and a bit of a floral perfume. The palate is pretty high in acid and earth tones; there's still red fruit but I think it's more dominated by acidity. The tannins are mostly resolved now; this isn't a bottle that has significant upside, given the weaker vintage.
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Bricking medium red violet color with light floating sediment; appealing, dried berry, anise, dried cherry nose; tasty, silky textured, tart cherry, red berry, roses palate; long finish
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Popped, then poured 45 minutes later. incredibly floral nose with great red cherry aromas. Great sense of dried rose petals. Palate is quite a bit more austere than the nose, with lots of dried red cherry flavors, but somewhat hidden behind the wine's fairly robust tannins and acidity. I'd keep this in the cellar for a while longer.
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Took a couple of hours to blossom. A touch austere on the nose in a very good way with porcinis, dried red fruits, dried roses in an austere but perfumed way. Weightless in the mouth with sappy sweet red fruit. A bit of tannin remains but only barely. Great balance. Great length. Not mindblowing but overall a very good barbaresco, a touch on the masculine side and very pleasing. Too bad it was a singleton.
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Bottle, fill and cork all excellent. Cork pulled about 3 hours prior to dinner and one glass poured (I did not decant this, but should have as the last glass was a bit gritty). Typical nebbiolo profile with citrus and tar, this became more floral (roses) with time. This wine was superb with pasrta and meat balls (unaffected by the tomato acidity). It really grew in the glass with time and never tired. Great wine (from what was supposed to be a mediocre year) from a great wine producer. Many happy years ahead.
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Piedmonte Dinner at EMP (Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY): Good golly - I don't think I've had a wine with as much raw sewage funk on the nose as this. It was completely off-putting and I recoiled from the glass as soon as I put it to my nose. I would have been happy not to taste it but felt like a small taste was needed to truly complete the experience much like after you clean your ears, you look at the q-tip afterward. In any case, it was fortunate that I did. While nothing is good enough to overcome the nose, the palate was nice. It will not be an overstatement to say I'll never forget this wine.
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When the bottle was first opened, it was the smell of leather. With time, it became a little floral. The palate was dry and leathery with some strawberry showing. It was a wine for a true Nebbiolo lover. Time to drink up.
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Really pale garnet/brickish color. Lovely, classic nebbiolo nose, even the bit of heat on the nose seems oozes nebbiolo. The fruit has started to go towards the drier side and the sweetness is taken up by forest floor notes. There is a nice balance between the remaining tannin, acidity and alcohol. Works very well with food. Giacosa's 1993s have turned out so wonderfully, that I wish I had bought more. In many ways, a perfect wine, even more than some more heralded vintages because it is so composed and within itself. There is nothing declaratory or verbose. Unfortunately, my last bottle, if you have more you are lucky. Drink now and over the next 5 to 7 for my palate.
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Steffen P's Birthday Dinner - Old World Gems (34th Street Bistro, Austin, Texas): Clear garnet color with a bit of browning; This wine had a shy nose to start but really opened up in the glass. It seemed lighter bodied than some Giacosas I've had of similar age. It picked up some lovely floral aromas and flavors and didn't last long before it was consumed.
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3/14/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
1993 survey, or filling a hole with Chave (Chicago, IL): Much cleaner than the last bottle of this that I had. It was a little muted at first and took some time to actually start really expressing itself. But this was classic Giacosa, with its perfumed, airy red fruit and silky tannic structure. No real signs that this was an off vintage at all (is it? I always assumed it was.) I love the crisp, red berry profile here. To be fair, this is a bit thinner and lighter than the best Giacosas, but it's no slouch of a wine.
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3/14/2020 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear ruby with a garnet hue. Tar, roses, spice and leather with sweet red and dark fruit. Great acidity, medium weight palate with a very long finish. This is ready now.
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8/31/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Blind "Grand Cru" with Lobster & Flannery Steak (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Served double blind. Red cherry with floral notes and plenty of earth. Slightly dirty, possibly bretty? Probably also getting tired. Good enough weight, but I didn't expect Giacosa. Not nearly as interesting as when last tasted in 2011. Probably 87-88 points tonight.
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8/31/2019 - Nanda wrote:
Late night and didn't get nearly enough attention, but this came across as classic and traditional Nebbiolo if a little subdued and lacking that extra something you expect from Giacosa.
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8/31/2019 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
"Grand cru" blinds (Chicago, IL): A slight hint of brett that's kind of atypical for Giacosa (and the region, really). At the same time there is some wispy red fruit and a bit of a floral perfume. The palate is pretty high in acid and earth tones; there's still red fruit but I think it's more dominated by acidity. The tannins are mostly resolved now; this isn't a bottle that has significant upside, given the weaker vintage.
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11/11/2015 - Ali wrote: 92 Points
lovely bottle, showing the elegant side of babaresco. At or near prime drinking
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12/31/2012 - rjonwine@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bricking medium red violet color with light floating sediment; appealing, dried berry, anise, dried cherry nose; tasty, silky textured, tart cherry, red berry, roses palate; long finish
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12/13/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Popped, then poured 45 minutes later. incredibly floral nose with great red cherry aromas. Great sense of dried rose petals. Palate is quite a bit more austere than the nose, with lots of dried red cherry flavors, but somewhat hidden behind the wine's fairly robust tannins and acidity. I'd keep this in the cellar for a while longer.
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10/3/2010 - vindictive wrote:
Similar to previous note. Everything that one wants in a Barbaresco. A superb, subtle wine.
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5/6/2010 - pbjosh wrote: 93 Points
Took a couple of hours to blossom. A touch austere on the nose in a very good way with porcinis, dried red fruits, dried roses in an austere but perfumed way. Weightless in the mouth with sappy sweet red fruit. A bit of tannin remains but only barely. Great balance. Great length. Not mindblowing but overall a very good barbaresco, a touch on the masculine side and very pleasing. Too bad it was a singleton.
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2/2/2010 - vindictive wrote:
Bottle, fill and cork all excellent. Cork pulled about 3 hours prior to dinner and one glass poured (I did not decant this, but should have as the last glass was a bit gritty). Typical nebbiolo profile with citrus and tar, this became more floral (roses) with time. This wine was superb with pasrta and meat balls (unaffected by the tomato acidity). It really grew in the glass with time and never tired. Great wine (from what was supposed to be a mediocre year) from a great wine producer. Many happy years ahead.
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3/25/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Piedmonte Dinner at EMP (Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY): Good golly - I don't think I've had a wine with as much raw sewage funk on the nose as this. It was completely off-putting and I recoiled from the glass as soon as I put it to my nose. I would have been happy not to taste it but felt like a small taste was needed to truly complete the experience much like after you clean your ears, you look at the q-tip afterward. In any case, it was fortunate that I did. While nothing is good enough to overcome the nose, the palate was nice. It will not be an overstatement to say I'll never forget this wine.
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3/25/2009 - Diane (LI) wrote:
When the bottle was first opened, it was the smell of leather. With time, it became a little floral. The palate was dry and leathery with some strawberry showing. It was a wine for a true Nebbiolo lover. Time to drink up.
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10/19/2007 - vulgar little monkey wrote:
Really pale garnet/brickish color. Lovely, classic nebbiolo nose, even the bit of heat on the nose seems oozes nebbiolo. The fruit has started to go towards the drier side and the sweetness is taken up by forest floor notes. There is a nice balance between the remaining tannin, acidity and alcohol. Works very well with food. Giacosa's 1993s have turned out so wonderfully, that I wish I had bought more. In many ways, a perfect wine, even more than some more heralded vintages because it is so composed and within itself. There is nothing declaratory or verbose. Unfortunately, my last bottle, if you have more you are lucky. Drink now and over the next 5 to 7 for my palate.
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11/18/2006 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
Steffen P's Birthday Dinner - Old World Gems (34th Street Bistro, Austin, Texas): Clear garnet color with a bit of browning; This wine had a shy nose to start but really opened up in the glass. It seemed lighter bodied than some Giacosas I've had of similar age. It picked up some lovely floral aromas and flavors and didn't last long before it was consumed.
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