I bought some 2022 Arneis and found it good but ponderous at 14.5% abv.
Tonight I’m drinking the 2022 Nebbiolo d’Alba, Valmaggiore and it’s 15% abv. Again, ponderous and misshapen.
Of course, these are the degrees reported on the label. It could be more.
I do not buy the high end stuff but I’m starting to think this remarkably dependable producer has gone to the dark side.
Thoughts?
Bruno died in 2018.
Does Mr Scaglione still have a relationship with the firm?
Wine-Searcher has a 2022 article about Bruna:
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2022/01/bruna-giacosa-the-boss-of-barolo
That article doesn’t seem to mention Mr. Scaglione.
Blame the vintage. Here’s the Jancis Robinson/Walter Speller assessment:
2022
The second year of drought for Piedmont. Without the showers the region saw in August and September it’s likely that grapes would not have been able to complete veraison. As it is, yields are below average. Fruit ripened early causing concern among growers about the potential for underripe tannin. As neither Barolo nor Barbaresco has been released, it remains to be seen what the quality of finished wine will be.
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The planet has gone to the dark side.
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John,
Lots of vintages prior were difficult and this house still delivered. I think the problem is in house not in the vineyard.
Not going to decry “solar vintages”?
I don’t know what that is/means.
I don’t know whether anything is going on at Giacosa, but '22 was one of he most challenging years in the Langhe in a while – maybe the toughest since 2003, judging by what I’ve read. That’s certainly Speller’s take if you read the Jancis vintage notes.
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Amended the title for more clarity…
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The planet is cooking. Hot years/vintages are ever more common. It’s going to take magic to keep making wines that taste like they came from the 1990s. Not sure how you haven’t noticed.
Jim, have you had the '19, '20, or '21? That might help to identify whether its a style issue or a vintage issue. I also seem to recall that Roero (where Valmaggiore is located) is hotter than the Langhe. If true, then in a super hot vintage it’s going to fare even worse.
I don’t regularly buy or follow this wine, though I am very worried about the effects of these super hot vintages on the regions whose wines I love and follow.
Also note that Valmaggiore, while a good Roero vineyard, has very sandy soil so that’s going to amplify the heat of a warmer vintage.
The last vintage from Piedmont that I bought was 2014 Barbaresco and I haven’t followed too closely with the goings on throughout the region since then. Specifically to this post is Giacosa. I remember Scaglione was out after 2004 (2005?) and then came back. I tasted the wines he was consulting on at Luigi Oddero whenever it was that he started there (2012?) and they were very good but IMO overpriced. Then he came back to Giacosa as far as I know. Is he still there?
There’s no good wines, only good bottles from good vintages.
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I’ve had multiple bottles of the 2019 Nebbiolo and found them consistently terrible, undrinkable. I’ve had at least 10 other producer’s LN that I’d much rather drink. I think Giacosa has jumped the shark.
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I am aware. I just thought this house was about as reliable as you could get, My bad.
The overwhelming belief is that this house has not been the same since the 2007 vintage. Bruno had a stroke in 2006 I believe? My impression is that after that Bruna was in charge, the feeling is that pushed Dante out. I can’t speak from personal experience since I haven’t had anything from Giacosa since 2007.
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I never found Giacosa’s Arneis to be as good as those from Vietti and Malvira (hard to find). Correggia also produces a fine one but also seems to difficult to locate - although it was available in the DC market. But the real problem is that the varietal seems unable to handle the climatic changes and the supercharged alcohol levels that come with ripe fruit. And that is a shame, as the wines from the grape can be really lovely when in the 12-13% ABV range.
Always preferred the Vietti Arneis as well.
A lot changed from 2006 and forward with Giacosa.
With the passing of Bruno, even more has changed, and not positively either.
Argument to be made that the last great vintage at Giacosa was 2005, and that’s not hyperbole.
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I have tasted some of the wines, and bought the 2008 and 2011, as I liked both.
I am not sure there is an “overwhelming belief” as I have not seen any negatives apart from Vinous. As Galloni and Guido pride themselves on being an Italian experts, they probably gets more credibility than is deserved.
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