Wine Advisor
Bruno Giacosa, Barolo Falletto 1999
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
1999 Barolo Falletto—Medium red. The 1999 Barolo Falletto offers an open-knit, perfumed nose, with expressive nuances of flowers and spice and wonderful sense of depth and purity. It hints at greater richness and expansiveness on the palate, with sensations of raspberries, cherries and menthol, outstanding length and a beautiful, clean finish framed by lingering notes of minerality and sweetness. The Barolo Falletto is a delicate, yet structured Barolo that comes across as more feminine when compared to Le Rocche del Falletto and it will likely reach maturity sooner. Although it is currently holding back quite a bit I am confident this is a great Barolo in the making and it is not to be missed. An Azienda Agricola Falletto di Bruno Giacosa bottling. 94/drink after 2009, 03/06 (US Importer: Winebow, New York, NY)
Reviewed by: Daniel Thomases
The outstanding 1999 Barolo Falletto is a very firm garnet, with smoky clove, cinnamon, plum and cherry aromas and a heady, warming contribution from the alcohol. Its packed red and black fruit flavors, powerful structure, and the intensity and length which mark Nebbiolo from Serralunga, are the tell-tale signs of a classic in the making. The rise in textural fullness on the finish suggests that this is a Barolo to cellar. Drink 2006-2030. A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620
About the Producer
Bruno Giacosa, located in the south and south-west of Piemonte, has been performing well for three generations, thanks to the careful selection of high quality grapes and the emphasis on traditional winemaking techniques. The vineyard covers 44.7 acres (18 hectares) and is planted with Nebbiolo d'Alba, Barbera and Dolcetto varieties. The average age of the vines is 15 years and the planting density is between 4,500 and 5,000 vines per hectare, with an average yield of 4,800 litres per hectare. In terms of winemaking, the owner has a classic quote: "For us, the philosophy of traditionalism means making wines that are not only strongly local to the vine and the grape variety, but also maintain the various local terroirs. We have always made single-variety wines. Our winemaking techniques have been improved and we also make use of gentle pressing, crushing operations, advanced rotary systems and optimised cold and hot treatment techniques." For Garcosa, technology and tradition are not necessarily at odds with each other. In the winemaking process, the grapes are first fermented in steel containers and then transferred to wooden containers for ageing, which varies slightly depending on the type of wine. Finally, the wine is bottled without filtering. The main wines produced by the winery are the Barbaresco Garina, the Barbaresco Santo Stefano, the Barbaresco Asili, the Barbaresco Wabasha and the Barbaresco Asili. Barbaresco Rabaja, Barolo Falletto and Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto. Some of the more recent vintages are 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1990, 1989, 1982 and 1978. These vintages are often relatively closed and uninteresting when first bottled, but after 10 years in the cellar, they all show an irresistible magic.
