TN: 03 Giacosa Asili and Falletto

WINE TALK
1

I figured reading Antonio’s '03 was as good a reason as any to take a look…

  • 2003 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (6/28/2014)
    At first a bit reticent, and maybe not surprisingly, less approachable than the 03 Asili from a few days ago. Quite structured and showing less heat than I feared. Quite ripe but not overripe, deep, but not heavy. It is marked by the vintage but not out of balance. With time, rose and tar (in the opposite order) came out. This is a powerful but not brutish wine still with perfume, maybe a deeper fruit profile than verges on candied, but still holding it together. Still pretty tannic, and long with some menthol on the back end. I suspect this may improve a bit over the next couple- few years. I will hold my remaining bottles for at least a few years with little fear. (91 pts.)

FWIW:Held up nicely day 2 without losing any focus or showing heat.

  • 2003 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (6/28/2014)
    Soft pretty perfume. Little mistaking this is an 03, but it is not in the prune OTT camp. A little liquor on nose, but still with rose perfuminess. While the soil is undercut by the ripeness, there is still precision and lift. Soft, precise and lithe on the palate, with outstanding balance. There is a softness and ease to this, all the while not losing its Asili fineness and poise. Quite good, a success for a difficult year and very enjoyable. Drinking well, with no rush, though I doubt this will become a much greater wine with time. Lovely. 90pts (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Thanks for reading

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I had the 03 Monprivato a few weeks ago and found it to be very enjoyable.

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Michael, I love the 03 Monprivato and may be my favorite 03 Langhe wine. Man did it excel. I wish I had bought more of that wine. I am glad you liked it as well.

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Hi Todd,

thanks for posting notes on these two wines. These two Giacosas were the only 2003 Piedmont wines I bought and I was very interested to see how they are traveling. Glad to see them show well.

all the best
brodie

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I thought Mascarello and Roagna nailed 03 in particular, my jury still out on Cascina Francia, but a directed verdict on the modernists…

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Hey Brodie,

A well chosen pair of wines!. No fear to be had on these two wines for the mid term, but also no crime to open now. Hope your summer goes well. Let me know if you head back this way, as will I re: Houston.

Henry, I would strongly agree with you. Roagna esp his Paje, Monprivato, and Cappellano Pie Franco are my favorite wines of 03. After I posted that above re: Monprivato, I realized I had forgotten the other two but was lazy and didn’t come back. I have not enjoyed the Cascina Francia at any point, and have sold off the majority of mine. A move I hope I don’t regret- the first time i have ever sold off any of G Conterno’s wine. Time will tell.

Hope all is well in B’more, 100+ today again. Not really Barolo weather. (But it’s always 76 degrees inside)

Cheers

7

You are able to keep your cellar that cool in AZ in the summer?

Some good developments on the Italian food side (and beyond) here – going to Bottega tonight (very casual/funky) and Aggio, just opened, has significant upside potential… and Spike Gjerde’s Parts and Labor is a heck of a lot of fun…

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You are able to keep your cellar that cool in AZ in the summer?

LOL

Good to hear about the restaurants. I hope to get out your way this fall.