Barolo 2014 75cl

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.

This wine was made in 2011 and 2012 but not in 2013. The 2014 Barolo Falletto (white label) is fascinating to taste right after the Barbaresco Riserva Asili from the same vintage. There is no doubting the extra muscle mass and power that is obtained in the Barolo appellation, and from the Serralunga d’Alba township specifically. This dramatic Barolo delivers darkness and density. It shows a beautiful appearance with faint highlights of dark ruby that add a subtle sparkle. At this point in its drinking cycle, the wine shows all the characteristic traits of its youth. This means it is more closed and rigid at present. That nervous tightness needs to be factored in when assessing the cellar longevity of this vintage. Hints of the wine’s inner complexity, sheer determination and textural fortitude are already bubbling up from deep inside this firmly layered Nebbiolo. I wanted to mention the tightness of the tannins now. These will undoubtedly serve to carry this wine forward over the coming decades.<br/>A legendary figure in a land of legendary wines, Bruno Giacosa, passed away in Alba on January 22, 2018, with his daughters Marina and Bruna at his side. He was 88. Following a stroke in 2006, Giacosa had slowly retreated from the spotlight. His daughter Bruna has managed the eponymous winery and vineyard these past years. “I have lost the most important person in my life,” says Bruna Giacosa. “I had a special relationship with my father. We communicated with just our eyes. He was my idol.” Bruno Giacosa will be remembered for his keen ability to recognize the best growing sites for Nebbiolo, Barbera and the other great grapes of Piedmont. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the cru sites of his beloved Langhe. Much of his acquired knowledge and experience would later become the inspirational basis for the Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive mapping work in place today for both the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. Bruno Giacosa was among the first visionaries to understand the importance of the Langhe cru, and the unique expressions that are obtained with a single-vineyard winemaking philosophy. With a winery in Neive (Barbaresco), Bruno Giacosa is remembered as a gifted négociant who purchased fruit for most of his career. Many of those most celebrated contacts lasted decades and were famously sealed with just a handshake. The first vintage of his Barbaresco Santo Stefano was 1964. In 1982, he purchased 25 hectares in the Falletto vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba. The celebrated Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto (red label) was recently produced in 2008, 2011, 2012 (reviewed below) and 2014 (to be released in 2020). "When I met Bruno Giacosa the first time it was the beginning of the 1990s, and he had just turned in a succession of profound wines that, for the most part, proved to be legendary," remembers Robert Parker. "His Barolos and Barbarescos from 1978, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1990 were—and remain—some of the finest expressions of Nebbiolo ever produced. I wrote a very long time ago that if there was one wine producer I would buy year in and year out without ever first tasting, it was Bruno Giacosa." Starting with the 2013 vintage, the Barbaresco Rabajà now uses fruit from vineyards directly owned by the estate. The Barbaresco Riserva Asili (red label) was produced in 2011 and 2014 (reviewed below) but not in 2012. Giacosa’s Riservas are recognized by their red labels—they are precious bottles coveted by collectors all over the world. Bruno and Bruna Giacosa began working with enologist Dante Scaglione in 1991. Mr. Scaglione left the winery in 2007 but returned to work for the Giacosa family again in 2011. "His contributions to Italian wine and his beloved Piedmont are beyond measure," adds Robert Parker. "I am honored to have met him, shared his wines, and remain in naked awe of what he achieved. It wouldn't surprise me if God were learning the glories of Nebbiolo from the MASTER. Rest in peace."

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. –BS