A discussion of pre-eminent Barolo and Barbaresco producers is incomplete without mentioning the Genius of Nieve, Bruno Giacosa.

His achievements numerous; his taste striking and impeccable - the mere sight of a maroon labelled expression from Giacosa is sufficient to make the hearts of collectors around the world palpitate, a rare nod that a vintage had been anointed as being amongst his very best. Giacosa was pivotal in not just safeguarding Piemonte winemaking traditions and showcasing the fullest potential of what the native Nebbiolo is capable of, but had also done important work in helping to revitalise the use of lesser understood native grape varietals such as Arneis, which he had helped popularise and saved from extinction.

Nestled in the rolling hills of Piedmont lies some of the greatest winemaking.

Giacosa had built his name as being amongst the pioneers of single vineyard expressions, with a remarkably intuitive understanding of the massive diversity of the region's various plots and micro-climates, he thus stood out in a time when the predominant practice in the region was to blend grapes from across different vineyards in order to produce a singular regional expression. Unfortunately Giacosa had passed on in 2018, with his work now carried on by his daughter Bruna Giacosa.

Nevertheless let's trace together the history of one of Piemonte's legends.

They call him the Genius of Nieve.

Who Is Bruno Giacosa?

Bruno was the third-generation in a line of commerciante - folks who operate similarly to negociants wherein they would purchase fruit from various growers to produce wines - he would leave school at just 13 as a result of the break out of World War II, and by 15 would fully join the family's business. He would travel with his parents to visit various vineyards around Barolo and Barbaresco to purchase fruit, and in so doing began to train his eye and palate for what the various vineyards and their growers, the terroirs and its micro-climate, could produce and how to select the best fruit. He thus developed an unrivalled understanding and awareness of the vineyards of Langhe. Whilst the family primarily operated in the business of selling sfuso bulk wines, it was Bruno who began to extensively produce wines under his own name - by the 1950's he would begin to helm the family's business.

Giacosa's early work was focused entirely on vineyard selection. (Image Source: The VIP Table)

The Accidental Invention Of Single Cru Barolo

In the early days, Bruno would simply mark his bottles out with his name - thus kickstarting the recognition of the Giacosa name - and yet a renowned importer and good friend, Veronelli, would complain that each time he tasted wines from Bruno, they would be without a name, and it was fortuitously Veronelli who had encouraged Bruno to start labelling his wines by the cru they originated from - and thus the start of the single vineyard concept in Langhe.

From the 1960's through to the early 1990's, Bruno would produce great single vineyard bottlings of Barolo and Barbaresco - he would stand out and make a name for himself through his meticulous quality. If a vintage did not make his cut, he would simply dispense the entire vintage, and in the very rare instance that it was an exceptional vintage, the wine would receive his Riserva red label - this only happened a few times a decade, with the majority of his wines wearing instead a white label. It is said that many of Giacosa's fans would find some of his white labelled wines already perfect, and would be left wondering how it could be that they did not make the cut for a red label - such was the esteem that Giacosa built for himself.

A red label Riserva was a sight to behold.

It's Location, Location, Location

It also demonstrated Giacosa's magic ability to find the best fruit from an array of numerous vineyards, picking out the vineyards that performed the best in any given vintage, and thus served as a stringent quality controller for his fans. The name of the game was vineyard selection and through Bruno, drinkers would be able to tap into his extensive and close relationships with some of the region's best growers. Fans were always kept guessing which vineyards they would drink from next, and which would make the cut for a particular vintage, and yet they always knew that it was going to be good. Through those decades Bruno Giacosa would be hailed as amongst the most important producers of Barolo and Barbaresco.

As the man who created Piemonte's first single vineyard expression - a 1964 Barbaresco from Santo Stefano - it can surely be said that Bruno had an immense role in helping to cement the reputation and love for single vineyard expressions of Barolo and Barbaresco. And yet in a twist of irony, as the movement took hold of Piemonte, it thus became increasingly difficult for Giacosa to source fruit as many growers too began to bottle under their own names. This led to Giacosa's first purchase of a vineyard in 1982 - the Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba in Barolo - which would later be followed up after a painfully long wait by acquisitions in the late 1990's in Barbaresco of the Asili and Rabaja vineyards, totalling 20 hectares. Bruno would continue to source fruit where he saw fit, of which he would now label under the Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa, whilst his own estate grown bottlings would be labelled under the Azienda Agricola Falletto.

Today the winery is run by Bruno Giacosa's daughter Bruna.

Staying Out Of Piemonte Drama And Simply Focusing On Making Great Barolo & Barbaresco

Giacosa was of the strong belief that great wines start out in the vineyards - if the fruit used is in lack, there was simply nothing that could be done in the cellar to "fix" it. And thus for Giacosa, as embodied through his career, the focus has always been to first and foremost secure sound fruit. In the cellars, he can be considered more traditional. He minimises intervention with the wines, does not add yeast, and allows fermentation to happen spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Giacosa had religiously pursued a classical expression of Nebbiolo, and thus preferred to store his wines in traditional large botti's, allowing for the focus to be on the fruit and less on the wood, with maturation done slowly with ageing in French oak going for up to 32 months. Yet he did demonstrate a desire to improve upon traditions, rather than to religiously stick to them for the sake of doing so, and thus beyond the use of French oak, Giacosa had also opted to allow maceration on skins to go up to 30 days at the maximum and not any longer as per traditional practices. 

Whilst Piemonte saw a widely followed tussle between the innovators and traditionalists from the 1980's to the 1990's - one that was arguably more exciting and sensationalist - Giacosa had preferred to stay out of it even as it garnered worldwide attention. For Giacosa, winemaking was simple - it was an expression of the preferences of the winemaker and thus should be left to each winemaker's interpretation and thus free from dogma. In his view, the goal for every winemaker was to simply follow their instincts to bring out the best from the region, without putting the methodology ahead of the wine itself.

And so with all that said, today we'll be trying a range of wines from Bruno Giacosa's wines - 2021 Roero Arneis, 2020 Dolcetto d'Alba, 2020 Barbera d'Alba, 2020 Nebbiolo d'Alba, 2017 Rabaja Barbarecos and the 2017 Falletto Barolo.

Let's go!

Wine Review: Bruno Giacosa 2021 Roero Arneis

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: Great freshness. It opens up rustic, crisp and bright with scents of straw, white lilies, gooseberries and green pears. Beyond the top notes, there's more of a thicker richness of pear compote, gentle honey, more of those musky green fruits, as well as some mineral notes. It's well-structured, moderate richness, very complete and comprehensive, with an overall gentle note of musky green fruits.

Taste: Medium-bodied with a good richness here, more syrupy and honeyed, with a light muskiness. More on green and white fleshy fruits of pears, pomelos, mangosteens and longans, all of which layered over a honeyed base. It's got a fresh and pretty spritely body.

Finish: Clean yet rich into the finish. There's a light pepperiness here that gives a nice tingle. More on light honey and fleshy white fruits of mangosteens, pomelos and longans that carry through the finish.

My Thoughts

This was prominently more rich and honeyed with great concentration. It certainly feels much fuller bodied than most whites, and is almost more textural than anything else. It has a light muskiness of green and fleshy white fruits, always delivered in a body of honey. It's aromatic and potent, with great structure and stature, it definitely commands a great deal of presence with the power to standalone. This is a great white that could hold its own for a dinner of steak and pasta, with so much body, great aromatics and texture and an elegant and gentle, rounded flavour.

Wine Review: Bruno Giacosa 2020 Dolcetto d'Alba

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Purple, Inky

Aroma: Opens gorgeously of roses, rose jam, potpourri, deepened with rich and dark cherry jams, red licorice and then garnished with a more confectionary notes of cherry frosting - it's a big heap of frosting, and yet that confectionary quality so seamlessly blended into that super richness and perfumed plushness. A light backdrop of earthiness of tobacco and soil, and then it's back to those big wafts of cherry pie topped with vanilla ice cream.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, the wood grains do show themselves more prominently, almost serving as a grainy canvas upon which there's more on dark cherries and red licorice. It's less rich and dense here, although there's still a moderate depth of concentration. It's rather elegant and bright, with good cohesiveness where it's more wood forward on the palate.

Finish: More on roses, dark cherries, red licorice, and also some bitterness of cherry pits here. It's more dry on the finish, with the wood carrying through as the canvas, and then finishing off on a more grainy tone of wood.

My Thoughts 

The nose on this was absolutely stunning - it's decadent, rich and luscious with dark and sensual tones of cooked fruit and confectionaries, entirely evocative and intensely perfumed. However, on the palate we did find less richness and more woodiness that led the way. It was alittle thinner than was hinted at on the nose, with the pronounced woodiness throwing it off balance somewhat. Nevertheless, still very much a staggering presence for a wine.

Wine Review: Bruno Giacosa 2020 Barbera d'Alba

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby, Purple

Aroma: This leans darker and richer, with dark cherries, stewed plums and figs, cherry pies, topped with some vanilla frosting. Some florals of roses come through as well, along with more confectionary tones of chocolate. Tobacco and oak become more prominent with time, that eventually lets up to give strawberry frosting.

Taste: Really cohesive here, there's more of those dark cherries, along with raspberry and strawberry jams, stewed plums and prunes. It's incredibly rich, plush, with a lightly spiced quality of cloves atop these red and black fruit jams. It's medium-bodied yet feels much fuller, with also a great concentration and depth. With time, more roses come through.

Finish: The cherries carry through, as do the plums. It's a clean finish with some lingering spice and potpourri, along with some plum fruit skins and a light pepperiness. The spice continues to grow into the finish, and with time feels increasingly full bodied here, with an intensity of concentrated fruit reductions and spices. The tannins here are quite grippy.

My Thoughts

This was a more balanced and concentrated expression that exuded a fuller body with great cohesiveness. It was aromatic and showcased all these darker fruit and earthy tones that married into one another seamlessly, outlined by perfumed florals - the aromas here were again intense and so delightful. On the palate, that richness carried over much more this time around, really mellow, although at times feeling like it might be lacking in some power and presence - it just needs that extra oomph to seal the deal. Towards the finish, that richness persisted, with again a great concentration of fruit, where here we begin to see those grippy tannins start to show up.

Wine Review: Bruno Giacosa 2020 Nebbiolo d'Alba

Tasting Notes

Colour: Garnet

Aroma: Plums, cherries, raspberry jams, it's also more mineral here, and comes accompanied by a side of earthiness of tobacco and soil. This is more lifted, not nearly as dense, and yet nor as full or fruit driven. It's more delicate and brighter in tone.

Taste: Really nice richness here, it's giving strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. Medium-bodied with a supple fullness to it, almost cordial like in quality. There's a gentle spiced quality of cloves here too. It's cohesive and silky, with a great freshness.

Finish: More of that minerality makes a comeback, this time with lots of spring water, along with some bitterness of cherry pits and dark cherries. Very grippy tannins once again, with more spices of cloves and black pepper here as well.

My Thoughts

A superb expression - this isn't one of the bigger, heavy and denser expressions, it's lifted and brighter, with a more delicate yet perfumed sensibility. On the nose, it's not quite as powerful, which hides its incredibly rich and supple body. The body on this was simply incredible, with such cohesiveness, completely seamless and rounded, velvety and satin-like. This makes the expression one of great complexity and completeness, with a harmonious array of brighter top notes that cascades into deeper and darker richness. There's also a more pronounced mineral aspect to this, and it's also back to those grippy tannins.

Wine Review: Bruno Giacosa 2017 Rabaja Barbaresco

Tasting Notes

Colour: Garnet

Aroma: Incredible aromas of roses, cherry and raspberry jams, spiced as well with cloves and cardamom. All these softer and lifted, very elegant potpourri tones. There's a great richness and concentration here, really firm, and yet does not get into too much heaviness. It's perfumed and radiant, incredible heady and evocative aromas.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's lighter yet very cohesive. Cherries, blackcurrants, raspberries, which with time develops more richness and more of those red berry jams. It's garnished with some light floral rose notes. Again, it's not heavy, with a moderate richness, and more clean and precise around the outlines.

Finish: Some chalkiness here, the red berries carry through, along with red licorice candy and some strawberry jams. Really grippy on the tannins.

My Thoughts

Another really solid expression. This also tended towards a more lighter and lifted profile, not as dense or ripe, expressive incredibly perfumed and radiant aromas that filled the entire room. It's complex and in full bloom with florals, red fruits and is gently spiced with great cohesiveness. Much of this carries through to the body, which although could develop more richness when given perhaps more time in the cellar, has really nice and clean lines, with a good precision and definition that I found incredibly satisfying. It's certainly more elegant and as you get into the finish, there's more of that chalky terroir being expressed, almost gritty, which is almost in a tussle with the fruit itself that brings into the finish really grippy tannins.

Wine Review: Bruno Giacosa 2017 Falletto Barolo

Tasting Notes

Colour: Garnet

Aroma: Great richness here, it's giving powerful, perfumed aromas of roses, raspberry jams, cloves. Incredibly aromatic and cohesive. Some cherry frosting as well, yet not all that confectionary, leaning more towards florals and fruit jams. Gentle earthiness of tobacco leaves as well.

Taste: Incredibly elegant here, medium-bodied, it opens up to floral perfumes of roses, strawberry jams, clove spices. It's satin-like, velvety, with a lifted quality that keeps it from being heavy even with that intense lusciousness and concentration. It's clean and well-structured, filled in with such richness and boldness.

Finish: The red berry jams carry through to the finish, roses, along with some minerality of spring water. It's still very much bright and lifted, great richness, and then more of those grippy tannins, yet here it demonstrates more balance and control.

My Thoughts

This is all of that boldness, richness, sensuousness, yet taken up a whole notch with the superb demonstration of balance and elegance here. The florals, fruits, spices are big, rich and bold, contributing to a muscular and sensuous body, and yet it has such a lifted quality, completely seamless and cohesive, with such great harmony.

At this point we're just splitting hairs between each of Giacosa's expressions, where they're all focused and centered on the same flavour profile, and so it all comes down to execution, and without a doubt the Barolo showcases the best expression here with terrific mastery and control over these powerful elements. 

Kanpai!

@111hotpot