1986 Barolo Falletto Riserva
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Tasting notes
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. (AG)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1986 Barolo Falletto Riserva was even better. This dark, brooding Barolo flowed with tremendous depth and richness in its dark fruit, spices, menthol and minerals in a powerful focused style. It was easily one of the wines of the night.
The wine of that vintage is probably Bruno Giacosa’s 1986 Barolo Riserva Falletto and luckily I had a chance to sample it briefly before the bottle mysteriously disappeared.
Lively medium red. The stunning Falletto Riserva takes things to another level, with a gorgeous, enthralling nose that opens to reveal layers of truffle, spice, and mineral aromas. It shows plenty of sweet fruit on a tightly wound, youthful frame with superb length and a lingering, ethereal finish. Today this Barolo is expressing just a hint of its ultimate potential and it promises to be even better in a few years after which it should provide good drinking for another decade, and probably more. 1986 certainly looks like a sleeper vintage for Giacosa.
About the producer
Bruno Giacosa – now run by daughter Bruna – is a cult Nebbiolo producer, that has consistently made some of the best single-vineyard Barbaresco and Barolo from the 1960s onwards. The“red-label” Riservas are some of the finest and most collectable wines in Italy.