We recently had the pleasure of tasting some of the finest new vintages from two unrivalled Italian wine makers. It is occurrences like these that make working with wine an absolute pleasure to us all.
Both Gaja and Giacosa are two of the most celebrated winemaking families in Piedmont and these tastings were further testament to that praise. Both of their wines have consistently been superior through a combination of pioneering winemaking methods and great terroir coming from generations of growth in the unique climate of Piedmont. Gaja and Giacosa have once again proven why they are at the very upper echelons of producing fine wine from Italy.
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| It was truly a pleasure to have Gaia presenting her wines in our office |
Gaja
We had the pleasure of welcoming Gaia Gaja, heiress and daughter to the current head of family Angelo Gaja, into our office to showcase some of Gaja’s new releases. It was a wonderful and privileged experience tasting the wines in conjunction with receiving valuable information about each vintage from someone who has watched these wines come into their own, from the flowering of the grapes to the bottle. Her unique take on each wine and insight into the region was a valuable experience for us. The wines performed very well and the team are very excited about the 2008 releases.
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| More wine? |
Tasting notes on some of the wines
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| Some of the beautiful bottles from Pieve Santa Restituta |
Brunello di Montalcino 2008
The nose is highly defined. Whilst intense, there is also a sense of elegance within the obvious concentration. Hints of dark fruit, bitter chocolate and liqueur. The palate displays lots of acidity and fine tannins which is restrained at first but then bursts into a rich mid-palate and pure, long finish. Armit Wines
Rennina 2008, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Quite closed on the nose, some very tight fruit notes, light balsamic hints and a lovely slatey note to round it off. There is a tight bundle tucked away, this wine has loads of potential. The palate is more revealing with a very refined, excellent structure. There is elegance and great tannic structure with pure fruits. Showing well now but will reward those with patience.Armit Wines
Sugarille 2008, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
High tones on the nose and notes of aromatic spices, wood, star anise, dark soil and forest floor. The palate forms even more depth with tart, peppery notes that form a mouthwatering crisp and clean finish. A very fine and solid tannic structure that should see this wine cellar very well for a long time.Armit Wines
Giacosa
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| Bruno and Bruna Giacosa |
“I think I admire Bruno Giacosa most because he is a man who has spent his life working for a region: Piedmont, Barolo, Barbaresco. He dedicated everything to making great wine and achieved the most beautiful, elegant, gorgeous wines to drink...” – James Suckling
Famously (or some say infamously) choosing not to bottle his 2006 vintage, Bruno Giacosa has made a name for himself having an immovable penchant for excellence that leads to unparalleled quality control for his wines. His white label vintages consistently produce first class wines and the red labels are even rarer only coming from the finest vintages. With so much depth and character to each wine, it is easy to see why Giacosa is admired by some of the biggest players in the wine world.
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| Giacosa Landscape |
Tasting notes on some of the wines
Barolo Falletto 2009, Bruno Giacosa
The Falletto 2009 is an exceptionally aromatic wine, rich in intensity with complex layers of crisp red fruit and some exotic spicy notes. The palate is more restrained, but with a generous level of ripe fruit, slatey minerality, and a fantastic structure. All-in-all, there is a great balance between juiciness, structure and refinement. Unusually for a Falletto, this is incredibly moreish already!Armit Wines
Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto 2009
From the favoured block at the top of the Falletto monopole vineyard comes a wine with brooding intent. The nose is still a little reticent, but offering up notes of dried herbs, sweet blossom and clove spice. As with the Barolo Falletto, the structure is surprisingly harmonious and the tannins seem far more mature than one would expect from a wine less than four years old. At first, the wine seems incredibly light on its feet, but with further investigation the dark underlying power of this wine starts to show its true colours. A magnificent wine with a great future ahead.Armit Wines
Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva 2007
This wine, which has already garnered scores ranging from 98 to 100 points, is certainly on its way to becoming one of the great iconic wines of Italy. In essence this is an iron fist in a velvet glove. One is initially greeted with wafts of sweet perfume, delicate but defined. The palate is a blissful display of femininity and elegance, while always hinting and the great depth and structure that will no doubt show itself further with a few more years of bottle age. As with many of Giacosa wines, there is a lightness of touch and a lift on the finish which leaves you wanting for more. Do not be fooled, this is a wine of great power and concentration but in its current mood has decided to accentuate its feminine guile. To have this in one’s cellar would be a great thrill indeed.Armit Wines
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