Bruno Giacosa’s Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Riserva in the red label is one of the most legendary designations in Italian fine wine: a wine produced only when the estate judges that the vintage quality and the Le Rocche parcel material merit the elevated treatment of extended ageing and the red label distinction. It has been produced in a handful of vintages, including the iconic 2015 (which received perfect scores from multiple critics), and its rarity ensures that every release attracts immediate and intense collector attention. The 2017, chosen as a Riserva in a vintage that was hotter and less obviously structured than the 2015 but whose Le Rocche material proved to Bruna Giacosa to have the requisite depth, concentration and complexity for the Riserva designation, is the most recent red label release from the estate, available since January 2023 after three years in cask and two years in bottle.

James Suckling awarded the 2017 Riserva 98 points, describing it as “dense and intense” with “layers of very fine tannins, like fine cashmere,” with a finish that “goes on for minutes” and the instruction to give it “at least five to six years” before drinking. Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner awarded 97 points, noting it as a “very open-knit” wine that “reveals dark concentration in the form of ripe blackberry, candied cherry and spice.” In the magnum format, with its inherently slower and more even development than the standard bottle, this wine will develop over an even longer horizon than the standard 750ml release, making it one of the most significant cellar investments in Italian fine wine currently available.

The rarity of a Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Riserva in magnum is extraordinary: this wine is not made in most vintages, is produced in strictly limited quantity even in the standard format, and the proportion of magnums in each release is a tiny fraction of the already small total production. For collectors who take Barolo with the seriousness it deserves and who understand the significance of the Giacosa name in the history and continuing legacy of the appellation, this magnum represents one of the most important acquisitions in this catalogue.

Deep garnet with a magnificent nose of dried rose, dark plum, ripe strawberry, lavender, peach, iron mineral, liquorice and a fine cashmere-textured complexity from the Le Rocche old-vine Serralunga Nebbiolo. Full-bodied with extraordinarily fine, layered tannins, vibrant natural acidity and a finish of immense persistence and complexity. Best from 2030 through 2065.

Roses and lavender with other flowers. Peaches. Glorious fruit of dark plums and ripe strawberries. This is dense and intense but there are layers of very fine tannins, like fine cashmere. Goes on for minutes. Opens in the mouth. Almost endless. - James Suckling

This supple red is elegant and powerful, driven by an underlying mineral element. Strawberry, cherry, rose, iron and wild thyme aromas and flavors persist, building to a long aftertaste, while dense, refined tannins lend support. Offers superb balance and length. Best from 2025 through 2045. - Wine Spectator