Bruno Giacosa Barolo & Barbaresco 1961 - 2008: The Tasting of a Lifetime

In comparison to many of the collectors I know, my experience with Barolo is relatively short. It was only eleven years ago that I was pulled into the world of Nebbiolo. I was warned by others that it could happen, that I might be entering into a hobby that would become a lifelong obsession. The world of Barolo and Barbaresco is vast, and the unique experiences depend on so many deciding factors. The soil, the climate, the exposition, and altitude are just the beginning. When you take it to the next level, you see that the lists of vineyard names and unique qualities of each one can fill a book--in fact, they have. Then you look beyond that, to the vintage, the winery, the winemaker, the style and the passion.

You start to realize that with each wine you acquire and enjoy, you are further embarking on a journey to understanding how a bottle of fermented grape juice can be so moving, or simply stop you in your tracks. That’s the magic of Barolo and Barbaresco.

The history of this region, and how it came to be, is just as important as the factors which decide what the experience will entail. From that living history, we come across the names of producers who have shaped the entire region, and what we perceive to be the greatest experiences we’ve encountered. From that list of names, one person who stands out for his pioneering spirit, insights, and unique abilities, is Bruno Giacosa.

Bruno Giacosa didn’t learn his craft studying enology at school. Instead, at the age of thirteen, Bruno began working in the cellar with his father and grandfather, who made their business producing wine that would be sold in demijohn instead of being bottled at the winery. This wasn’t a family of farmers turned winemakers; this was a family of grape brokers who had established long-lasting relationships throughout the region. The experience of touring landscapes of the surrounding villages with his father helped to shape Bruno and hone his most valuable asset, that is, his ability to source the best fruit for both Barolo and Barbaresco.

Located in Neive, Bruno took the reins of the family business in 1960 and immediately began bottling wine from what would become some of the biggest named vineyards in the region. His first vintage was 1961, when he bottled a Barolo (with fruit from Falletto) and a Barbaresco (a mix of Gallina and Santo Stefano). Before long, this culminated into the release of vineyard-designated wines, starting in 1967, at a time when few producers saw the winds of change on the horizon. Along with producers like Angelo Gaja and Alfredo Currado (Vietti), Bruno Giacosa began to pave the way for Barolo and Barbaresco as we know it today.

The one thing that he didn’t have was his own vineyards. Even with Bruno’s skills of sourcing the best fruit, he watched as farmers became winemakers, making the best vineyard sources more difficult to acquire. Without skipping a beat, and always ahead of the curve, Bruno purchased his first vineyard in 1982, the one which he has been accredited for making famous: Falletto di Serralunga. Over the years, he would go on to buy more parcels, taking pieces of Asili and Rabaja in Barbaresco; yet through that time, Bruno continued to source fruit, but only when it was up to his standards. Many Barolo collectors lament over the loss of Giacosa-bottled Villero and Vigna Rionda--and in more modern times, Santo Stefano.

However, it was Bruno’s quest for the utmost quality that drove him to create the wines that we know and love today. In the greatest vintages, we would be treated to the release of his epic red label riservas. In the poor vintages, Bruno would simply declassify his fruit and sell the juice in bulk. To this day, lovers of Barolo and Barbaresco hunt for leads that could explain where this wine went to.

As for the style that defines the house of Giacosa, it is often referred to as traditional. Yet this is by no means a stark traditionalist approach. Instead, Bruno wanted to make great Barolo. The broadest way to describe this approach is with macerations around 30 days long, fermenting in stainless steel with moderate temperatures, and aging in large Botti of French origin. That said, I’ve heard stories of this approach varying over time. But does that really matter? In my opinion, it does not, because the fact remains that these are some of the greatest wines that were ever made from throughout the region.

Unfortunately, Bruno suffered a stroke in 2006, which was followed by the temporary loss of his highly talented oenologist, Dante Scaglione. With her father’s health in decline, Bruna Giacosa (Bruno’s daughter) stepped up to the mantel, and what followed was a period of unevenness. However, with Dante back in the winery, Bruno back on his feet, and his daughter at his side, I have high hopes that the Bruno Giacosa winery will be back on top once again.

This all leads to December 12th, 2016, at a restaurant in New York City named DeGrezia, where a table full of some of the most passionate Barolo collectors I know, Antonio Galloni among us, built our lineup of Bruno Giacosa. The tasting nearly spanned Giacosa’s entire history, from the inaugural vintage all the way to 2008. You can imagine the anxiety that filled us all, even weeks before the event. I can attest to my own personal health, which had been in decline the previous week, and how hard I worked to get myself back into condition, because this was not a tasting to miss. In fact, this was the experience of a lifetime.

On to the tasting notes:

2008 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Riserva - (served blind) This is one of those moments where you consider the score versus the cost, and you have to question whether one should affect the other. The controversial ‘08 Rocche was served blind, and it was clear that it was Nebbiolo. What was not clear was where it was from, and no one would have guessed Giacosa Riserva. The nose showed ripe cherry with a dusting of spice and dried orange. On the palate, I found tart red fruits with saturating minerality and a zing of fresh acidity. Youthful tannin coated the senses, drying the palate and finishing on notes of spice and cedar. (90 points)

2007 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva - The ‘07 Asili was so easy to like, taking the ripeness of the vintage and combining it perfectly with the house style. Here I found a bouquet of sweet florals and spice, with hard red candies and the slightest hint of undergrowth. On the palate, I found intense dark red fruits ushered in by angular, weighty textures. Vibrant acidity mixed with grippy tannins, which provided the perfect contrast to the ‘07’s warm vintage persona. It finished long on spicy red berries, bitter cherry and spice. (94 points)

2004 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva - The '04 Asili was firing on all cylinders tonight. One of the first wow wines of the tasting, and it stayed with me throughout the entire evening. Almost impossible to take my nose from the glass, with a mix of fresh herbal-tinged cherry, exotic florals, minerals and green olive. On the palate, it was rooted in the earth, layered, and showing masses of structured depth, as saline-minerality paved the way for dried cherry, leather and iron. It finished unbelievably fresh on a note of cherry pits with hints of spice and fine tannin. There's so much potential here, as my last comment to my fellow tasters was, "why don't I have this wine in my cellar?" (98 points)

2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva - Where to begin with this elegant beauty of a wine? The nose was a dark and exotic beauty which filled the senses with aromas of cinnamon-tinged black cherry, brown spices, tobacco, dusty florals, and tar. A massive wave of dark fruit swept across the palate, delivering saturating fine tannin with notes of leather, cedar and exotic spice. The long finish lingered with resonating tart red berry, spice and a coating of fine tannin. The is a gorgeous wine with marvelous balance and decades of evolution ahead of it. (97 points)

2000 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Riserva - The ‘00 Rocche was simply seductive with an alluring bouquet and enveloping on the palate. Here I found a dark and inviting mix of crushed cherry and strawberry with sweet spices. On the palate, soft textures gave way to floral-infused cherry, as hints of leather and earth tones filled the senses. The finish was long with a yin-and-yang of sweet red fruits and a bitter twang of spice and herbs. Although this came across as a bit roasted, it was still so easy to like. (94 points)

1996 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva - My love of Giacosa’s Asili seems to grow deeper and deeper with every taste. Here I found an earthy and seductive bouquet of savory herbs and seared meat, which transformed to crushed berries, plum, roses and hints of moist soil. On the palate, I found soft textures contrasted by youthful tannin, as vibrant dark-red fruit filled the senses, along with, earthy minerals, anise and bitter balsamics. The finish was youthfully dry, yet dense red fruits prevailed, promising many years of development. What a beautiful wine. (96 points)

1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto - This opened with a beautiful and exuberant display of wild berry, dusty spice, rose, licorice, crushed stone minerality and smoke. On the palate, I found angular textures with youthful tannin, yet its vibrant spiced-cherry fruit maintained a wonderfully drinkable persona. It finished on palate-coating tart red berries, tar and leather tones with hints of lingering mineral-infused tannin. (95 points)

1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Riserva - The ‘89 Falletto didn’t perform as well as past bottles I’ve experienced, as it seems it may have been poorly stored at one point in its life. The nose showed minerals up front, along with dried berries, spiced orange and notes of undergrowth. On the palate, I found dark, almost murky, red fruits with notes of coffee grinds, sweet spice and moderate tannins. A roasted sensation lingered, as it finished on briny minerality. (NA)

1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero - The ‘89 Villero opened with a funky earth, mushroom and mineral-driven bouquet, yet quickly evolved in the glass to reveal bright red fruit with rosy florals, undergrowth and spice. On the palate, I found soft, silky textures, which seemed to touch upon all of the senses, as notes of undergrowth seemed to carry over from the bouquet, leading to ripe cherry, spice, cedar, and a slight grip of still youthful tannin. It finished youthful with dried cherry, minerals and hints of exotic spice. With the exception of a slightly dirty quality on the nose, this was exceptional. (95 points)

1986 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche di Castiglione - The nose was dark and massive, with plush notes of black cherry, sweet herbs, earth followed by hints of almond, celery and dried cedar. On the palate, I found vibrant, acid-driven textures overlaying rich dark red fruit, with hints of balsamic, smoke and spice. This finish was shorter than I’d hope yet left a sense of utter balance and remnants of minerality. (93 points)

1985 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche di Castiglione - What started as a vegetal nose of cucumber and herbs quickly evolved into a wonderful display of crushed strawberry, brown spice, earth and dried roses. On the palate, I found soft textures with a rich display of spicy crushed cherry, which was pumped up by a pulse of vibrant acidity and mineral thrust. It finished on dried red berry, which coated the palate and slowly faded to minerals and earth. (94 points)

1980 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche di Castiglione - The ‘80 Rocche displayed a fully mature bouquet of tart dried berries, orange peel, hints of caramel and iodine. On the palate, I found savory and herbal-infused remnants of red berry with hints of cedar and spice. A wave of acidity maintained freshness throughout and paved the way for a pleasurable finale of dried berries and earth tones. (92 points)

1979 Bruno Giacosa Barolo - The ‘79 Barolo was completely mature yet still quite enjoyable. Here I found a nose of dusty potpourri, dried cherry and a hint of parchment. On the palate, lifted, feminine textures gave way to tart red berry and hints of cedar. It was persistent, yet a bit linear, ending with medium length and a bitter twang of tart red fruit. (90 points)

1978 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano - In a word... spellbinding. The '78 Barbaresco Santo Stefano took all of the lifted floral, cherry, minerals and spice that we love about this wine in its youth and transported them gracefully over 38 years of maturity to form a feminine, elegant wine of purity. It was a pleasure to drink, yet all I needed to truly enjoy it was the ability to take in its bouquet over and over again. Bright red floral fruits and dusty spices led to a palate with silky-soft textures and saturating dried berry tones. A hint of tannin still resonated through the finish, along with mouth-puckering acidity and notes of leather, cedar and inner floral tones. Stunning! (95 points)

1967 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva - The ‘67 was beautiful in its maturity, as a wave of dusty earth, dried florals, minerals and a hint of caramel lifted from the glass. On the palate, it was zesty, displaying a mix of savory minerals, dried herbs and hints of worn spice. The finish was shorter than I’d hoped, yet still wonderfully balanced and refined, with a lingering hint of citrus, red berry and dried inner florals. (91 points)

1964 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva (Falletto) - Having had the pleasure of tasting this during three different phases of its time open in bottle, I was at first greeted to a bouquet of dried flowers, dusty earth and parchment. Over the course of hours, the nose gained a deeper and dark persona, as dried black cherry, undergrowth and a slight musty aroma took hold. Yet hours later, the fruit came to the front, becoming more blue and black than red, with a exotic spiciness. On the palate, dark, pliant textures made themselves known, ushering in silky waves of dried fruit, herbs, dark soil and minerals. It was still youthful in its vibrancy, yet perfectly mature in tannin, finishing on iron-tinged minerality and with a sense of perfect balance. (95 points)

1961 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Speciale - Sourced from the Gallina and Santo Stefano vineyards, the ‘61 Barbaresco was unexpectedly youthful and exuberant, showing a touch of volatility that contributed to its raciness. On the nose, I was greeted to a vibrant display of sweet florals and spices, gaining richness with time in the glass, adding dried orange, cedar and hints of dusty vanilla. On the palate, I found silky textures combined with racy acidity, showing dried cherry, mint and inner floral tones. The finish was long yet juicy, as saturating spice and red berry tones lingered long. Frankly, you’d never guess this wine’s age. (94 points)

Article, Tasting Notes, and Photos by Eric Guido

Barolo: In the land of giants

I taste a lot of Barolo. When I think back, I find that I often compare much of what I taste today to the wines I’ve loved from the past. These wines become your benchmark. Sometimes they are uprooted and moved down the list by new wines, and sometimes they are forever immortal. I still remember, as if it was yesterday, one of my first experiences with a bottle of ’96 Aldo Conterno Bussia Soprana. Over time I realized that this bottle wasn’t a great bottle of Barolo, although at the time, it was magical.

With that in mind, I thought it was time to list my current top ten, or maybe, fifteen, which I say because I purposely tried not to repeat too many producers. For instance, my unedited top ten would include three different Bruno Giacosa Red Label Riservas. I feel this list is much more useful to my readers or someone looking to start down the path toward great Barolo. Some are hard-to-find gems, but there are also some surprisingly affordable and available bottles to be found here. I know there are a number of aged wines here that are very hard to come by, but if you take nothing else from this list, at least take my word that it is worth buying Barolo on release and cellaring it to maturity. It’s one of the main reasons I started my own cellar.

2001 Cavallotto F lli Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe

Imagine my surprise when in the company of some pretty stiff competition that the 2001 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe came out as one of the top bottles of the night. What's more is that this isn't a $100+ bottle of wine. If you can find them, buy them.

The nose showed deep, rich red fruits, poppy and menthol with a zesty, almost tropical note of tangerine. On the palate, it was velvety and rich with sweet, spiced red fruits. The finish was intense, structured and long. This wine is just starting to drink well but could use a few more years. A must have!  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello

1999 is shaping up to be one of the greatest years of Piedmont's vintage streak of ’96 through ’01. They are still very young and only starting to show what’s in store for the future. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised to find the ’99 Colonnello assessable after a few hours in decanter. Aldo Conterno is considered one of the great houses of Piedmont; in recent years, there has been some upset over generational changes, which I hear may be evening out. I seriously hope so, but the quality in this bottle was astonishing. 

The nose was dark and seductive with cherry tobacco, plum, dusty potpourri, a hint of musk and medicinal herbs. On the palate, it was velvety and perfectly balanced with masses of fruit. Sour cherry sauce and a hint of cedar filled the senses and warded off the silky tannins that were still present but not out front. On the finish, the fruit turned dry yet was still intense with hints of sweet spices. Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1998 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc

This was the wine that sold me on Paolo Scavino’s style. Here was a producer that I often disregarded as too oaky, too extracted—too modern, yet one that was suddenly catapulted to my top-ten to watch list. Where ’97, ’00 and ’03 are drinkable yet clumsy in their own ways, ‘98 is a year that has become very assessable in a refined and graceful way.

The Bric dël Fiasc initially showed cherry and dusty potpourri, but with time it transformed into something more with cherry compote, allspice, hard red candy, roses and cooked sausage. The palate showed a good amount of structure and intense cherry fruit with herbal tea and mushrooms. The finish presented silky tannin that lent to a brilliant aftertaste of sour red fruit.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1996 Luigi Pira Barolo Marenca

This bottle totally took me by surprise. As any Barolo lover knows, '96 is a vintage to watch. The wines are still babies and show so much potential over the long term. The last thing I expected was that a producer that's known for its modern style would have made such an intense yet graceful wine. In the end, it made its way onto my top ten list.

Initially, the nose showed roses with new leather, tar, anise and sour red fruit hiding behind it all. The palate was very tight with savory beef broth, minerals, old cedar and cranberry. The finish showed sour red fruits with cheek-puckering tannin lingering toward the end. As this bottle approached the fifth hour; the nose retained many of its initial qualities, but a rich (not sweet) cherry tobacco had moved to the front along with dusty dried flowers. The palate had taken on more body, as a mix of red berries, cinnamon and sauté mushroom led to a slightly gravely tannin on the tremendously long finish. At the seventh (and last) hour (only because we couldn't stop ourselves from drinking it) this bottle had become almost impossible to ignore, as the cherry took on darker, woody and mentholated tones in the nose. The roses had become sweet, and the tar faded to the rear. On the palate, sweeter red berries with cherry liqueur, spice, and soil took over. The tannins on the finish had faded to a slight drying sensation and left me with cranberry and cedar which lasted for a full minute.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2004 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero

I know it's hard to spend so much money on wine, but if I had to choose one 2004 to put away, I believe it would be Vietti's Villero Riserva. This wine showed so much intensity mixed with balance that I just wanted to stop everything and admire it for as long as possible.

The ’04 Villero Riserva was one of the most intense yet balanced young Baroli that I have ever tasted. The nose showed rich elegant cherries, medicinal herbs, sweet spices and a subtle sheen of vanilla. On the palate, pure red berry fruit gave way to tar and menthol as this elegant wine turned to a structure that coated the entire palate in silky tannin and staying red fruits until the long close.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2001 Elio Altare Barolo Vigna Arborina

2011 was the year that I was properly introduced to the wines of Elio Altare, and I sure am glad that I opened my mind to them. For years I shunned them due to Altare's reputation as a modernist, but no more. These wines are silky and structured with a deftly applied layer of oak. They are nothing like the traditional Baroli that I love, but they are a great experience all the same.

The Altare Arborina showed a classic Barolo nose of red fruits, plum skins, roses, tar, a hint of animal musk and undergrowth. The nose pulled me in and reminded me somehow of childhood autumn days with dried leaves and pine nestles. On the palate, it showed an elegant, full body backed by a balance of tannin and acid. The fruit was rich but not over-ripe with sweet spice and an airy, refreshing note of menthol. The finish was long with red fruits, tobacco and a hint of brown sugar. This wine needs more time and is truly stunning. It reminds me very much of some of the best '96s I've tasted.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia

I tasted this wine in a lineup of Giacomo Conterno that spanned over three decades, and it was the best drinking wine of the night. Don't get me wrong, the '89 was amazing, but it wasn’t quite ready, and the '96 and '01 obviously needed time. However, the 1990 was firing on all cylinders--enough to make me buy some the very next day. It's a beautiful bottle of wine that's worth every penny.

The nose was utterly explosive and captivating, as earthy tobacco and tar with raspberry wafted up from the glass. With further exploration, musky notes with roses and a hint of black olive tempted the senses. On the palate, this wine showed its rich yet massive structure with dark ripe strawberry, tar, savory broth, graphite and lead fading to a long staying finish. This wine is drinking beautifully yet should continue to improve for many years. It’s absolutely stunning.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1974 Vietti Barolo Rocche

The 1974 Vietti Rocche was one of my WOW wines of the last five years. Never did I think that a '74 could be so young and vibrant. This wine was literally bursting with juicy Nebbiolo fruit and layers of mature complexities. As of this writing, I know The Rare Wine Company still has a few of these left, and frankly, I'm surprised they do.  If you can't buy up to the '74, check out the '01, '04, '06 or '08 and bury them in your cellar for the next decade or two.

What a pleasure it was to drink the 1974 Vietti Rocche. The nose showed floral undergrowth, fresh-turned soil with strawberry and, as time passed, a sweet, almost caramel note which added outstanding complexities to the already beautiful bouquet. On the palate, it was juicy yet balanced and still showed youthful notes of fresh red berries, cinnamon and sweet floral notes. The finish swung toward the savory side as broth and brown sugar lingered for over 30 seconds.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia

I know, I know that I have the 1990 as one of my top ten Baroli, but the '89 deserves a spot up here too, maybe even more so. These two bottles of wine are so different yet both so amazing. In comparison, the '89 is still a tween, while the '90 is roaring into its young adult life.

The nose showed dried red fruits, tar, mushroom broth, a bit of black strap molasses and a hint of barnyard. A gorgeous structure showed on the palate that gives the impression that this wine will last the ages. It was still a little tight with a tannic grip but giving none the less with dark red fruit and a mineral core. The finish was long and fine, showing sour cranberry. This was the wine of the night for me.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1990 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda Riserva

There it is again; 1990 Barolo. Some people have it out for 1990 Barolo. It was a ripe year, and the wines were big with high alcohols. A lot of people said they wouldn't age, but I invite you to give them a try. These wines might not be drinking as well in 15 years, but they are fantastic right now and should continue to impress for some time. This bottle was one of my favorites, and I know it's expensive, but you don't have to buy up to a Bruno Giacosa Red label to experience 1990.

This wine was everything I ever wanted in a glass of Barolo. It was sweet yet sour, earthy yet fruity, and rich yet with razor-like focus. The nose showed masses of ripe red berries with hot dried spices, gravelly moist earth, mushroom and hints of green stems. On the palate, this showed silky, sweet, ripe strawberry, yet it also had savory warmth, full with earth, menthol and leather strap on a beautifully structured frame. It was amazing how young the Collina Rionda seemed, as silky tannin washed across the palate and soothed me into a long, seductive finish that begged for the next sip.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!