1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo

Bruno Giacosa, in Neive, is one of the finest producers of Barolos and Barbarescos. The 44-acre estate is owned by the Giacosa family and until his death in 2018 at age 88, Bruno Giacosa himself ran the vineyard and cellar. His daughter Bruna joined the family business in 1982 and has long handled all business aspects. Bruna will continue to run the estate. Bruno was considered a brilliant producer by his colleagues in the region, and for many years made outstanding wines with purchased grapes. These days, however, the family owns its own vineyards and grows Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, and Dolcetto d’Alba. About 400,000 bottles are produced annually. Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading wine journal, has awarded Bruno Giacosa wines its highest rating, The Three Glass (or three bicchieri) award. Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted Bruno Giacosa’s “consistent brilliance.”

Barolo is one of Italy’s greatest wine appellations. In fact many cognoscenti of Italian wines consider Barolo to be the apex of Italian winemaking. Barolo is sometimes referred to as “the king of wines, and the wine of kings” partly because until the mid-19th century Piedmont was owned by the noble House of Savoy, the historic rulers of northwestern Italy. And the Savoys had a taste for Nebbiolo. Nestled into the rolling hills of Langhe, the Barolo DOCG includes 11 communes, one of which is the town of Barolo. There are 4,200 vineyard acres in the appellation and since the late 19th century growers have tried to identify their best vineyards. By marketing some vineyards as better quality than others, Barolo producers have followed the Burgundian custom of making single vineyard, or “cru” vineyard bottlings. As in neighboring Barbaresco, the Barolo DOCG requires that wines be 100% Nebbiolo, a grape thought of as the Pinot Noir of Italy. Records show that Nebbiolo was grown in the Piedmont as early as the 14th century, and despite being somewhat finicky – it is late to ripen and easily damaged by adverse weather --- Nebbiolo makes highly aromatic and powerful red wines. Until the mid-19th century Nebbiolos of Piedmont were vinified as sweet wines, though that ended in the late 19th century when a French oenologist was invited to Piedmont to show producers how to make dry reds. Barolo was made a DOC in 1966 and upgraded to DOCG status in 1980. Barolos must be aged at least three years, at least two of those years in wood. Barolos are tannic and robust and generally need at least five years to soften into complex, earthy wines.

This red grape is most often associated with Piedmont, where it becomes DOCG Barolo and Barbaresco, among others. Its name comes from Italian for “fog,” which descends over the region at harvest. The fruit also gains a foggy white veil when mature.