ready-improve2012 Barbaresco, Asili, Falletto, Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont

The Asili vineyard, close to the village of Barbaresco itself, is rightly regarded as one of the ‘Grand Cru’ sites of Barbaresco, thanks to its high elevation, steep slope, and mix of stony limestone and sand. In the right hands, as here, it gives wines of great perfume, detail and immaculate balance. 2012 was both a cool and damp and then an ultimately hot year, giving wines that are darker and crunchier, yet also and approachable even when young. Bottled in August 2014, Bruno Giacosa’s version displays an intense perfume of kirsch, super strawberry compote fruit. The palate’s refined and fresh, with plenty of energy; the tannins are talc-like. Even the red fruit has a stony minerality quality to it. This is the white Label (i.e. non Riserva).
David Berry Green

Made famous, justly so, by the skill of Bruno Giacosa during the 1970s and 1980s, now new techniques in the vineyards have ensured that the Nebbiolo grapes are picked slightly earlier than previously and at optimum ripeness. Maceration times have been reduced from around 50 days to nearer 30, as a consequence of having physiologically ripe fruit from the vineyards. The fashionable, new, French 225-litre barriques are not for Giacosa: all his wine is aged in large 5,000-litre botti, though these are now French rather than Slavonian. Bruno’s wines are marvellously perfumed on the nose, and meaty and full-bodied on the palate.

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{color} Red{color}           {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
{ratings}
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