2017 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Riserva
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Tasting notes
From the south-facing top of Falletto and 2.5 ha. Vines are 50–55 years old and they are starting to replace the oldest. I asked whether they had sought counsel from Marco Simonit but was told no, they rely on ‘old vineyard workers who understand the vines’. Crimson label, 2023 release. 34 months in botte and two years in bottle. Early, hot harvest in the first few days of October to retain freshness. Gentle vinification of small berries. Intense and complex. Many layers and some tarriness on the end. Serious stuff with more tannin than the Falletto 2020 but still charming. Some refreshment. Hint of curry spices!
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
This supple red is elegant and powerful, driven by an underlying mineral element. Strawberry, cherry, rose, iron and wild thyme aromas and flavors persist, building to a long aftertaste, while dense, refined tannins lend support. Offers superb balance and length.
This year's top-end release from Bruno Giacosa is the 2017 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche (in the red label). Bottled in 2019, the wine stands apart thanks to a hot and dry growing season that Bruna Giacosa is very excited about. In fact, she prefers 2017 to 2015, although the two vintages do share similarities. This wine is very open-knit, and it reveals dark concentration in the form of ripe blackberry, candied cherry and spice. The tannins show a loose, granular quality that adds considerably to the textural impact of this Riserva.
Roses and lavender with other flowers. Peaches. Glorious fruit of dark plums and ripe strawberries. This is dense and intense but there are layers of very fine tannins, like fine cashmere. Goes on for minutes. Opens in the mouth. Almost endless. Three years in cask and two years in bottle before January 2023 release. Give this at least five to six years.
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.