Bruno Giacosa
Bruno Giacosa is an internationally respected winemaker with some of the most impressive Barolo and Barbaresco single-vineyard wines. He is the 3rd generation of this family business from their cellars in Nieve in the Langhe. He also sources grapes from local growers that whom the family has long-established relations. The wines have a fantastic bouquet and a full-bodied palate but also real elegance for the region.
Often credited as one of the producers to put Barbaresco on the map, Bruno Giacosa joined the family’s winemaking business at the age of 15, buying what he felt were the best grapes from his network of growers. He acquired the Falleto vineyard in Barolo (relatively) recently in 1982, and selected plots in Barbaresco in 1996. In 1964, Giacosa began single-vineyard bottlings of Barolo and Barbaresco with the cru names indicated on the labels with the very first being from the San Stefano vineyard – reportedly Giacosa’s single favourite wine of his entire career. Giacosa's daughter Bruna has been in charge since 2006.

Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 93 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£703.52 |
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Wine Advocate (93)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. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£156.80 |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | - |
Inc. VAT
£759.64 |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,285.24 |
|||||
Vinous (95)Good full red. Aromas of currant, camphor, mocha and cedar lifted by an exotic floral perfume. Silky-sweet, precise and intense, with superb calcaire lift to the red fruit and spice flavors. Wonderfully juicy and imploded wine, finishing with serious but very fine-grained tannins and terrific length. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,615.24 |
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Vinous (95)The 2005 Barbaresco Asili is a jewel of a wine. I suppose the 2005 doesn't have the sweetness not finesse of the very best vintages, but it comes very, very close. The ineffable Asili perfume comes through beautifully in a sensual, complete Barbaresco that will thrill Giacosa fans. Rose petal, mint, plum and cinnamon are some of the many nuances that inform the silky, inviting finish. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,794.04 |
|||||
Vinous (94)Things kicked up several notches with a flight of Barbareschis from the famed Asili vineyard. Asili is in the village of Barbaresco, where the wines are generally more feminine than in Neive. The best wines from this site have great aromatics and fine, silky tannins. The 2007 Barbaresco Asili was once again explosive. I expect the wine will settle down nicely with further bottle age, but at this stage lots of baby fat came through. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£746.44 |
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James Suckling (95)Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 6 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£732.32 |
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James Suckling (95)Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£344.81 |
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James Suckling (97)There’s impeccable transparency and freshness to this Barbaresco on the nose, which introduces bright rose petals, lifted orange peel, crushed stones and sour cherries. The stoney tannins trace intricate detail on the medium-to full-bodied palate, highlighting the racy acidity, brambly undertones and a beautiful array of wild berries. Yes, there’s power and depth of flavor, but this is all about grace and beauty. Drink from 2024. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£614.44 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)There’s impeccable transparency and freshness to this Barbaresco on the nose, which introduces bright rose petals, lifted orange peel, crushed stones and sour cherries. The stoney tannins trace intricate detail on the medium-to full-bodied palate, highlighting the racy acidity, brambly undertones and a beautiful array of wild berries. Yes, there’s power and depth of flavor, but this is all about grace and beauty. Drink from 2024. |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£572.44 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)There’s impeccable transparency and freshness to this Barbaresco on the nose, which introduces bright rose petals, lifted orange peel, crushed stones and sour cherries. The stoney tannins trace intricate detail on the medium-to full-bodied palate, highlighting the racy acidity, brambly undertones and a beautiful array of wild berries. Yes, there’s power and depth of flavor, but this is all about grace and beauty. Drink from 2024. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£829.24 |
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|
Piedmont | 5 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,076.69 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The Bruno Giacosa 2022 Barbaresco Asili is hitting the market now. It was bottled on the 15th of July, 2024. This elegant wine shows the finely tuned and nuanced essence of Asili with its fine soils. It opens to a bright ruby color and delivers chalky tannins that retain their tension and grippy feel. On the close, you get hints of violets and blue flower. This is a very terroir-driven wine, but it needs more time in bottle to fully express itself. There will be a red label, or Riserva, made in 2020 to be released later this year (that I have reviewed here). A 2021 Riserva will be released in 2026. If Bruna Giacosa (daughter of the late Bruno Giacosa) makes a red label, the white label is not produced. |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£893.60 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The utterly perfect, dense ruby/purple-colored 1996 Barbaresco Asili (Red Label Riserva) is a heroic offering brilliantly displaying both power and elegance. The bouquet develops incrementally, offering up aromas of black raspberries, cherries, cigar box, licorice, and leather. The wine impresses with its nuances as well as its extraordinarily rich, dense mid-palate, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. There is huge tannin, but equally massive concentration, extract, and overall harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£5,727.23 |
|||||
Vinous (99)The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is every bit as spectacular as it has always been. I remember tasting the 2004 with Bruno Giacosa and Dante Scaglione before it was released, and making a note to buy as much of the wine as soon as it hit the market. I have never regretted that decision. Explosive, deep and powerful, the 2004 Asili will reward readers lucky enough to own it for several decades. On this night, it is simply sublime. Not surprisingly, the 2004 is also one of the favorites of the group. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£4,831.93 |
|||||
Vinous (99)The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is every bit as spectacular as it has always been. I remember tasting the 2004 with Bruno Giacosa and Dante Scaglione before it was released, and making a note to buy as much of the wine as soon as it hit the market. I have never regretted that decision. Explosive, deep and powerful, the 2004 Asili will reward readers lucky enough to own it for several decades. On this night, it is simply sublime. Not surprisingly, the 2004 is also one of the favorites of the group. |
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|
Piedmont | 2 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,675.24 |
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James Suckling (99)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. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,391.82 |
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James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£434.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,673.12 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,941.92 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 3 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,990.43 |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£2,463.64 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£2,203.24 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,935.49 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96)Packaged with the red label, the Bruno Giacosa 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili was a little shy when I tasted it, but it clearly has the runway for long cellar aging. It opens to a medium-plus texture with a darker hue of ruby red. The tannins are elegant and fine, and although this was a warm vintage, the fruit feels very fresh and taut. You get good structure and firm tannins to carry it over the long term. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£997.52 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2014 Barbaresco Rabajà is gorgeous. Powerful and explosive, the 2014 possesses stunning depth and intensity in all of its dimensions. Spice, menthol and orange peel give the 2014 a level of exoticism that is compelling, while beams of searing tannin announce the presence and pedigree of Rabajà. Intense, tannic and yet also very precise, with soaring structure and terrific persistence, the 2014 Rabajà is the best wine the Bruno Giacosa estate has made in many years. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,004.72 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)The purity of fruit to this is incredible with cherry, plum and white truffle. Hints of ash and stone. Roses. Full body, superb texture of super fine tannins and incredible length. The harmony is so mesmorizing. Elegance and length. Bright energy. Tiny production. Try in 2022 when it comes together. |
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|
Piedmont | 3 | 93 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,089.64 |
|||||
Vinous (93)The 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is very nicely done. It offers up an enticing mélange of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, licorice, sage, tobacco and menthol, all in a relatively mid-weight, light style for this site. The 2016 won't make Giacosa fans forget about the 2001 or 2004, but it is certainly very nicely balanced. Overall, the 2016 is a bit light for Rabajà, but attractive if taken on its own terms. It should drink well for another decade or so. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£203.60 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£992.44 |
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Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 93 (WA) |
In Bond
£567.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (93)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. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£128.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 4 | - |
In Bond
£617.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,055.00 |
|||||
Vinous (95)Good full red. Aromas of currant, camphor, mocha and cedar lifted by an exotic floral perfume. Silky-sweet, precise and intense, with superb calcaire lift to the red fruit and spice flavors. Wonderfully juicy and imploded wine, finishing with serious but very fine-grained tannins and terrific length. |
|||||||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,330.00 |
|||||
Vinous (95)The 2005 Barbaresco Asili is a jewel of a wine. I suppose the 2005 doesn't have the sweetness not finesse of the very best vintages, but it comes very, very close. The ineffable Asili perfume comes through beautifully in a sensual, complete Barbaresco that will thrill Giacosa fans. Rose petal, mint, plum and cinnamon are some of the many nuances that inform the silky, inviting finish. |
|||||||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,479.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94)Things kicked up several notches with a flight of Barbareschis from the famed Asili vineyard. Asili is in the village of Barbaresco, where the wines are generally more feminine than in Neive. The best wines from this site have great aromatics and fine, silky tannins. The 2007 Barbaresco Asili was once again explosive. I expect the wine will settle down nicely with further bottle age, but at this stage lots of baby fat came through. |
|||||||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£606.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (95)Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019. |
|||||||||
|
Piedmont | 6 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£591.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (95)Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£282.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)There’s impeccable transparency and freshness to this Barbaresco on the nose, which introduces bright rose petals, lifted orange peel, crushed stones and sour cherries. The stoney tannins trace intricate detail on the medium-to full-bodied palate, highlighting the racy acidity, brambly undertones and a beautiful array of wild berries. Yes, there’s power and depth of flavor, but this is all about grace and beauty. Drink from 2024. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£496.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)There’s impeccable transparency and freshness to this Barbaresco on the nose, which introduces bright rose petals, lifted orange peel, crushed stones and sour cherries. The stoney tannins trace intricate detail on the medium-to full-bodied palate, highlighting the racy acidity, brambly undertones and a beautiful array of wild berries. Yes, there’s power and depth of flavor, but this is all about grace and beauty. Drink from 2024. |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£461.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)There’s impeccable transparency and freshness to this Barbaresco on the nose, which introduces bright rose petals, lifted orange peel, crushed stones and sour cherries. The stoney tannins trace intricate detail on the medium-to full-bodied palate, highlighting the racy acidity, brambly undertones and a beautiful array of wild berries. Yes, there’s power and depth of flavor, but this is all about grace and beauty. Drink from 2024. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£675.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 5 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£878.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)The Bruno Giacosa 2022 Barbaresco Asili is hitting the market now. It was bottled on the 15th of July, 2024. This elegant wine shows the finely tuned and nuanced essence of Asili with its fine soils. It opens to a bright ruby color and delivers chalky tannins that retain their tension and grippy feel. On the close, you get hints of violets and blue flower. This is a very terroir-driven wine, but it needs more time in bottle to fully express itself. There will be a red label, or Riserva, made in 2020 to be released later this year (that I have reviewed here). A 2021 Riserva will be released in 2026. If Bruna Giacosa (daughter of the late Bruno Giacosa) makes a red label, the white label is not produced. |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£742.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)The utterly perfect, dense ruby/purple-colored 1996 Barbaresco Asili (Red Label Riserva) is a heroic offering brilliantly displaying both power and elegance. The bouquet develops incrementally, offering up aromas of black raspberries, cherries, cigar box, licorice, and leather. The wine impresses with its nuances as well as its extraordinarily rich, dense mid-palate, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. There is huge tannin, but equally massive concentration, extract, and overall harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (VN) |
In Bond
£4,762.00 |
|||||
Vinous (99)The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is every bit as spectacular as it has always been. I remember tasting the 2004 with Bruno Giacosa and Dante Scaglione before it was released, and making a note to buy as much of the wine as soon as it hit the market. I have never regretted that decision. Explosive, deep and powerful, the 2004 Asili will reward readers lucky enough to own it for several decades. On this night, it is simply sublime. Not surprisingly, the 2004 is also one of the favorites of the group. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (VN) |
In Bond
£4,008.00 |
|||||
Vinous (99)The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is every bit as spectacular as it has always been. I remember tasting the 2004 with Bruno Giacosa and Dante Scaglione before it was released, and making a note to buy as much of the wine as soon as it hit the market. I have never regretted that decision. Explosive, deep and powerful, the 2004 Asili will reward readers lucky enough to own it for several decades. On this night, it is simply sublime. Not surprisingly, the 2004 is also one of the favorites of the group. |
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|
Piedmont | 2 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,380.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)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. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,147.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£359.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,375.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 4 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,599.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Incredible aromas of violets, roses and blue fruits. So perfumed. Never smelled a wine like this before. Full body, perfectly integrated tannins and bright, vivid acidity. Extremely long and endless. A seamless and great one. An evocative wine that makes you think. Needs three to five years of bottle age on release. Unique red. Available in 2019. |
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|
Piedmont | 3 | - |
In Bond
£1,648.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£2,037.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£1,820.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,427.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96)Packaged with the red label, the Bruno Giacosa 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili was a little shy when I tasted it, but it clearly has the runway for long cellar aging. It opens to a medium-plus texture with a darker hue of ruby red. The tannins are elegant and fine, and although this was a warm vintage, the fruit feels very fresh and taut. You get good structure and firm tannins to carry it over the long term. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£812.00 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2014 Barbaresco Rabajà is gorgeous. Powerful and explosive, the 2014 possesses stunning depth and intensity in all of its dimensions. Spice, menthol and orange peel give the 2014 a level of exoticism that is compelling, while beams of searing tannin announce the presence and pedigree of Rabajà. Intense, tannic and yet also very precise, with soaring structure and terrific persistence, the 2014 Rabajà is the best wine the Bruno Giacosa estate has made in many years. |
|||||||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£818.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)The purity of fruit to this is incredible with cherry, plum and white truffle. Hints of ash and stone. Roses. Full body, superb texture of super fine tannins and incredible length. The harmony is so mesmorizing. Elegance and length. Bright energy. Tiny production. Try in 2022 when it comes together. |
|||||||||
|
Piedmont | 3 | 93 (VN) |
In Bond
£892.00 |
|||||
Vinous (93)The 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is very nicely done. It offers up an enticing mélange of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, licorice, sage, tobacco and menthol, all in a relatively mid-weight, light style for this site. The 2016 won't make Giacosa fans forget about the 2001 or 2004, but it is certainly very nicely balanced. Overall, the 2016 is a bit light for Rabajà, but attractive if taken on its own terms. It should drink well for another decade or so. |
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|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£167.00 |
|||||
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£811.00 |
|||||