Barolo DOCG - Bruno Giacosa 2018

The domain

Bruno Giacosa is a famous wine producer based in Piedmont, Italy. It is particularly known for its intensely perfumed and textured wines from the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations, made from the Nebbiolo grape.

Giacosa himself got his start in the wine business buying grapes for his father's wines when he was 15 years old. By 1960 he was ready to start his own business and quickly became one of the main producers of Barbaresco, alongside Gaja and the Produttori del Barbaresco cooperative. In 1964, Giacosa was the first producer in Piedmont to bottle a "cru" from the Santo Stefano vineyard.

Giacosa's standards remained high throughout the 2000s: 2006 and 2010 wines were sold in bulk because they were not considered up to par, even though most producers did not consider those years to be bad. As a result, Bruno Giacosa wines are among the most expensive in their category.

Most of Bruno Giacosa's wines come from trusted producers, rather than estate vineyards. However, in 1982 the house bought the Falletto vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba and a winery was built. This acquisition was followed by plots in La Morra and parts of Barbaresco. The vineyards now extend over 20 hectares and the wines produced from these vineyards are labeled "Azienda Agricola Falletto".

Giacosa wines are aged in traditional 5000 liter botti, although these are now made from French oak rather than traditional Slovenian oak. In exceptional years, the wines can be marketed as Riservas, with a red label. Bruno Giacosa achieved legendary status in Piedmont, he sadly passed away in 2018 at the age of 88.