Bruno Giacosa, Barbaresco, Santo Stefano di Neive Riserva

Slow-ox for ~12 hours and into a decanter at dinner time. Full and intense nose of crushed cherries, fresh cut florals, spice, licorice and emerging tar. Palate has excellent concentration with structure that is still present but nicely meshed with the fruit. Held strong over several hours. Early peak drinking.

1998 vintage

Ahhh, Giacosa Riserva Barb. How fortunate am I to have this opportunity when millions go thirsty. :-) This bottle was an Acker acquisition AEB the round sticker on the bottle. Although not properly decanted and lots of sediment dispersed, this bottle was a tad off with aroma and taste issues. Perhaps poor provenance. How can one ever be sure where a bottle has been or how it was treated. I suspect temp control. Maderized enough to distract and keep the …

1998 vintage

Wine Gathering at MO Tainan : Saline freshness and cassis fruit with penetrating clarity. Powerful yet elegant, showing excellent drive and definition. Great with the main course.

1998 vintage

TOTALLY Over the Top Lunch (MP Taverna, Irvington, NY) : sweet red, lovely acid. Perfect, absolutely treat of a wine.

1990 vintage

Bruno Giacosa Dinner (Ci Siamo, 440 W 33rd St Suite #100, NYC) : [Double-decanted around noon.] Beautiful floral bouquet with hints of beef blood and spice. Vibrant, long, expansive. This doesn't have the power of most SSRs, but it makes up for that with great elegance and perfume.

1998 vintage

Alt Festa Friday at Ci Siamo Double decanted early afternoon. Same bottle as Ken's TN A lovely, forward and perfumed floral and balsam nose similar in nature to the 82 SSR just less of it. On the palate, it’s broad, sapid, deep and supple. It’s texturally rich with more balsam and florals along with some umami porcini notes. There’s an exotic fleshy but not fat textural feel to this that that the 82 has, it just lacks that lift and …

1998 vintage

In magnum. Nose exhibited tar, raisins, blood and dark fruit. Palate was quite seamless and round but I would expect more layers and robustness on the palate.

1990 vintage

Nick visits Albany; 12/11/2024-12/12/2024 (Châteauneuf-du-Salil, Albany) : Oh hell yes. This is spectacular; a gorgeous wine at the outset and it only kept getting better later in the night. So aromatically complex - there's no sense trying to catalogue the different flavours, but it has all things fruit, floral, herbal, and earthy, and an incredible perfume that just keeps building and getting more expansive with air. The palate is remarkable - powerful and intense, yet so graceful and elegant at …

1998 vintage

Dinner with Nick P and Jared (Châteauneuf-du-Salil, Albany, NY) : [Double-decanted around 5pm.] This took the whole evening to fully show its stuff. Nose of red and black fruit and fruitcake spice. Lovely and tannin. Needs more air. 10pm: Slowly opening and showing its stuff. This never had the weight of earlier SSRs, but the elegant beauty of this wine shows through. According to Salil, it got even better after I went home. He called it " GOD TIER. 🔥".

1998 vintage

Decanted for about 3 hours. Translucent garnet-ruby with no rust color at the edges. Nose of nostril-filling rose petals, cherry pits, strawberry, balsam, asphalt, camphor. Beguiling sheets of delicate yet powerful and bright Bing cherry, blue plum, tar, fungi, and iodine on the satiny palate. Plenty of fresh acidity balancing firm but filed off tannin. Long finish of strawberry fruit, tar, and resolving salty sweet grip. Beautiful wine pairing wonderfully with mushroom risotto.

1998 vintage

RN74; 10/5/2024-10/11/2024 (Beaune, France) : An absolutely brilliant nose, showing a bit more ripeness than typical in a Giacosa, and though very ripe, the fruit remains red; it's just very large-scaled in stature. On the palate, I similarly found this to be ripe and sweet, and perhaps somewhat different from the younger red labels we had opened so far because of that extreme expression of ripeness. In fact, this was a polarizing wine, as there were a few people who …

1990 vintage

Great Moreau/ Giacosa/ Chave Cellar Dinner at the Moreaus (Chassagne-Montrachet) : Elegant and perfumed with red cherry, but not as weighty as the 2001s, but everything is fully integrated and resolved. The more recent bottles I have tasted have been less exciting than bottles tasted in the first two decades of its life.

1998 vintage

RN74; 10/5/2024-10/11/2024 (Beaune, France) : A relatively darker and more weighty example of a Barbaresco reserva here. The fruit is still red, but is veering towards the darker side of the spectrum. The fruit is clean and well-delineated, while the tannins are a little more coarsely grained than in the 2001s. Quite accessible for drinking now, but like the 2001 Barolo reserva, this will be able to hold for many years more.

1998 vintage

Great Moreau/ Giacosa/ Chave Cellar Dinner at the Moreaus (Chassagne-Montrachet) : Floral with mostly mature red cherry with faintly sweet spice in complete control. Certainly very good, but I think I was getting tired of the same-ness of some of these wines.

1990 vintage

Stood up for months, decanted off large chunks of sediment, cork in fantastic shape. The wine is perfectly clear, very pale, significant bricking (ie: looks like it is at full maturity); very high intensity aromatics, soy, violets, floral, balsamic; palate is light bodied, high tannin, high acidity, fully mature and integrated fruit, tons of soy and tamari complexity, elegant red fruits, well balanced alcohol; finish is medium-plus to long. This is an exceptional barbaresco, at full maturity, incredibly complex and …

1998 vintage

More like a port than a still wine.

1990 vintage

Fire! Unreal bottle of wine. Stored well since release. Cork was in great shape. This bottle was pop and pour - huge fruit and tannins, but WOW so approachable and ready to drink. Congrats to the Giacosa team for making such a beautiful barbaresco riserva. Last bottle, sadly......

1998 vintage

Stunning. So fragrant- dried forest leaves, balsam, porcini, violet, anise. Runs the full spectrum, both deep and fresh. Remarkably fresh and powerful on the palate as well, and so long- not in the least bit tired. No rush to drink if you have this, but absolutely beautifully at peak to my taste. A big step up from the first of my three, consumed three years ago

1998 vintage

Giacosa Riservas and Cappellano Francos (Hearth Restaurant, NYC) : [Double-decanted around 8am.] Big smoky nose of black fruit and iron. Silky and complex in the mouth. Never had the power of earlier SSRs, but a beautiful wine that has drunk well almost since release. Don't know how much upside this has, but why wait? Still, no danger of fading any time soon.

1998 vintage

When Giacosa is on, it is really on! This hit like a freight train after about 10-12 other wines. Such a unique and seductive experience. Immediately Giacosa but didn’t think it was a red label. Drinking at peak but many years ahead.

1998 vintage

Piedmont night : Had a sniff and sip, and said that this is fucking Giacosa. Don't think I need to elaborate beyond that, except to say it's rare to find a wine like this that is firing on all cylinders. So weightless and perfectly balanced, a wish-you-were-here kind of wine for sure.

1998 vintage

My best experience for Giacosa. Classic example of iron fist in velvet glove. Superb

1990 vintage

This was nice but a little lean and zingy for the first couple hours. After 6 hours of air it showed cherries, raisins, minerals, and tan spices. In the mouth, this was gorgeous with rounded tannin, firm acidity, and excellent length. While this is drinking very well now, I am confident it will last at this level for a couple decades. Oustanding!

1990 vintage

This wine was gone. Nothing left but alcohol. Tasted like a watered down, over oxidized vin santo.

1998 vintage

Lovely lifted fragrant pure fruit pristine Gorgeously elegant fragrant sweet fruit

1998 vintage

Nebbiolo at the Goldberg's I believe this was double decanted in the AM. Drunk over a few hours at dinner. Bought on release and stored well. Ripe beautiful floral nose with cherry fruit, hard candy, roses and tertiary notes. Sapid and broad on the plate with the lushness of 90 but certainly holding it together. Lovely inner mouth perfume. Mouthfilling and broad on the plate and (for Giacosa) texturally painted with a broader brush stroke. This bottle is drinking very …

1990 vintage

Bring a Great Nebbiolo (Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC) : [Double-decanted 32 hours before the dinner. Kept in a refrigerator for most of those hours.] Lovely nose of sweet red fruits, roses, and spice. Red and black fruit in the mouth with a long finish of roses and some licorice. Full and elegant in the mouth. This is holding up quite well. I'm not sure it will get better. A joy to drink.

1990 vintage

ESTG does Piemonte (West Seattle, WA, USA) : Explosive, pure, powerful, majestic, floral. I tend to think of Giacosa as being more Burgundian and subtle, but this was massive, young, insanely pure and long.

1998 vintage

Was offered a pour courtesy of the restaurant. Aromatic sweet prunes and stewed fruit, floral, very advanced and almost Sauternes noble rot blended with Madeira with alcohol seeping through with time in the glass. Luscious smooth and dry, and definitely on its last legs of life.

1998 vintage

Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VIII (Chicago, IL) : #2581. Opened at noon, double decanted at 2pm. Unanimous wine of the night. Just an absolutely brilliant showing of what old nebbiolo can be. As textbook as it comes with intense red fruit perfume on the nose, and just a slight hint of tar too. On the palate, there is concentration and weight, but the ethereal Giacosa lightness as well. Absolutely stunning stuff, and a very nice denouement to my experience with …

1990 vintage

Wow, a sensational and absolutely stunning bottle. Incredible depth of fruit that is pure and bright with layers of floral, leather and tar complexity. Harmonious and in the middle of a peak drinking window.

1990 vintage

Prelude 25-an E&R Nebbiolo joint (E&R Wines, Portland OR) : oh boooooooo. This is a heat damaged bottle

1998 vintage

E&R's Prequal to 25: Nebbiolo : My last note from 13 years ago asked me to wait 15 years before trying again... well this was someone else's bottle but I was excited to try it at about when I wanted to. Unfortunately, the first thing I wrote on this wine is, "smells fucked." The aromas are very funky, bitter, with just the slightest bit of fruit showing. Sound, round palate with bitter tannins. Some fruit on the finish, but basically …

1998 vintage

E&R Prequel 25 - Mostly older nebbiolo (Portland, OR) : This had a very advanced nose with vitamin pill and toasted mustard seed. The palate was extremely advanced and clearly out of condition, presumably poor storage conditions or a bad cork. Shame.

1998 vintage

6 of 12 decanted @ 4:00 served @ 8:00 served alongside 2000 Roagna Crichet Paje …. Bright clear ruby color, nose of pretty bright red fruit, rose petal and earth. Mid weight, maturing fruit, fine tannins, good acidity, beautifully balanced with a lovely persistent finish.

1998 vintage

A generous pre-dinner share by Dibbs. Rather muted at first, but its class on the palate was evident on pop-and-pour. Loved the combination of power and elegance, I was particularly in awe of the silky and finessed tannins. Fruit became more expansive and defined with air, but still felt that it had so much more to give when I finished my glass. Probably a good idea to look out for Dibbs' note on this wine later to see how it …

1990 vintage

At opening, very tight with expansive tannins at finish. Very structured while remaining pretty. Slowly opens up over 4 hours but think was consumed before it showed its best. Nose at peak quite lifted with red fruit, licorice, hint of tar and roses. Palate expansive but delicate (tannins subsided) fully coating the mouth. Finish is long but I think I expected a bit more here. If I had another bottle I will open it much earlier. This might not be …

1990 vintage

Not much I can add to Ken's note, other than this was a wow experience with hauntingly beautiful aromatics. Equal parts power and finesse, just a thrilling wine that was perfect with the braised short rib pairing and the company.

1990 vintage

1992 Dönnhoff, 1990 Giacosa SSR, 1994 ZH SGN (Chez V) : [Double-decanted around 2pm.] Heavenly nose as soon as the bottle is opened. Tasted around 7pm. Classic Giacosa nose of licorice, tar, and fruitcake. In the mouth, the tannins are still notable, but these are complex tannins that integrate with the palate of dried red fruit, iron filings, and roses. Short ribs bring out the best in this wine.

1990 vintage

Boxing Day wines at Domaine : A sensational bottle wine that dazzles on every level. Gorgeous pure fruit is concentrated and so silky. Lovely layers of flavor from sweet red cherry and plum, to tobacco, to spice, to florals, to earth and leather. Wow. Incredibly long. A Barbaresco for the ages.

1990 vintage

Dinner @ Ci Siamo 5 of 12 decanted @ 4:00 served @ 9:00 Bright clear ruby color, initial nose of pretty bright red fruit with hints of rose petal and earth. Mid weight, maturing fruit, fine tannins, good acidity medium finish. This is the last vintage of Santo Stefano Riserva and it’s a very nice Barbaresco however, it is not in the same league as his 78/82/85/89/90

1998 vintage

A previous note of mine captures this wine perfectly: Great wine, great vintage, everyone was very happy. My favorite of six Giacosa tonight.

1990 vintage

Mostly Giacosa dinner (RPM Italian, Washington D.C.) : Medium expressive nose displaying shy red fruit, dry cherry, fruitcake, brown sugar, sweet spices, cumin and earth. The nose is a bit flat. Medium concentration, subtle red fruit, warm, flat and slightly lean, medium acidity, medium mineral, and a medium long subtle red fruit driven finish with sweet spices ad the end. Although enjoyable, this particular bottle is not as compelling as the previous bottles.

1990 vintage

Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva 1990. Moden på duft med sursøte bær, gammelt trevirke og hint av tørket roseblad. Strålende munnfølelse. Klassisk stram Barolo med en vakker eleganse. Konsentrert og fresh med god intensitet. Perfekt tidspunkt å drikke denne nå tenker jeg. Moden frukt med fine godt nedslipte tanniner. Et lite bitt i finish. Sitter meget lenge. Nydelig vin. 94p

1990 vintage

This transparent, amber/rose-colored beauty wowed everyone with its gorgeous nose of cherries and roses, and its lovely, seamless palate impression. Slightly more mature than I had expected, but this was the first to be drunk of the three I own.

1990 vintage

i would concur with DCWino's note....and add that our bottle was in a very secondary state of development. Chris wanted the fruit to show more youthful exuberance, but that said for me it was in a real sweet spot to enjoy right here and now. the wine is in complete harmony with captivating aromatics and a matching palate

1990 vintage

Burgundy and Barolo dinner - Krug, Raveneau, Giacosa, Monfortino, Mugnier and etc. (Capital Grille, Tysons, VA) : Expressive nose displaying ripe red fruit, dry cherry, cherry, fruitcake, rose, brown sugar, leather, tar, a hint of cumin, caramel and earth. Beautifully integrated palate, very finely layered ripe sweet red fruit, warm and round, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long ripe red fruit driven finish with cumin and iron at the end. It is drinking beautifully but can …

1990 vintage

Tasted blind, this wine had a red/tawny center with tan/yellow rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed black cherries, brown sugar, roses, and soil. In the mouth, this wine was medium bodied with a good glycerol mouth feel, firm tannin, and great length. Over time it developed richness and excellent balance. This wine was rather tight at first and seemed underwhelming. This was surprising given the light, mature color. However, this wine kept getting better and better in the decanter. This …

1990 vintage

The wine looks crimson colored. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. The body is light/medium. The wine has angular texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. A fabulous wine from a famed producer. This wine needed time to rest and breath after decanted. First sip was sharp, but with the time it needed, the texture softened. It was preceded by a 1982 Cos d'Estournel--silky, and that may have accentuated the initial angularity of this wine. In …

1990 vintage

A small gathering with COVID safety measures at Bryan's (Undisclosed location in McLean, VA) : En magnum. Incredibly complex nose displaying very ripe red fruit, dry cherry, cherry, strawberry jam, fruitcake, a hint of caramel, rose, tar, licorice, leather, balsamico and iron. Perfectly integrated harmonious palate, very finely layered ripe red fruit, rich yet silky and weightless, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, still noticeable tannins and the finish that never ends. Although the 90 ripe fruit expression is quite …

1990 vintage

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Bruno Giacosa, Barbaresco, Santo Stefano di Neive Riserva

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