Bruno Giacosa 2014 Barolo Falletto (White Label) Premium Wine Review

Bruno learned how to make great Barolo and Barbaresco from his father and grandfather, who taught him how to select fruit. Giacosa started out producing Barbaresco but in the 1960s, decided to start producing Barolo from grapes purchased other people's vineyards. In 1982 he acquired the Falletto vineyard. The wines are divided into two bottlings: “Falletto” (always white label) and “Rocche del Falletto,” from four south-facing parcels on the vineyard’s upper slope, which can either be red or white label (red label is Riserva Barolo, reserved for only the best grapes and years).

Bruno Giacosa had a stroke in 2006, which limited his involvement with the winery. He passed away in 2018. Now his daughter Bruna and his longtime enologist and protegé, Dante Scaglione manage the winery.

Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is 13 hectares in size located in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. It was considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos. The Falletto vineyard faces southwest on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. Falletto wines are generally austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.

The wines spend 2-3 weeks fermenting in stainless steel at moderate temperatures followed by three to four years aging in French oak botti. About 15,000-20,000 bottles of Faletto are produced each year.