93 points

2016 Bruno Giacosa Barbera d'Alba Falletto

James Suckling, James Suckling, September 2018

“Loads of blackberries and blueberries here with citrus peel and flowers. Full body, juicy fruit and a vivid and fruity finish. Lots of citrus peel underneath it all. Drink or hold.”

93 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano

Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, November 2013

“Medium with a hint of amber.  Highly complex, scented nose combines red plum, cherry, strawberry, clove, medicinal herbs and a hint of orange zest.  Intensely flavored, juicy and tightly wound, with lovely cut and definition to the red fruit and spice flavors.  Very concentrated, tactile wine whose firm tannic spine will require at least several years of cellaring.  Finishes with terrific lift.”

95 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano

Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, February 2016

“Rose petal, perfumed berry, new leather, pressed powder and underbrush are just some of the enticing scents you’ll find on this stunning wine. The structured palate is loaded with finesse, offering crushed cherry, black raspberry and licorice accompanied by polished tannins. This is the firm’s last vintage of Santo Stefano, and they nailed it. Drink 2017–2026.”

94 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano

James Suckling, James Suckling, January 2015

“A wine with silky tannins and pretty bright fruit of strawberries and sliced plums and hints of flowers. Full body, fine tannins and a wonderful clarity. Lovely length of fruit. This is the last vintage of Santo Stefano for Giacosa after many decades of success. Needs at least four or five years to soften. Try in 2016.”

90 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano

Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2014

“Bruno Giacosa's 2011 Barbaresco Albesani Vigna Santo Stefano is gorgeous. Rose petals, sweet red berries and mint are some of the notes that waft from the glass. Silky, polished and quite striking, the 2011 is already open and super-expressive. Considering the warm, precocious vintage and the southern exposure of Santo Stefano, I expected a bigger, more powerful wine, but the 2011 is all about finesse. My impression is that the 2011 will offer its best drinking earlier rather than later. There is plenty to like here.”

91 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, July 2014

“This 2011 Barbaresco Albesani Vigna Santo Stefano is on the market since February and has had ample time to flesh out over the last six months of bottle aging. The wine opens to a light garnet color and immediate fruit tones that veer towards the jammy side with sun-dried strawberry and raspberry. It shows a good level of freshness and acidity to counter the warmer tendencies of the bouquet. The tannins deliver a smooth, silky quality and the wine starts to show pretty aromas of wet earth and black truffle after a few minutes in the glass. Drink: 2015-2030. It has been famously reported now that Bruno Giacosa did not make wine in 2010. If you ask his daughter Bruna why this legendary estate would skip such a promising vintage, her reply is simple: “Sometimes you need to follow your heart.” Like the 2006 vintage that was passed over because it marked the same year that Bruno suffered a massive stroke, the family has similarly private reasons for wanting to skip directly from 2009 to 2011. It’s a hole they chose to leave. In other news, the Giacosa family bought a tiny parcel in Rabaja (half an hectare) and plans to release 4,000 bottles of the inaugural vintage in 2013.”

94 points

2013 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà

Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, September 2017

“Delicate and intense, offering rose, cherry, leather and tobacco flavors. Firm and succulent, with leather and tobacco notes joined by a vein of mineral on the long aftertaste. Shows terrific intensity and energy. Best from 2022 through 2036. 299 cases made”

94 points

2013 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, June 2017

“This is the exciting new wine being presented by the Bruno Giacosa estate this year. The 2013 Barbaresco Rabajà comes from a half-hectare parcel purchased by Bruna Giacosa (Bruno's daughter) in 2013. Past incarnations of this wine were made with fruit that has now become part of the Asili cru under the revised map of vineyard crus. In other words, the name of the wine is technically the same, but the grapes used to make it are sourced from a different place starting with this vintage. This is a darkly enriched expression with ample power and muscle. The bouquet pours forth a beautiful array of dark fruit aromas with spice, smoke, laurel leaf and balsam herb. There's even a touch of aged cheddar or pecorino cheese that adds a spicy or piquant touch to the finish.”

99 points

2013 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà

James Suckling, James Suckling, November 2016

“Aromas of peaches, plums and strawberries. Hints of oranges, rosemary and oyster shell. Medium-to full-bodied Barbaresco that's tight yet so long and refined on the finish. Extraordinary. Such polished tannins. Better in 2020 but a joy to taste now. First year of Rabajà from Giacosa. 3,600 bottles. Available on the market January 2017.”

93 points

2014 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco DOCG

Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, September 2017

“Silky and elegant, exhibiting cherry, strawberry, rose and subtle white pepper aromas and flavors. Tobacco and iron details emerge as this builds to a long, expansive finish. Already harmonious, yet with a firm underlying structure. Best from 2020 through 2036. 295 cases made.”

93 points

2014 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco DOCG

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, June 2017

“This is a difficult wine to find in the marketplace and it is rarely presented for official review. In fact, the last time it was produced was way back in 2008. The 2014 Barbaresco sees fruit sourced from the lower part of the Asili cru with some smaller amounts from Rabajà. This is a very opulent and rich expression with forward determination and power. This is an unusual vintage with a cool summer and a very warm pre-harvest period. It produced interesting wines specifically in Barbaresco and almost nowhere else in Northern Italy. The quality of fruit is ripe and a touch sweet. Its texture is succulent and soft. The wine feels like it could be ready to drink now, but it also has the pedigree and beautiful inner structure for long cellar aging.”

96 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva

Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, November 2013

“Good medium red.  Crushed cherry, raspberry, rose petal and botanical herbs on the tangy nose and palate.  If the Santo Stefano is a more masculine, underbrushy style of nebbiolo, this one is a perfume bomb in the mouth, incredibly silky and fine-grained but with outstanding sappy tang to leaven its thickness.  Most impressive today on the slowly mounting, elegant, mouth-saturating back end, which features big but fine-grained tannins and outstanding rising length.  A real essence of nebbiolo.”

Tre Bicchieri Award

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva

Gambero Rosso, October 2016

95 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, June 2016

“The 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Asili (red label) is a full and generous wine that wraps thickly over the senses. The bouquet shows enormous depth and power with a generous presentation of dark fruit, cassis, balsam herb, cola, licorice, tar and lingering smoke. There is an evident sense of fruit ripeness here that helps to build momentum and staying power. Clay soils in the vineyard site have also helped to contribute to the heft and full-bodied nature of this special wine. The finish is characterized by mild acidity and lingering flavors of ripe fruit. The opulent fruit of the wine recalls the 2007 and 2004 vintages. ”

94 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva

Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, April 2016

“An elegant, sinewy style, with classic Nebbiolo character, exuding floral, cherry, strawberry, leather and mineral flavors. The lingering tobacco finish gets a boost from the light burr of tannins. Remains juicy and long. Best from 2017 through 2032. 300 cases imported.”

99 points

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva

James Suckling, James Suckling, January 2015

“This is an incredible wine that reminds me of the perfect 2000 Barolo Rocche de Falletto. Flowers, spices, leather and animals. Decadent. Dried mushrooms. Then changes to Japanese ginger and lemon peel. Full-bodied but refined and so long. It has layers of fruit and power. So refined. Ripe and intense. Perfect balance and harmony. It will be released in 2016.”

95 points

2015 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili

Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, July 2018

“Macerated cherry, plum, mineral and leafy, herbal notes highlight this tightly wound red. Elegant, with silkiness up front and assertive tannins guarding the finish. Gains complexity with air. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,125 cases made.”

94 points

2012 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili

Stephanie Johnson, Wine & Spirits, December 2016

“This wine’s texture is lovely, with lightly abrasive tannins that weave through its saturated flavors of black cherry and plum. The fruit is rich, its sweet ripeness balanced by fresh acidity. The flavors take on notes of anise and pepper, verging into some savory notes that provide ballast—on the dark end of the spectrum for Barbaresco, calling for a match with rich beef or veal dishes.”

98 points

2012 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili

Rich Cook, Wine Review Online, October 2016

“Once in a while I get a chance to taste a wine that shows me something I've not experienced before in the most positive way imaginable. The Asili is such a wine -- at its young age, it shows absolutely explosive aromas of cherry, fresh cut orange, powder, candied raspberry and mixed spice, all just as clear as a cathedral bell. The palate is just starting to show the promise of the nose, with a firm grip and dry earth minerality up front now, but the promise is solid as a rock. Riveting wine!”

95 points

2012 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili

Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, February 2016

“Red rose, iris, perfumed berry and baking spice emerge on this stunning, vibrant wine. The elegantly structured palate offers crushed raspberry, juicy red cherry, cinnamon and chopped herb while fresh acidity and polished tannins provide a bright, elegant framework. Drink 2018–2027.”