Master, Legend and Genius of Neive - Bruno Giacosa. 

This talented winemaker started working in the vineyards at the age of 13-14 and over time has acquired a great sense of the best cru sites in both Barbaresco and Barolo.

Our ability to appreciate subtle nuances and identify the best wines from Nebbiolo by vineyard cru is a direct result of the Giacosa school. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the vineyards of his favourite Langhe.

Bruno Giacosa's Barbaresco and Barolo Reserva (red labelled) have become Italy's premier collector wines.

To give an example, the 1989 bottle of Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano stood shoulder to shoulder with the 1989 Haut-Brion and the 1990 Chambertin from Rousseau; moreover, it could even surpass these icons.

Bruno Giacosa is remembered not only as an outstanding winemaker but also as a talented negociant who procured fruit for much of his career. Many of these most famous contacts spanned decades and were known to be sealed with a mere handshake.

Today, the winery is run by his daughter Bruna Giacosa. Since 2006, the new ‘boss’ of Piedmont has continued to create Piedmontese wines, guided by respect for terroir.

In a sector still often dominated by men, Bruna is one of many women in Italy who continue to make huge strides.

Bruno Giacosa's signature wines undoubtedly remain Barbaresco and Barolo. Today the focus is on two plots located in the commune of Barbaresco: Rabajà and Asili. Both plots are among the most distinctive in Barbaresco, with Asili considered by many producers to be the unofficial Grand Cru.

Bruna comments on these vineyards, ‘Rabajà and Asili are the best cru for Barbaresco. The soil in Asili is more sandy, while Rabajà has more limestone and clay. They are two great cru, but for me, Rabajà is more masculine than Asili, which is more feminine and perhaps more elegant.’

‘All our Barolo comes from the Falletto area,’ says Bruna Giacosa. - La Rocche dell'Falletto (the most limited and expensive Barolo from the area) is obtained from vines located at the top of the hill. I find the difference between Falletto and Rocche dell'Falletto to be very big. Rocche is sweeter, with more fruit on the palate, and also more elegant compared to Falletto. But I love the Falletto as well. The style is the same, but the wines are slightly different. I am proud of all these wines.’

The style of Giacosa wines may seem difficult for many to understand, but there are always connoisseurs who understand the subtleties and details on a subtle, ethereal, fine-structured level.

Bruno Giacosa