2009 Barbaresco Asili

I was very happy to taste these two Barbarescos from the Bruno Giacosa winery. No, the wines don't quite have the magic that Bruno Giacosa himself was able to coax from Nebbiolo, but they are the best wines the estate has made since 2007.

The 2012 Barbaresco Asili is the best new release I have tasted from Bruno Giacosa in some time. Needless to say, it's great to see Bruno Giacosa making beautiful Nebbiolos again, as the world truly needs these wines. As a reminder, Giacosa stopped buying from the Santo Stefano vineyard in 2011 after fifty years of making wine from that site, and frankly, making the vineyard famous all over the world. While it is impossible for an outsider to know all the details, there is no question that this is a great loss for all of us who have adored that wine over the years and decades. On a more positive note, Giacosa recently purchased vineyards in Rabajà that previously belonged to Ca' du Rabajà. Recent bottles of the 1998 and 1964 Santo Stefanos served as poignant reminders as to how gorgeous these wines can be. There is only one Bruno Giacosa. No one will ever make wines like these. It's as simple as that.

Bruno Giacosa fans will be thrilled to learn of the return of long-time winemaker Dante Scaglione to this historic property. Scaglione spent 16 years alongside Giacosa and is now back with the winery as a consultant, which bodes well for the future. The first vintage Scaglione oversaw in his new role is 2011. Until then, readers will have to accept the fact that the current releases aren't up to Giacosa's historical standards. Few, if any, Piemonte producers are more heavily represented in my cellar than Bruno Giacosa. I still own a few bottles of the mythical 1964 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva, which remains one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. Count me among those who hope this iconic winery can quickly return to the level of their glory days.

The good news here is that Dante Scaglione, Giacosa's long-time enologist before leaving in March of 2008, is now back as a consultant, to help out young winemaker Francesco Versio beginning with the 2011 harvest. But I did not have a chance to see Giacosa himself, as he was in the hospital following a recent fall. Scaglione described 2009 as "similar to 2007, a warm vintage that's between the more structured 2008 and the less classic 2007 in style." The wines, he went on, will drink well early. "The 2008s are more classic and fresh and will have a longer life. But they're very young today. The 2007s were more drinkable at the same stage."

I suppose it was bound to happen. Few wineries have been through as much stress in the last few years as Giacosa, and the wines have finally begun to show the signs of that stress. Although he is doing better today, Bruno Giacosa's health issues and subsequent recovery put a big strain on the winery. The departure of long-time oenologist Dante Scaglione in 2007 was another blow. Scaglione has since returned to the winery as a consultant, which is an encouraging development. Quite simply, the 2008 Barbareschi are the weakest wines I have ever tasted from Bruno Giacosa. The simple fact that some of Giacosa's recent releases from his negociant operation are stronger than the wines made from estate fruit suggests some of the issues may be in the vineyards. Regardless, there is no other way to view these wines than as major disappointments. In November I will host my annual White Truffle Charity Dinner, which this year raised over $45,000 for The Mt. Sinai Hospital. On that night I will open my last remaning bottles of Giacosa's 1964 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano and 1967 Barbaresco Riserva Asili (among other rarities) and raise a toast to the towering genius of Neive, with the sincerest wish that these new releases, and the 2008 Barbareschi in particular, represent what will ultimately be viewed as a small blemish on an otherwise extraordinary career.

This wine was tasted over dinner at Bar Boulud in New York City, Oct 2010.

Bruno Giacosa stirred up a shitstorm in the Langhe when he was quoted by a wine journalist saying that he didn't much like the 2006 vintage and did not plan to release any Barbarescos or Barolos under his own label. Giacosa, after all, is an icon and an opinion leader in the region, and many of his colleagues in Barbaresco were immediately concerned that they'd have trouble selling their 2006s-wines that many of them consider to be outstanding. What Giacosa actually said may never be known, but what's clear is that the year has bad associations for him. He suffered a stroke early in 2006 and was hardly in shape to worry about vineyards and harvesting in the subsequent months. Happily, he was in much better form by the time I tasted with him in September 2007 and on my most recent visit he was quite excited about his young 2007s. The best proof of this enthusiasm was his feeling that this vintage will yield two riserva bottlings. He compared 2007 to 2000, which fans of Giacosa's wines know was a great vintage for him. In 2005, all of his Barbarescos and Barolos were bottled with white labels (i.e., not riserva) but I had the impression that he now views these wonderfully perfumed wines in a better light. "At the beginning," said Giacosa, "we didn't think the 2005s could be long agers. Now they still don't have hugely concentrated color, but it's clear that they can certainly age." Giacosa admitted a preference for Barolo over Barbaresco in this vintage, despite that fact that a higher percentage of fruit was harvested in Barbaresco before the damaging early October rains. Incidentally, long-time winemaker Dante Scaglione left in March of 2008 and was replaced by Giorgio Lavagna, who was previously head winemaker at Batasiolo in La Morra.

Bruno Giacosa created quite a stir when he announced this spring that he would not bottle any of his 2006 Barolos and Barbarescos. While I wasn't surprised he would pass on bottling a few wines – as early as spring 2007 Giacosa did not present the 2006 Barbaresco Santo Stefano and Barolo Croera in my annual barrel tastings – the decision to skip an entire vintage prompted a back and forth volley of polemics that is such an integral part of the Italian way of life. Clearly Giacosa had a difficult emotional relationship with these wines from the start, as they were made in the year he suffered a stroke and was absent from the winery for long periods of time. Perhaps Giacosa simply wanted to cancel the entire year from his memory. Or maybe it is a case where the vintage quality in Giacosa's vineyards and later of the wines themselves in the cellar did not live up to his exacting standards. Given the emotional weight attached to this year I am not sure anyone – even Giacosa himself – will fully understand all of the circumstances behind the decision not to bottle the wines. After having tasted Giacosa's 2006 Barolos and Barbarescos on numerous occasions I am convinced he has bottled lesser wines in the past. It is important to remember that virtually all of Piedmont's top estates are essentially small, family-run wineries, and in that regard Giacosa is no exception. What seems pretty obvious at this point is that under normal circumstances without emotional duress, Giacosa and his team would have been better equipped to deal with the challenges of the harvest. Giacosa's decision is more a reflection of the estate's inability to deal with a difficult harvest (for understandable reasons) rather than a commentary on the intrinsic quality of the vintage itself. Giacosa may also have been prompted to skip an average year for his wines based on the exceptional juice he put into the bottle in the surrounding 2004, 2005 and 2007 vintages. Sadly, prices for the top bottles – the Red Label Barolo and Barbaresco Riservas in particular – continue to climb as collectors throughout the world recognize the quality of the wines. Still, at the risk of sounding out of touch with today's economic environment, it is pretty clear that Giacosa's finest wines remain relatively well-priced within the context of the world finest and most collectible wines. A recent bottle of the 1989 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano stood shoulder to shoulder with the 1989 Haut-Brion and Rousseau's 1990 Chambertin....in fact, it may have even surpassed those icons!

Bruno Giacosa's 2005 and 2004 Barbarescos were nothing short of magnificent on the two occasions I tasted them recently. Giacosa, along with his long-time winemaker Dante Scaglione, did a tremendous job with these wines. Sadly the estate has not yet come back to this level after Giacosa's health issues and Scaglione's departure. Readers who own Giacosa's 2004s and 2005s should be thrilled. All of these bottles came from my cellar and were purchased on release.

This wine was tasted over dinner, November 2014

This wine was tasted over dinner at Bar Boulud in New York City, Oct 2010.

Bruno Giacosa stirred up a shitstorm in the Langhe when he was quoted by a wine journalist saying that he didn't much like the 2006 vintage and did not plan to release any Barbarescos or Barolos under his own label. Giacosa, after all, is an icon and an opinion leader in the region, and many of his colleagues in Barbaresco were immediately concerned that they'd have trouble selling their 2006s-wines that many of them consider to be outstanding. What Giacosa actually said may never be known, but what's clear is that the year has bad associations for him. He suffered a stroke early in 2006 and was hardly in shape to worry about vineyards and harvesting in the subsequent months. Happily, he was in much better form by the time I tasted with him in September 2007 and on my most recent visit he was quite excited about his young 2007s. The best proof of this enthusiasm was his feeling that this vintage will yield two riserva bottlings. He compared 2007 to 2000, which fans of Giacosa's wines know was a great vintage for him. In 2005, all of his Barbarescos and Barolos were bottled with white labels (i.e., not riserva) but I had the impression that he now views these wonderfully perfumed wines in a better light. "At the beginning," said Giacosa, "we didn't think the 2005s could be long agers. Now they still don't have hugely concentrated color, but it's clear that they can certainly age." Giacosa admitted a preference for Barolo over Barbaresco in this vintage, despite that fact that a higher percentage of fruit was harvested in Barbaresco before the damaging early October rains. Incidentally, long-time winemaker Dante Scaglione left in March of 2008 and was replaced by Giorgio Lavagna, who was previously head winemaker at Batasiolo in La Morra.

My May visit with Bruno Giacosa was significant in many ways. It was the first time in many years that recently departed long-time oenologist wasn't on hand to lead the tasting. At the same time, Giacosa appeared to be in higher spirits than I have witnessed in previous recent visits. Oftentimes change can be invigorating, and I certainly hope that will be the case here. New oenologist Giorgio Lavagna has his work cut out for him, but I can only wish him the very best. As for the wines, we spent several hours surveying all the 2005s, 2006s and 2007s from cask, after which we re-visited several of the 2004s from bottle. The 2004s confirmed their stature as masterpieces, yet Giacosa fans will delight at the prospect of a number of potentially outstanding wines in the pipeline. The 2005 Barbarescos have always shown tons of harmony and elegance from cask, so I was happy to find the wines just as outstanding from bottle. Although there are no Red Label Riservas from Giacosa in 2005, the wines display remarkable quality across the board. The rest of the line-up is solid as well.

This wine was tasted over dinner at Bar Boulud in New York City, Oct 2010.

Bruno Giacosa has been responsible for many of the most memorable Barolos and Barbarescos I have enjoyed through the years, so I was thrilled to be able to taste with him again in September. After all, Giacosa had suffered a stroke in early 2006, but he was slowly on the mend in September and was quite excited to show and discuss his young 2004s. He described this vintage as great, having produced elegant, structured wines with superb fruit, especially in Barolo. He added that he never expected the 2003s to be outstanding but that they have turned out to be "very good," even if there was a lot of stress on sandier sites in Barbaresco. Two thousand five, he went on, is a good normal crop of wines, from a summer that was "not great. " My tasting with Giacosa, his daughter Bruna and long-time enologist Dante Scaglione once again turned up some epic bottles that remained in my mind, if not on my palate, through my entire stay in the region. I tasted on a warm day in a room with a broken air-conditioner, but Giacosa's Barolos and Barbarescos have a way of focusing the mind and body.

Although Bruno Giacosa is a shy, introspective man, he has always been available for at least a quick “hello,” so my most recent visit to the estate was poignant as it was the first time in several years Giacosa wasn't on the property. I know I am joined by admirers around the world in wishing him a speedy recovery from his recent health issues. In the meantime, I am confident that the winery is in good hands with long-time oenologist Dante Scaglione, a man who has dedicated the bulk of his career to the family and the estate. With his 2000s but even more so his 2001s, Giacosa has really reached stratospheric levels. Readers who are looking for wines that are relatively accessible and offer super-ripe, sweet fruit will love the 2000s, while those who prefer wines with more aromatic complexity and nuance will likely gravitate towards the 2001s. In 2000 I believe Giacosa was more successful with his Barbarescos than with his Barolos. As for the 2001s...well, they are awesome across the board. The wines have much of the ripeness and sweet fruit of the 2000s, but with more explosiveness, complexity, depth, freshness as well as silky, elegant tannins that give the wines a sense of total balance and harmony. These are very complete wines to marvel over. In 2003 the only Barbaresco that has been bottled is the Asili. Like many of their colleagues Giacosa and Scaglione have been positively surprised with how well that wine has developed over the past few years.

After tasting hundreds of wines over the week, it was nice to spend some time with a few bottles and my closest inner circle, watch a little NFL football and forget about all the stresses of 2020, even if for just a little while.

This wine was tasted among Piedmont Icons at Del Posto in Novermber 2013.

This is a fabulous set of wines from one of the great Giacosa vintages. Admittedly, opening ten year-old Giacosa Barbareschi and Baroli must be viewed as a purely academic excercise, as the wines are nowhere near ready. Readers will have to be especially patient, as most of these wines have entered a closed phase after having been surprisingly accessible early on.

This wine was tasted over dinner at Bar Boulud in New York City, Oct 2010.

Bruno Giacosa has been responsible for many of the most memorable Barolos and Barbarescos I have enjoyed through the years, so I was thrilled to be able to taste with him again in September. After all, Giacosa had suffered a stroke in early 2006, but he was slowly on the mend in September and was quite excited to show and discuss his young 2004s. He described this vintage as great, having produced elegant, structured wines with superb fruit, especially in Barolo. He added that he never expected the 2003s to be outstanding but that they have turned out to be "very good," even if there was a lot of stress on sandier sites in Barbaresco. Two thousand five, he went on, is a good normal crop of wines, from a summer that was "not great. " My tasting with Giacosa, his daughter Bruna and long-time enologist Dante Scaglione once again turned up some epic bottles that remained in my mind, if not on my palate, through my entire stay in the region. I tasted on a warm day in a room with a broken air-conditioner, but Giacosa's Barolos and Barbarescos have a way of focusing the mind and body.

Although Bruno Giacosa is a shy, introspective man, he has always been available for at least a quick “hello,” so my most recent visit to the estate was poignant as it was the first time in several years Giacosa wasn't on the property. I know I am joined by admirers around the world in wishing him a speedy recovery from his recent health issues. In the meantime, I am confident that the winery is in good hands with long-time oenologist Dante Scaglione, a man who has dedicated the bulk of his career to the family and the estate. With his 2000s but even more so his 2001s, Giacosa has really reached stratospheric levels. Readers who are looking for wines that are relatively accessible and offer super-ripe, sweet fruit will love the 2000s, while those who prefer wines with more aromatic complexity and nuance will likely gravitate towards the 2001s. In 2000 I believe Giacosa was more successful with his Barbarescos than with his Barolos. As for the 2001s...well, they are awesome across the board. The wines have much of the ripeness and sweet fruit of the 2000s, but with more explosiveness, complexity, depth, freshness as well as silky, elegant tannins that give the wines a sense of total balance and harmony. These are very complete wines to marvel over. In 2003 the only Barbaresco that has been bottled is the Asili. Like many of their colleagues Giacosa and Scaglione have been positively surprised with how well that wine has developed over the past few years.

For Bruno Giacosa vintage 1999 was more successful in Barolo rather than Barbaresco, where climactic conditions proved to be very challenging. “Our Barbaresco vineyards got hit by hail four times in 1999,” explains long-time enologist Dante Scaglione. “The most severe hailstorm came in August, so at least in some places the vines had time to recover before the harvest, but nevertheless it was a difficult vintage.” In Rabajà the damage was so extensive that a wine from this plot was not released. In Asili the conditions were less severe, although the wine does show the effects of the compromised fruit in its evolving color and flavors. Santo Stefano was also a victim of hail but seems to have been less adversely affected. Fortunately weather conditions were much more favorable in Barolo where Giacosa produced three excellent Barolos in 1999. The estate's Barolo normale comes from the youngest vines in the Falletto vineyard, where the plants average 6-7 years in age. “When Nebbiolo vines are young they tend to produce slightly bitter, astringent tannins. Even though we prune the vines and green harvest, those plants simply aren't old enough to be used for the more important Barolos, so they go into the normale,” says Scaglione. These younger vines tend to be planted in spots that have a southwest orientation, meaning they receive mostly the afternoon sun, as opposed to the more south-facing center portion of the vineyard which is used for the Barolos Falletto and Le Rocche del Falletto. Le Rocche del Falletto, made from the heart of the vineyard, is a “cru within a cru” and is one of Barolo's most legendary wines. It is here that the vines have the best exposure. Although the older age of the plants gives naturally low yields, Giacosa has historically preferred to maintain a more moderate approach to crop-thinning and his yields have never been among the lowest in the region. The discussion around Red Label Riservas and White Label Non-Riservas is always a hot topic of conversation. “To be honest, like many people we got a little carried away with the enthusiasm surrounding vintage 2000,” says Scaglione. “We already had plans for a Red Label Santo Stefano (the 1998) and Red Label Barolo (the 2000 Le Rocche del Falletto) and we probably overlooked the 1999 Le Rocche del Falletto. To me it was always a wine worthy of the Red Label. I think of it as a slightly lesser version of the 1996 Riserva Falletto (Red Label), and very much in the same mold stylistically.” [Editors Note: The 1996 Riserva Falletto was made from the plot now known as Le Rocche del Falletto.] Many observers have noted that Giacosa's wines have become more approachable over the last few years. This is no doubt due to several factors, including warmer vintages (1997, 1998, 2000) and the replacement of many of the estates older barrels beginning in 1997. His 1999 Barolos, however, are a throwback to a more traditional style and will appeal to those who appreciate classically structured wines. I left my bottles of the 1999 Barolos Falletto and Le Rocche del Falletto open for days and the wines were still outstanding nearly a week after having been opened. “The growing season was quite favorable,” says Scaglione. “Summer was hot although it never got too hot, and into the fall we had the cool nights which are so essential for Nebbiolo. We did about 12-15 days fermentation after which the wines completed their malolactic fermentations, mostly in steel. The malos were finished largely by the end of the year, with a few barrels taking until January. [Editors Note: In 2004 the malos went well into the following spring.] We had good acidity after the malos, ranging from 5.5% to 6%, compared to the roughly 5% we had in vintages like 1997, 2000 and 2003. The wines then went into large barrels of either 55 to 110 hectoliters where they completed their aging for roughly 30 months for the Barbarescos, 32 months for the Barolo normale and 36 months for the Barolos Falletto and Le Rocche del Falletto.”

I found it at least slightly surprising that ultra-traditionalist Giacosa prefers the 2000 vintage to 2001. "It's best when a vintage is great and easy, like 2000," he told me, adding that 2001 produced a tougher style of wine. "Two thousand is similar to 1998, which is easy to drink now or in the future but has better acidity than 2000. In fact, 1998 combines the best traits of 1996 and 1997. Nineteen ninety-nine, in comparison, is difficult to drink now and needs aging. Sugars were actually a bit lower than those of 2000 and 1998, but this vintage is the deepest in terms of coloring matter." At the time of my visit, Giacosa did not expect to be able to make Barolo or Barbera in 2001 (unlike most of his colleagues in the Langhe, Giacosa has never been loath to express reservations about a vintage): "Even before the hail, the season was terrible. We had no warm sun since the beginning of June and we had a lot of rain for a full month during the middle of summer."

The 1999 Barbarescos were relatively modest wines by Bruno Giacosa's exacting standards when they were released, but they have held up quite well, something that is all the more remarkable considering the challenges of the year. Giacosa's full lineup of 1999s is a very good example of the difference in quality between Barbaresco and Barolo. The Barbarescos are good, but not great, while the Barolos are superb.

For Bruno Giacosa vintage 1999 was more successful in Barolo rather than Barbaresco, where climactic conditions proved to be very challenging. “Our Barbaresco vineyards got hit by hail four times in 1999,” explains long-time enologist Dante Scaglione. “The most severe hailstorm came in August, so at least in some places the vines had time to recover before the harvest, but nevertheless it was a difficult vintage.” In Rabajà the damage was so extensive that a wine from this plot was not released. In Asili the conditions were less severe, although the wine does show the effects of the compromised fruit in its evolving color and flavors. Santo Stefano was also a victim of hail but seems to have been less adversely affected. Fortunately weather conditions were much more favorable in Barolo where Giacosa produced three excellent Barolos in 1999. The estate's Barolo normale comes from the youngest vines in the Falletto vineyard, where the plants average 6-7 years in age. “When Nebbiolo vines are young they tend to produce slightly bitter, astringent tannins. Even though we prune the vines and green harvest, those plants simply aren't old enough to be used for the more important Barolos, so they go into the normale,” says Scaglione. These younger vines tend to be planted in spots that have a southwest orientation, meaning they receive mostly the afternoon sun, as opposed to the more south-facing center portion of the vineyard which is used for the Barolos Falletto and Le Rocche del Falletto. Le Rocche del Falletto, made from the heart of the vineyard, is a “cru within a cru” and is one of Barolo's most legendary wines. It is here that the vines have the best exposure. Although the older age of the plants gives naturally low yields, Giacosa has historically preferred to maintain a more moderate approach to crop-thinning and his yields have never been among the lowest in the region. The discussion around Red Label Riservas and White Label Non-Riservas is always a hot topic of conversation. “To be honest, like many people we got a little carried away with the enthusiasm surrounding vintage 2000,” says Scaglione. “We already had plans for a Red Label Santo Stefano (the 1998) and Red Label Barolo (the 2000 Le Rocche del Falletto) and we probably overlooked the 1999 Le Rocche del Falletto. To me it was always a wine worthy of the Red Label. I think of it as a slightly lesser version of the 1996 Riserva Falletto (Red Label), and very much in the same mold stylistically.” [Editors Note: The 1996 Riserva Falletto was made from the plot now known as Le Rocche del Falletto.] Many observers have noted that Giacosa's wines have become more approachable over the last few years. This is no doubt due to several factors, including warmer vintages (1997, 1998, 2000) and the replacement of many of the estates older barrels beginning in 1997. His 1999 Barolos, however, are a throwback to a more traditional style and will appeal to those who appreciate classically structured wines. I left my bottles of the 1999 Barolos Falletto and Le Rocche del Falletto open for days and the wines were still outstanding nearly a week after having been opened. “The growing season was quite favorable,” says Scaglione. “Summer was hot although it never got too hot, and into the fall we had the cool nights which are so essential for Nebbiolo. We did about 12-15 days fermentation after which the wines completed their malolactic fermentations, mostly in steel. The malos were finished largely by the end of the year, with a few barrels taking until January. [Editors Note: In 2004 the malos went well into the following spring.] We had good acidity after the malos, ranging from 5.5% to 6%, compared to the roughly 5% we had in vintages like 1997, 2000 and 2003. The wines then went into large barrels of either 55 to 110 hectoliters where they completed their aging for roughly 30 months for the Barbarescos, 32 months for the Barolo normale and 36 months for the Barolos Falletto and Le Rocche del Falletto.”

I found it at least slightly surprising that ultra-traditionalist Giacosa prefers the 2000 vintage to 2001. "It's best when a vintage is great and easy, like 2000," he told me, adding that 2001 produced a tougher style of wine. "Two thousand is similar to 1998, which is easy to drink now or in the future but has better acidity than 2000. In fact, 1998 combines the best traits of 1996 and 1997. Nineteen ninety-nine, in comparison, is difficult to drink now and needs aging. Sugars were actually a bit lower than those of 2000 and 1998, but this vintage is the deepest in terms of coloring matter." At the time of my visit, Giacosa did not expect to be able to make Barolo or Barbera in 2001 (unlike most of his colleagues in the Langhe, Giacosa has never been loath to express reservations about a vintage): "Even before the hail, the season was terrible. We had no warm sun since the beginning of June and we had a lot of rain for a full month during the middle of summer."

The '98s have higher sugars, says enologist Dante Scaglione, but the '99s boast firmer acidity. In fact, adds Scaglione, pHs in '99 are as low as those of the classic '96 vintage, the recent vintage that was highest in polyphenols. The '97s, he adds, are almost drinkable right now. Sunny, dry days and warm nights in the weeks leading up to the '97 harvest resulted in substantial loss of coloring matter in the skins. Some of the fermentations were difficult (in a couple of instances the malos finished before the sugars were completely fermented), with the result that volatile acidity levels are at the high end of the acceptable range, which has the effect of making the wines even more expressive early on. Giacosa has somewhat shortened total maceration times in recent years, to about 15 days. The current crop of wines, thanks in equal part to shorter time on the skins and the ripeness of recent growing seasons, will not be quite as austere and forbidding in their youth as Giacosa wines of even a decade ago, but this magician's Barolos and Barbarescos from the best vintages still have fruit of steel.

I found it at least slightly surprising that ultra-traditionalist Giacosa prefers the 2000 vintage to 2001. "It's best when a vintage is great and easy, like 2000," he told me, adding that 2001 produced a tougher style of wine. "Two thousand is similar to 1998, which is easy to drink now or in the future but has better acidity than 2000. In fact, 1998 combines the best traits of 1996 and 1997. Nineteen ninety-nine, in comparison, is difficult to drink now and needs aging. Sugars were actually a bit lower than those of 2000 and 1998, but this vintage is the deepest in terms of coloring matter." At the time of my visit, Giacosa did not expect to be able to make Barolo or Barbera in 2001 (unlike most of his colleagues in the Langhe, Giacosa has never been loath to express reservations about a vintage): "Even before the hail, the season was terrible. We had no warm sun since the beginning of June and we had a lot of rain for a full month during the middle of summer."

The '98s have higher sugars, says enologist Dante Scaglione, but the '99s boast firmer acidity. In fact, adds Scaglione, pHs in '99 are as low as those of the classic '96 vintage, the recent vintage that was highest in polyphenols. The '97s, he adds, are almost drinkable right now. Sunny, dry days and warm nights in the weeks leading up to the '97 harvest resulted in substantial loss of coloring matter in the skins. Some of the fermentations were difficult (in a couple of instances the malos finished before the sugars were completely fermented), with the result that volatile acidity levels are at the high end of the acceptable range, which has the effect of making the wines even more expressive early on. Giacosa has somewhat shortened total maceration times in recent years, to about 15 days. The current crop of wines, thanks in equal part to shorter time on the skins and the ripeness of recent growing seasons, will not be quite as austere and forbidding in their youth as Giacosa wines of even a decade ago, but this magician's Barolos and Barbarescos from the best vintages still have fruit of steel.

Giacosa is enamored with the '96 vintage, which he compares in quality and balance to the fabulous year of 1971. The Giacosa '96s I tasted are legends in the making, among the high points of my recent tour and truly great examples of traditional winemaking. Aromatically speaking, they are truly exhilarating wines, and they appear to have the sheer material and sweetness at the core to outlast their powerful, palate saturating tannins. The '97s, says Giacosa, will not be as great as the '96s. The grapes were too dry, he explains; they would have been better for a bit of well-timed rain. 1996 was a more regular year, yielding wines with superb color and structure, thanks largely to sound acidity. They also offer a rare degree of flavor development. x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D Giacosa, who bought a prime five hectare parcel of Barbaresco Asili in time for the '96 vintage (he previously owned a single hectare here), produced a sizable 21,000 bottles of this wine in '96. Incidentally, Giacosa made Barolo Villero in both '96 and '97, but will not offer a Rionda.

Giacosa is enamored with the '96 vintage, which he compares in quality and balance to the fabulous year of 1971. The Giacosa '96s I tasted are legends in the making, among the high points of my recent tour and truly great examples of traditional winemaking. Aromatically speaking, they are truly exhilarating wines, and they appear to have the sheer material and sweetness at the core to outlast their powerful, palate saturating tannins. The '97s, says Giacosa, will not be as great as the '96s. The grapes were too dry, he explains; they would have been better for a bit of well-timed rain. 1996 was a more regular year, yielding wines with superb color and structure, thanks largely to sound acidity. They also offer a rare degree of flavor development. x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D Giacosa, who bought a prime five hectare parcel of Barbaresco Asili in time for the '96 vintage (he previously owned a single hectare here), produced a sizable 21,000 bottles of this wine in '96. Incidentally, Giacosa made Barolo Villero in both '96 and '97, but will not offer a Rionda.