2009 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche

Production of cult Barolos and Barbarescos is down here as Giacosa has pulled up his Rocche for replanting and stopped buying Santo Stefano fruit after 2011. He also decided not to bottle any 2010s, which will further limit the number of releases here over the next couple of years. It's worth pointing out that on my latest trip, Giacosa's fellow growers in Barbaresco were less upset by his decision not to bottle 2010s than they had been when he similarly skipped 2006, another vintage rated highly by many Barbaresco producers.Young Francesco Versio came on board as winemaker in November of 2010 and vinified his first set of wines in 2011. Long-time enologist Dante Scaglione continues to provide experienced advice to Versio. Meanwhile, Giacosa himself continues to prowl the vineyards; he was off to inspect the vines in Serralunga on the afternoon I visited the winery in Neive. Versio describes 2011 as a warm year that produced elegant, velvety wines that are not classic--a bit like 2000, which was actually a splendid vintage for Giacosa. The '11s, he told me, will be ready to drink on the early side. Given the expense and difficulty of purchasing prime vineyard land in Barolo or Barbaresco crus these days, Bruna Giacosa was thrilled to announce that her family had recently been able to buy a prime 0.5-hectare piece of Rabaja and plans to make 4,000 bottles or so from these vines in 2013. (Note that I have included a couple of reviews of wines released last year, as I had not previously tasted these wines.)

Bruno Giacosa's 2009s are a small improvement over the 2008s. I found the Falletto a little bit fresher than the Rocche del Falletto, but both wines are pretty forward, especially given what Giacosa fans are likely to expect. I suggest readers drink the wines sooner rather than later.

Things remain very much in a state of transition at Giacosa. The estate skipped the 2010 vintage entirely, the second time in five years Giacosa decided to not bottle a single bottle of Barolo or Barbaresco, the other was 2006. Extensive replantings are underway at Falletto, the family's Serralunga property, while Giacosa sold Croera, their Nebbiolo parcel in La Morra. Longtime winemaker Dante Scaglione returned as a consultant in 2011, a year that resembles 2007, the last truly great vintage Bruno Giacosa bottled. Let's hope Giacosa can get back on track. I have said it before and will say it again. Bruno Giacosa remains one of my favorite estates, but today's wines pale in comparison next to the best bottles that have emerged from this family-run property over the last several decades. Recent bottles of 1964 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano and 1971 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione have been magnificent, as have bottles of the 2007 Barbaresco Asili Riserva.