WTN: I finally get to try Giacosa!
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:57 pmThough I love Nebbiolo I have some surprising gaps in my experience. Until today I had not tasted Giacosa. But a friend had bought a few and kindly opened three of them for a small group. All had been decanted during the day so had had about 6h exposure to air. No meal this time, just some salami, bread and parmigiano.
We started with the Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco 1997 which was quite a delight. I haven't always cared for the '97s in Piemonte but this was lovely: bright aromas where the ripe year character hasn't obfuscated Nebbiolo's aromas at all. Sturdy and powerful, still fairly tannic but sweetly fruity, too. Very nicely refreshing finish though not strongly acidic. Very nice.
Next was a Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva 1990 which was a nice wine but IMO quite atypical for the grape. It was very dark in colour and very dark in aromas and almost raisiny in character. Quite thick and young and tannic but it gladly had more freshness and acidity on the finish than I expected from the hot year style of the wine. It was a very pleasant drink but not recognizable as Nebbiolo.
Finally we had a mystery bottle, a Giacosa 1967 but since most of the label is missing we don't know what Giacosa it might be! (If anyone can tell from the picture below, do tell!). Six hours of exposure to air didn't hurt this wine at all (in fact, I've often noted that long exposure to air only does good for Nebbiolo of this age!). Quite a delightful wine and quite stereotypical in its tar and flowers aromas; good grip and freshness, in fact it is amazingly youthful in its fruit - if given blind I would have guessed late '80s or early '90s, not the '60s. Interminable finish. Whatever Giacosa this was, this was a really pretty but still powerful wine.
We started with the Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco 1997 which was quite a delight. I haven't always cared for the '97s in Piemonte but this was lovely: bright aromas where the ripe year character hasn't obfuscated Nebbiolo's aromas at all. Sturdy and powerful, still fairly tannic but sweetly fruity, too. Very nicely refreshing finish though not strongly acidic. Very nice.
Next was a Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva 1990 which was a nice wine but IMO quite atypical for the grape. It was very dark in colour and very dark in aromas and almost raisiny in character. Quite thick and young and tannic but it gladly had more freshness and acidity on the finish than I expected from the hot year style of the wine. It was a very pleasant drink but not recognizable as Nebbiolo.
Finally we had a mystery bottle, a Giacosa 1967 but since most of the label is missing we don't know what Giacosa it might be! (If anyone can tell from the picture below, do tell!). Six hours of exposure to air didn't hurt this wine at all (in fact, I've often noted that long exposure to air only does good for Nebbiolo of this age!). Quite a delightful wine and quite stereotypical in its tar and flowers aromas; good grip and freshness, in fact it is amazingly youthful in its fruit - if given blind I would have guessed late '80s or early '90s, not the '60s. Interminable finish. Whatever Giacosa this was, this was a really pretty but still powerful wine.
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