Wine Advisor
Bruno Giacosa, Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche 2013
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The recent evolution of this wine is a bit confusing. After the 2009 Barolo le Rocche del Falletto was released, the wine was not made in 2010 or 2011. The following year, we got the 2012 Barolo Falletto that I scored last year. We now return to the series with the 2013 Barolo Falleto Vigna Le Rocche—which is, of course, the white label wine. The wine shows extremely elegant and fine characteristics with a dry and streamlined approach. Fruit tones on offer are delicate and nuanced. White truffle, balsam herb, violet and licorice are folded within. The wine was a little reticent when I tasted it and it definitely needs more time to flesh out in the bottle.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Giacosa's 2013 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is powerful and intense, with fine overall depth and persistence, but less in the way of finesse. With time in the glass, the 2013 opens up nicely. Even so, the inner sweetness and perfume that is such a Giacosa signature never develops. Moreover, the lack of color and overall freshness suggest the 2013 is a wine to drink over the near and medium term, but not longer. The Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is the same wine that was previously labeled Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Giacosa's 2013 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is powerful and intense, with fine overall depth and persistence, but less in the way of finesse. With time in the glass, the 2013 opens up nicely. Even so, the inner sweetness and perfume that is such a Giacosa signature never develops. Moreover, the lack of color and overall freshness suggest the 2013 is a wine to drink over the near and medium term, but not longer. The Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is the same wine that was previously labeled Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto.
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.
