Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto

Barolo DOCG, Piemonte

Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is comprised of 13 hectares (32acres) in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos, the Falletto vineyard is southwest facing on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. The Falletto wines are austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.

Tasting Notes

Red garnet in color. Showcasing elegant and fine aromas of fresh plum, cherry and spice notes, the wine is dense and structured with great freshness on the palate and well-balanced tannins.

Early reports of the 2019 vintage have described it as a classic year. A cold, wet spring slowed vine growth and the persistent rain made rot and disease a threat. However, despite the added risks, the rains gave the soils the much-needed water to survive the summer months. June delivered a fantastic summer with the hot, dry days lasting through to August when a hailstorm broke loose. Good conditions swiftly picked up again and idyllic weather continued into September.

Fermentation and Maceration: 25 days in stainless steel vats
Malolactic Fermentation: completely developed
Refinement: 32 months in French oak + 6 months in bottle
Bottling: August 2022

Vineyard: Falletto (village of Serralunga d'Alba)
Exposure: Southwest
Yield: 45 hL/ha
Age of Vines: 25-29 years old

Grape Variety: Nebbiolo
Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
Total Acidity: 5.60 g/L
pH: 3.60
Total Extract: 29.5 g/L

Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is comprised of 13 hectares (32acres) in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos, the Falletto vineyard is southwest facing on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. The Falletto wines are austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.

Tasting Notes

Red garnet in color. Showcasing elegant and fine aromas of fresh plum, cherry  and spice notes, the wine is dense and structured with great freshness on the  palate and well-balanced tannins.

The 2017 vintage will be a year to remember for the challenges that growers faced from Mother Nature, namely  hot weather and very little rain. Surprisingly, the wines produced do not show any notes of over-ripeness commonly  found in a hot year. This balance in the wines is attributed to the stark temperature swings with cool summer nights  tempering the hot days. The Barbaresco is fruit-driven with good acidity, and the Barolo is rich and austere.

  • Grape variety: Nebbiolo
  • Subarea: Falletto (village of Serralunga d’Alba)
  • Vineyard exposure: Southwest
  • Age of vines: 23-27 years old
  • Yield: 45 hL/ha
  • Harvest date: September 25, 2017
  • Fermentation and maceration: 20 days in stainless steel vats
  • Malolactic fermentation: completely developed
  • Refinement: 30 months in Botti cask of French oak, 6 months in bottle
  • Bottling: July 2020
  • Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
  • Total acidity: 5.40 g/L
  • pH: 3.53
  • Total extract: 28.7 g/L
  • Optimal period for consumption: 2021-2045

Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is comprised of 13 hectares (32acres) in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos, the Falletto vineyard is southwest facing on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. The Falletto wines are austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.

Tasting Notes

Red garnet in color. Showcasing elegant and fine aromas of fresh plum, cherry and spice notes, the wine is dense and structured with great freshness on the palate and well-balanced tannins.

Created from a balanced growing season and a summer that was never too hot, 2016 will be a vintage to remember for the quality of the wines produced. Low humidity, no heat spikes and perfectly timed rain resulted in one of the latest harvests in the last few years. The Nebbiolo from this year is full-bodied and fragrant, and the Barolos and Barbarescos are grand wines that will only benefit from extended aging. A classic vintage of old times.

  • Grape variety: Nebbiolo
  • Subarea: Falletto (village of Serralunga d’Alba)
  • Vineyard exposure: Southwest
  • Age of vines: 22-26 years old
  • Yield: 45 hL/ha
  • Harvest date: October 8, 2016
  • Fermentation and maceration: 20 days in stainless steel vats
  • Malolactic fermentation: completely developed
  • Refinement: 30 months in Botti cask of French oak, 6 months in bottle
  • Bottling: July 2019
  • Alcohol: 15% vol.
  • Total acidity: 5.60 g/L
  • pH: 3.55
  • Total extract: 30.2 g/L
  • Optimal period for consumption: 2020-2040

Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is comprised of 13 hectares (32 acres) in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos, the Falletto vineyard is southwest facing on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. The Falletto wines are austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.   Vintage 2015: This vintage started with an early budding of the vines followed by a normal spring and a very hot summer, especially during the month of July, with temperatures much higher than normal. The wines made from the Nebbiolo grape in this vintage are fragrant and distinctly fruity with a good tannic plot and a medium to high structure.

Tasting Notes

Red garnet in color. Intense, elegant and complex nose with fresh red fruit and spice notes. The palate presents good freshness, excellent structure and fine, velvety tannins.

  • Grape variety: Nebbiolo
  • Subarea: Falletto (village of Serralunga d’Alba)
  • Vineyard exposure: Southwest
  • Age of vines: 21-24 years old
  • Yield: 45 hL/ha
  • Harvest date: October 1, 2015
  • Fermentation and maceration: 22 days in stainless steel vats
  • Malolactic fermentation: completely developed
  • Refinement: 32 months in 110hL Botti cask of French oak, 6 months in bottle
  • Bottling: August 2018
  • Alcohol: 14.50% vol.
  • Total acidity: 5.65 g/L
  • pH: 3.56
  • Total extract: 30.2 g/L
  • Optimal period for consumption: 2019-2033

Vintage: 2014 was a classical year regarding the weather and climatically balanced without any extreme heat or rain. Worthy of taking note is the range in the temperature during the summer nights between daytime highs and nighttime lows, which favored a good accumulation of aromatic notes in the Nebbiolo variety. The wines produced in this vintage are very fine and elegant, with refined fruit aromas and a medium to high structure.

Tasting Notes

Red garnet in color. Intense, elegant and complex nose with red fruit, floral and spice notes. The palate presents good freshness, excellent structure and fine, velvety tannins.

Bruno Giacosa’s winemaking philosophy combines a respect for tradition and conservative winemaking with the selected use of modern technology to obtain the best expression of each vineyard’s terroir. He is convinced that great wines begin in the vineyard with the production of grapes cultivated by experienced growers. This belief pushes him to improve quality with every harvest. In the cellar, the goal is to produce a wine that maintains its identity from vine to bottle, so winemaking methods are traditional and in full respect of the grape’s typical characteristics.

Tasting Notes

Intense, elegant and complex nose with red fruit, floral and spice notes.  The palate presents good freshness, excellent structure and fine, velvety tannins.

  • Grape variety: Nebbiolo
  • Subarea: Falletto (village of Serralunga d’Alba)
  • Exposure: Southwest
  • Age of vines: 18-21 years old
  • Harvest date: 28-29 September 2012
  • Fermentation and maceration: 18 days in stainless steel vats
  • Malolactic fermentation: completely developed
  • Refinement: 30 months in French oak + 8 months in bottle
  • Bottling: March 2016
  • Alcohol: 14.45% vol.
  • Total acidity: 5.75 g/L
  • pH: 3.59
  • Total extract: 30.6 g/L

  • 94

    points

    Wine Spectator, December 2021

    "This is broad and open-knit, offering plum, cherry, eucalyptus, juniper, licorice, tar and tobacco flavors. Dense tannins add grip as this turns more compact on the finish. The smooth texture and balance bode well for the future. Best from 2025 through 2046"

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  • 97

    points

    James Suckling, April 2021

    "Sweet berries, smoke, cedar and olives on the nose. Floral. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a pretty background and ripe fruit. Flavorful finish. Hints of bitter citrus and smoke, too. Very complex. Powerful for Falletto. Drink after 2026."

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  • 92

    points

    Vinous, January 2021

    "The 2016 Barolo is a pleasant, easygoing Barolo to drink over the next decade or so. Sweet dried cherry, leather, spice, orange peel, menthol, licorice and dried flowers are all laced together in this attractive, mid-weight Barolo from Giacosa. I suggest opening the 2016 well in advance, as it opens up beautifully with a few hours of air. This is a gorgeous wine in its peer group."

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  • 95

    points

    Wine Spectator, December 2020

    "This pretty red offers distinctive mint, black tea, cherry, tar, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors. Firm and dry, with the tobacco and tea notes echoing on the finish. Shows plenty of finesse. Best from 2024 through 2045. 185 cases imported."

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  • 97

    points

    James Suckling, August 2020

    "This is a really dense red with intensity and beauty, showing dried fruit, such as strawberries, as well as chocolate, tar, hazelnuts and meat. Really complex and rich. Opulent, yet tense with dusty tannins. Extremely long. Great finish. Hard not to drink now, but will age incredibly well. Try after 2025."

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  • 97

    points

    Wine Advocate, September 2021

    "The Bruno Giacosa 2016 Barolo Falletto (white label) brings us another extraordinary expression from a classic vintage. Serralunga d'Alba fruit is full, generous and thickly layered in a manner that you always hope to encounter when lucky enough to drink pedigree Nebbiolo. There is enormous density here and power and grace; however, the Barolo Falletto is seemingly weightless and ever so delicate as it warms smoothly over the senses. Crisp cherry and blackberry are followed by delicate tones of crushed stone and iron ore. Bright tones of grilled herb and blue flower lift gently from the bouquet and add to the balanced intensity of this collectors' vintage."

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  • 94

    points

    Wine Spectator, June 2019

    "Dense and firmly structured, this red features a distinctive saltiness underlying the floral, cherry, mineral and tobacco flavors. A bit standoffish now, but all the components are in the right proportions. Best from 2023 through 2048"

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  • 98

    points

    James Suckling, January 2019

    "Superb aromas of ripe fruit such as plums and berries with peaches and tar. Very intense. Full body, great depth and density. Incredible richness and power with superb length and persistence. One of the most dense and vertical Falletos I have tasted. Try in 2025."

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  • 94

    points

    Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, November 2018

    "The picture of elegance, this Barolo is nonetheless steely and solid. Delicate floral, cherry, strawberry and mineral flavors ride the chalky texture, while vibrant acidity and well-proportioned tannins drive the finish. Best from 2022 through 2042. 150 cases imported."

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  • 96

    points

    James Suckling, James Suckling, September 2018

    "Impressive fresh leather-clad red cherries with a subtle earthiness in the background. Quite pure. Floral and aromatic. The palate has a very elegant yet powerful core of blueberries and cherries. A smooth release of fruit sweetness into the fresh and vibrant finish. Elegant and classic. More open than normal. Impressive now but better from 2022."

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  • 93+

    points

    Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, June 2016

    "The 2012 Barolo Falletto is a bit timid to open and needs extra time in the glass (especially when tasted this young). This wine was bottled in March. The wine already shows impressive complexity and depth with drying mineral notes that frame a pretty core of cherry and blackberry fruit. Background notes of light spice and grilled herb complete this pretty picture. What stands out most here, however, is the tight textural fabric of this wine. It is poised for very good aging potential."

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  • 94

    points

    Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, September 2016

    "A gorgeous red, featuring cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors, with hints of tar and licorice—all the hallmarks of great Barolo. The beefy tannins are there, but not overwhelming. This glides to a lingering aftertaste of fruit, mineral and savory elements. Best from 2020 through 2038. From Italy.—B.S."

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  • 97

    points

    James Suckling, James Suckling, November 2016

    "A young wine that builds on the palate with plums, spices, cedar and hints of chocolate. Turns to hazelnuts. Full to medium body, but this builds on the palate. Juicy and chewy with caressing tannins. Love the way it grows on the palate. Better in 2019."

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  • 97

    points

    Rich Cook, Wine Review Online, October 2016

    "Massive, high-toned, cherry and blueberry fruit aromas are joined by an intriguing brushy note. The structure is what you'd expect from a wine of this pedigree, and it's incredibly tight on the palate now. That said, it's destined for real elegance. I'm not in the habit of dropping 100 points on a wine, but this is one of the few future candidates that I've come across. I'll get back to you in about ten years if I get the chance. Wow!"

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TRADE & MEDIA ASSETS /////////////////

2019 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Tasting Notes

2017 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto-Sell Sheet-JS97

2017 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Tasting Notes

2016 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Label

2016 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Tasting Notes

2015 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Tasting Notes

2015 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Label

Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Bottle

2014 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Tasting Notes

2014 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Label

2012 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Tasting Notes

2012 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto – Label

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