Barbarescos Made by Bruno Giacosa

• Here is a label for a 1911 Barbaresco from Carlo Giacosa & Figli sent to me by the winery. Carlo Giacosa was the grandfather of Bruno Giacosa.

• In 1996, Giacosa purchased a plot in Asili from Odore who was a member of the Produttori del Barbaresco and whose grapes had prviously gone into the Produttori's Asili. This is the same plot from which he purchased the grapes for his 1993 and 1995 (and perhaps earlier) Asili bottlings.
• The Asili plot came with another plot on the border of Asili and Rabajà. Giacosa bottled this as Rabajà from 1996 until 2005.
• No Rabajà di Barbaresco was produced in 1999 because of hail storm damage.
• 2005 was the last vintage labeled "Rabajà" by Giacosa. He continues to own this plot, but new rules put the vineyard in Asili, not Rabajà. According to Antonio Galloni on the Mark Squires wine board, The recent re-mapping of the vineyards in the Barbaresco communes has resulted in Giacosa's plot being placed within Asili, so the estate now essentially has two plots in Asili, but with extraordinarily different characteristics. Beginning with the 2007 vintage Giacosa won't be able to use the name Rabajà for this wine, but Bruna Giacosa tells me since that is the case, beginning with the next year's release, the 2005, the wine will carry a new, as yet undetermined, name. She still plans on continuing to bottle a wine from this very unique vineyard within Asili. Note: It seems this last part has not come to pass. So far, only wines labeled Asili have been produced from these parcels.
• In 2007, Giacosa is making a white label and red label Asili. According to Antonio, the white label Asili will be 80% from the plot formerly labeled Rabajà, while the Asili Riserva is 100% from the parcel that has previously been labeled as Asili.

• 1998 was the last vintage (so far) for Giacosa Gallina di Neive. More specifically, we have the following report from Stefan Topler's visit to the Giacosa winery: Barbaresco Gallina: Last vintage was 1998. Scaglione said that it is not said that this would have been definitely the last vintage of this Cru. No strategic decision in this respect has been taken although no grapes were bought from there in recent years (at least not for a Gallina Cru, perhaps some went in the Barbaresco normale).

• This vineyard, made iconic by Bruno Giacosa, has been owned by the Stupino family of Castello di Neive since the 1960s. It was actually known as the Santo Stefano Farm when they bought it, along with the Castle.
• The very first vineyard-designated wine produced by Bruno Giacosa was the 1964 Santo Stefano Riserva Speciale.
• Moreover, Bruno Giacosa has said that the grapes for his first Barbaresco Riserva in 1961 were from Santo Stefano as well.
• In 1996, Santo Stefano di Neive was produced only in a white label, no riserva was produced.
• Sadly, 2011 will be the last vintage for Giacosa Santo Stefano di Neive. According to Bruna Giacosa, We decided to stop the production of the Santo Stefano since we did not have the complete control of the vineyard. I believe that this refers to a change in policy by Giacosa, since as far as I know, they have never controlled the farming at Santo Stefano.
• Santo Stefano is a sub-vineyard of the Albesani Vineyard. In recent years, this wine has been labeled as Albesani Santo Stefano to reflect this fact and new labeling requirements.

• A Barbaresco Albesani di Neive was made in 1971. Note that Santo Stefano di Neive is part of the Albesani vineyard.
• A Barbaresco Montefico di Barbaresco was made in 1969, 1970, and 1971.
• A Barbaresco San Cristoforo di Neive was made in 1971 and 1974.
• A Barbaresco Rio Sordo di Barbaresco was made in 1985.
• According to the website of the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba the following Bruno Giacosa Barbarescos have been bottled under their label (as well as his own):
  • 1970 Montefico di Barbaresco.
  • 1979 and 1980 Gallina di Neive.
  • 1978, 1979, and 1980 Santo Stefano di Neive.

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