1999 Barolo Falletto
Buying options
Tasting notes
Dried rose petals, crushed herbs, cherries, mint and cinnamon meld together in Bruno Giacosa’s 1999 Barolo Falletto. Fragrant, delicate and perfumed, the 1999 is now past its primary flavors, but not fully mature either. At this stage, I would hold off on drinking bottles for at least another few years. This is a fabulous showing from Bruno Giacosa and longtime winemaker Dante Scaglione, who has now returned as a consultant to the winery. I hope readers had a chance to taste the 1999 in its youth, as it was incredibly beautiful.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Daniel Thomases, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Dried rose petals, crushed herbs, cherries, mint and cinnamon meld together in Bruno Giacosa's 1999 Barolo Falletto. Fragrant, delicate and perfumed, the 1999 is now past its primary flavors, but not fully mature either. At this stage, I would hold off on drinking bottles for at least another few years. This is a fabulous showing from Bruno Giacosa and longtime winemaker Dante Scaglione, who has now returned as a consultant to the winery. I hope readers had a chance to taste the 1999 in its youth, as it was incredibly beautiful.
Medium red. The 1999 Barolo Falletto offers an open-knit, perfumed nose, with expressive nuances of flowers and spice and wonderful sense of depth and purity. It hints at greater richness and expansiveness on the palate, with sensations of raspberries, cherries and menthol, outstanding length and a beautiful, clean finish framed by lingering notes of minerality and sweetness. The Barolo Falletto is a delicate, yet structured Barolo that comes across as more feminine when compared to Le Rocche del Falletto and it will likely reach maturity sooner. Although it is currently holding back quite a bit I am confident this is a great Barolo in the making and it is not to be missed. An Azienda Agricola Falletto di Bruno Giacosa bottling.
Good medium red. Exotic aromas of dried fruits, spice cake and nuts. Fat, sweet and full but with lovely floral perfume and vinosity; this, too, offers quintessential Barolo aromatic complexity and solid underlying acid/tannin backbone. A bit more expressive and showy today than the Rocche, but without quite that wine's depth. The full tannins reach the front teeth.
About the producer
Bruno Giacosa – now run by daughter Bruna – is a cult Nebbiolo producer, that has consistently made some of the best single-vineyard Barbaresco and Barolo from the 1960s onwards. The“red-label” Riservas are some of the finest and most collectable wines in Italy.