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Full-bodied, unctuous and powerful in the glass, the 1985 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano is a total turn on. Exotic spice, smoke, tobacco, dried rose petal, leather and licorice build into a heady crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures. Although the 1985 is currently at a glorious peak of expression, I don’t expect it will improve much from here. Readers lucky enough to have had the 1985 know just how magical it is. Any remaining bottles are best enjoyed over the next decade or so.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 1985 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva’s medium ruby/garnet color displays considerable amber at the edge. The intoxicating perfume of Chinese black tea, smoke, tobacco, cherries, and exotic spices jumps from the glass. The wine is full-bodied, gorgeously-nuanced, and multidimensional, with considerable glycerin and layers of flavor. It unfolds fabulously in the mouth, exhibiting remarkable intensity and complexity. The 1985 has just reached full maturity, where it should remain for another decade.Robert Parker | 96 RPGiven how many bottles of the 1982 Santa Stefano Red Label I have drunk over the years, it is surprising that I have seldom had the pleasure to drink the superb 1985 version, and it is more than fifteen years since I last crossed paths with this wine. It is a fine, fine wine, but not one of the legends of the decade of the 1980s from Signor Giacosa. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a nicely blossomed blend of red and black cherries, bonfire, a touch of road tar, lovely soil tones, oregano and a topnote of fresh bay leaf. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and still sporting a bit of backend tannin, with fine focus and grip, a good, solid core and a long, well-balanced finish. This is a very good bottle that misses the extra dimension of the 1982 and 1989 versions. (Drink between 2017 - 2040)John Gilman | 93 JG

Bruno Giacosa, like Bartolo Mascarello, often told me he preferred 1986 to 1985. Of course, 1985 is the vintage that got all the press, while 1986 is remembered for a devastating hailstorm in May that decimated production. Very little wine was made that year, but what was bottled turned out to be quite good, and in some cases, better than that. Sadly, this is not a great bottle of Bruno Giacosa’s 1986 Barolo Riserva. The overall impression is of a delicate, lifted, fully mature Barolo. Only the memory of better bottles helps put this one into context, because taken on its own, this is still a very fine bottle of Barolo.Vinous Media | 94 VMAmazing fresh fruit. Loads of berry, cherry and spice. A beauty. Long and soft. Reviewed in a non-blind tasting. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

I remember paying what at the time seemed like a small fortune for bottles of Giacosa’s 1990 Barolo Riserva Falletto at Peck’s Enoteca in Milan. What I would give today to be able to buy more at the same tariff! The 1990 Barolo Riserva Falletto is one of Bruno Giacosa’s most towering wines. Period. Rich, layered and opulent, this mineral-driven, powerful Barolo covers every inch of the palate with masses of dark fruit, smoke, soy, plums, menthol, dried roses, pine and a host of other balsamic overtones. This vivid, kaleidoscopic Barolo is a reference-point wine readers won’t want to miss. As always, the Riserva Falletto is virile and authoritative in tone. Simply put, it its profound. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPI remember paying what at the time seemed like a small fortune for bottles of Giacosa's 1990 Barolo Riserva Falletto at Peck's Enoteca in Milan. What I would give today to be able to buy more at the same tariff! The 1990 Barolo Riserva Falletto is one of Bruno Giacosa's most towering wines. Period. Rich, layered and opulent, this mineral-driven, powerful Barolo covers every inch of the palate with masses of dark fruit, smoke, soy, plums, menthol, dried roses, pine and a host of other balsamic overtones. This vivid, kaleidoscopic Barolo is a reference-point wine readers won't want to miss. As always, the Riserva Falletto is virile and authoritative in tone. Simply put, it its profound.Vinous Media | 98 VM

The 1990 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda, on the other hand is fabulous. I have had very mixed experiences with this wine over the years, but not tonight. The 1990 is rich, powerful and supple from start to finish. In other words, it is a pure 1990.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 1990 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda is a wine that frankly I never found fully satisfying. The fruit shows slight elements of over-ripeness and pruniness, while the volatile acidity is at the extreme limit of what most tasters, me included, are likely to find acceptable. Still, it is impossible to ignore the wine’s sheer density, richness and volume. Readers who can look past these imperfections will find much to admire here – and indeed most any producer would be thrilled to have made a wine like this – but by Bruno Giacosa standards, the 1990 Collina Rionda falls a touch short of immortality. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPMy good friend Mannie Berk of The Rare Wine Company is always quick to point out to me when I express relative dissatisfaction with the 1990 vintage in Piemonte that “the vintage was far better in Barbaresco than in Barolo.” While the 1990 Collina Rionda is a very good, young bottle of Barolo, it does not seem likely to reach the same levels of brilliance found in both the Santa Stefano and Asili Riservas from this vintage from Signor Giacosa. The bouquet offers up a still fairly closed blend of red and black cherries, soil tones, bay leaf, woodsmoke and roasted game. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and hermetically sealed still, with little signs of generosity on the attack and a still rather assertive structural chassis. There is good depth at the core, but not the great sappiness (yet?) one finds in so many great Giacosas, with firm, chewy tannins and very good, but not great length on the focused finish. Perhaps this is still just way too young and its greatness is masked, but my gut feeling that it is not destined for the very top division of Signor Giacosa’s wines from this decade. (Drink between 2025 - 2060)John Gilman | 92+ JG

The 1996 Barolo Falletto de Serralunga (Red Label Riserva) possesses extraordinary presence and stature. Dark garnet/ruby-colored, it offers a tight but promising nose of road tar, scorched earth, truffles, blackberries, cherries, and espresso. This muscular, massive wine gave me chills. It is an exquisite, virtually perfect Barolo that requires a decade of cellaring, and should last for 30-40 years. I remember wishing I were twenty years younger when I tasted it prior to bottling ... I still feel the same way. Awesome! Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.Robert Parker | 98 RPAs much as I don't believe in the idea of competition in wine, there is simply no doubt that Bruno Giacosa's 1996 Barolo Riserva Falletto is both one of the greatest wines he ever made and also the single most emotionally moving wine from Piedmont's 1996 vintage. Once again, the 1996 Barolo Riserva Falletto more than lives up to its lofty reputation. The wine needs time in the decanter for some initial VA funk to blow off, but when it does, what emerges is a Barolo of utterly captivating beauty. Bruno Giacosa’s finest wines are defined by haunting inner sweetness and extraordinary perfume. The 1996 has all that, and so much more, starting with a full vibrant red color and tons of intensity. Time has mellowed the tannins to some degree, but my sense is that the 1996 will always remain somewhat brutish in feel. Even so, there is no denying its allure. Readers lucky enough to own the 1996 should be ecstatic. It is one of the world’s truly great, great wines.Vinous Media | 98 VMTerrific aromas of crushed fruit, Indian spices and dried flowers follow though to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. Just a baby, but very balanced and pretty.--1996 Piedmont retrospective. Best after 2009. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Fabulous purity of crushed fruit - strawberries and raspberries, with hints of fresh roses. Full-bodied, with an amazing concentration and a palate that goes on and on and on. Ultraripe tannins. This is the Romanée-Conti of Barolo. Terrific balance and richness. From selected parcels in Giacosa’s Falletto vineyard. First made in 1997. Best after 2012. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 100 WSI have had mixed experiences with Bruno Giacosa’s 2000 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto, but this bottle, from a case I purchased on release, is absolutely stellar. Intensely sweet, floral aromas soar from the glass. Radiant, open-knit and super-expressive, the Riserva captures all the best qualities of the vintage. It has been a few years since I last tasted the 2000. In that time, the wine appears to have barely budged at all, which will come as welcome news to readers who own it. The 2000 Riserva doesn’t quite reach the heights of the truly epic Giacosa wines of the era, but it comes close, especially on this night. I can only hope that future bottles show this well.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2000 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is like silk on the palate. Sweet, ripe tannins frame an exquisite core of fruit. The 2000 is remarkably elegant, sensual and polished but it doesn’t quite provide the visceral thrill of the most monumental vintages. Still, this is a very strong showing from a wine that has frankly never moved me emotionally. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a massive, towering wine of majestic proportions. Everything comes together in the glass; expressive aromatics, striking fruit, powerful yet silky tannins and a long, impeccable finish. This complex, kaleidoscopic Barbaresco is a wine for the ages. The Riserva Asili is a surprisingly powerful wine from this vineyard. Readers will have to wait until 2011, when the wine is released, to taste this utterly profound Barbaresco. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2037.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPGiacosa’s 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is flamboyant, exotically ripe and stunning in its absolute beauty. Bright red cherry fruit, rose petal, violet and mint abound in a spellbinding, utterly thrilling Barbaresco. I have always adored the 2007. Once again, it is pure magic.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis will be in the market in 2012. This is full and rich with irresistible silky tannins. This brings more substance and richness than the white label. Lay this down until 2016. 10,000 bottles.James Suckling | 98 JSBursting with sweet cherry, floral, licorice and spice flavors, this ripe red is expressive, supple, balanced and dense, showing the structure to age and a finish of fig and tobacco notes. Best from 2016 through 2030. 170 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A phenomenal red from the master of Barolo. Octogenarian Bruno Giacosa has made wines for seven decades—and this is one of his best. It builds beautifully on the palate, showing wonderful balance and vibrancy with superb depth of fruit. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2007 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche bursts onto the palate with masses of dark fruit. The Riserva is a decidedly dark, brooding wine in this vintage. Scorched earth, smoke, menthol, licorice and new leather flow with marvelous intensity all the way through to the powerful finish. Over time the classic Giacosa bouquet of dried rose petal emerges, rounding out this fabulous effort in grand style. The imposing tannins will require a measure of patience, but the 2007 Riserva is shaping up to be another magnificent, towering Barolo from Bruno Giacosa. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2042.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA complex and subtle wine, featuring floral, cherry, licorice and tar aromas and flavors, with a tobacco element in the background. This is firm, balanced by a rich, supple texture and a long, savory-filled finish. Keeps getting better with air. A textbook Giacosa, displaying a combination of intensity and grace. Best from 2016 through 2030. 1,195 cases made, 170 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSGood bright full red. Tight, high-pitched aromas of raspberry, spices, smoke and dried flowers. Initially much less sweet and open than the Faletto classico but dramatically gained flesh with air while retaining superb precision. Very deep wine but dominated by its spine today. Tannins are very suave. Offers superb depth of texture but today the classico is more floral and high-pitched.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

Bruno Giacosa, who passed away last January, was known for the extraordinary elegance of his Barolos and Barbarescos. This last ’red label’ riserva is probably the most consistent 2012 in Barolo, and the Falletto cru is one of the highest sites in Serralunga, preserving grace in a dry vintage such as this. The nearby Francia cru, by contrast, suffered more. Indeed, beneath fine pomegranate fruit and black olive depth, there are finely textured tannins of an extreme precision, and it shows an overall magnificent balance in an almost Burgundian style of Nebbiolo.Decanter | 98 DECA rich and decadent Barolo with dark berry, meat and hints of chocolate and spice. Full body, layered and dense with some leather and walnut underlying the ripe fruit. Drink in 2020 but already beautiful.James Suckling | 98 JSPiercing scents of truffle, rose water, macerated cherry and medicinal herbs are the hallmarks of this elegant red. Less evolved and harmonious on the palate, with a core of sweet fruit and tightly wound, dense tannins. Stays fresh and long on the extended finish. Best from 2022 through 2043. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2012 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche (red label) was bottled last September and has already eased into a comfortable and promising stage in its very early evolution. Bruna Giacosa tells me that this wine will be made in 2014 and 2016, so future supplies are plentiful. The jury is out on whether the wine will be produced in 2015, but Bruna tells me it is unlikely (albeit by no means confirmed at this point). Fruit selection was extreme in 2012. This is a warm vintage expression, and the wine is beautifully rich and velvety as a result. That textural richness is what stands out most. The primary fruit is bold and very well defined. There is a point of dark cherry ripeness, but it adds to the generous fiber and softness of the mouthfeel. Of the many beautiful vintages I have tasted of this wine, I suspect the 2012 might be faster in its evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

This is the second 100-point Vigna Le Rocche, following the 2015. What the former had in intensity of fruit and transparency, this has in structure and power. The purity of fruit is sensational in this young Barolo, offering blackberries, black truffle and iron. Rust too. This is so tannic and powerful with incredible structure. This may be the most structured Barolo from Bruno Giacosa I have ever tasted as a young wine. Speechless. Full-bodied and so intense, yet it remains fresh and agile. Traditional in every sense of the word, but this is clear and clean. A classic in the making. It will be in the market January 2022. Leave this for at least six to eight years. Try in 2027.James Suckling | 100 JSThe Bruno Giacosa 2016 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche sees its fruit sourced from the oldest vines in the Falletto cru. This wine boasts all the signature touches of Serralunga d’Alba with the massive structure, density and the long aging potential that comes with Nebbiolo grown in this village. The wine spreads evenly over the palate, imparting its considerable fruit weight and generally leaving a big impact. This Barolo is really quite lovely and beautiful. The bouquet is fluid and ever-shifting, showing new sides with firm fruit, blackberry, smoke, rusty nail and mineral with every swirl of the glass. I visited this vineyard site shortly before tasting this wine and marveled at the beautiful peacocks that roam free between the rows of vines.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

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.James Suckling | 98 JSThis 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.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis 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. Best from 2025 through 2045. 110 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS