2017 Bruno Giacosa AA Falletto Barbaresco Rabaja, Piedmont

The Bruno Giacosa 2017 Barbaresco Rabajà is a fine and delicate wine that throws a curveball at our expectations of this notoriously hot and dry vintage. The wine is exceedingly generous when it comes to its fruit, especially its blackcurrant and plum, but what steals the show is that elegant mineral note that so seamlessly cedes to spice, licorice and cinnamon. Rabajà is one of the most distinctive growing sites in Barbaresco, thanks to its white stony soils that leave such a strong imprint on its wines. The wine is remarkable for its nicely linear and delicate style, but it ultimately proves its power and determination on the palate over many long minutes.

Perhaps no Nebbiolista looms larger in the sister appellations of Barolo and Barbaresco than Bruno Giacosa. This legendary winemaker had an insane, deeply intuitive and intellectual ability to recognize the best growing sites for the Nebbiolo grape. His intimate familiarity with the rolling landscape and sun-kissed hilltops of the Langhe ushered in a new chapter for Italy’s most prestigious wine denominations.

Wine lovers now identify the best Nebbiolo-based wines according to vineyard cru, or MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva). Our ability to appreciate the finest nuances and differences within a complicated patchwork of grapevines and trellises is a direct consequence of the Giacosa school.

Bruno Giacosa passed away on January 21, 2018, after a long bout with illness following a stroke in 2006. He was 88. His daughter Bruna Giacosa runs the winery today.

I interviewed Robert M. Parker Jr. a few days after Giacosa’s death, to write his obituary:
"His contributions to Italian wine and his beloved Piedmont are beyond measure," said Parker. "I am honored to have met him, shared his wines, and remain in naked awe of what he achieved. It wouldn't surprise me if God were learning the glories of Nebbiolo from the Master."

With the exception of last year (because of the COVID-19 lockdowns), I have tasted with Bruna Giacosa every year since I started working with Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

During my visit this past summer, I was able to review the Bruno Giacosa 2020 Roero Arneis, both the 2016 and 2017 Barbaresco Rabajà, the 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili (red label), the 2016 Barolo Falletto and the stunning 2016 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche. You will find my notes for those wines in this report.

95 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Rabaja is a magnificent vineyard that extends more or less uniformly from the highest hill in Barbaresco (311 metres) to a ditch at the end of Camp Gros in Martinenga. Rabaja is one of the best-known and most celebrated vineyards in Barbaresco.  It is elegant yet muscular, showing both finesse and breeding.