Subtle and elegant with notes of red fruit and dried roses. On the palate, the tannins are present, but fine and well-integrated, and the wine showcases excellent freshness and persistence of fruit.

One of Italy's greatest winemakers, Bruno Giacosa is most famous for Nebbiolo wines, but this Arneis from the Roero zone, probably the homeland of this variety, shows a matching brilliance with whites. Regarded as one the best versions of this tasty (but tricky) whites, it shows all the best attributes, with fresh racy aromatics of herb and lemon leaf, along with good texture, the vital grip and enlivening zip.

There are very few stories in the world of wine that are more important to tell than that of Bruno Giacosa. A man’s legacy etched into lore, and with such gravitas that it is still felt today in his native Piemonte by almost all the producers in the region. Born in 1929 in Neive where the winery remains, Bruno Giacosa spent his formative teenage years working with his father Carlo as a ‘commerciante’ or grape broker. This very important but often overlooked part of Giacosa’s history is perhaps the key to understanding his unrivalled ability to select fruit, even that which he hadn’t grown himself. The family’s income at that time revolved solely around the ability to sell fruit to winemakers, and taking any fruit to Vinify themselves would have been a conflict of interest. In fact, his father so vehemently opposed the young Bruno’s intention to bottle his own wine in the early 1960’s, that he had to do so without the blessing of the family. The first vintage wearing the label Bruno Giacosa was 1961, a single Barbaresco bottling from a mixture of vineyards as was custom at the time. It was the prominent wine author and critic Luigi Veronelli who at the time was crusading for Piedmont’s adoption of the French ‘cru’ classification of vineyard that convinced Giacosa to bottle and (importantly) label single vineyard wines soon after his first vintage. The first labelled cru bottling was the 1964 Barbaresco Vigna Santo Stefano, but it is possible that even the first wine used fruit exclusively from there. While the obsession with site continued and strengthened throughout Bruno Giacosa’s career, so did the predilection to purchase fruit from growers rather than buy vineyards himself. Though Giacosa was not the only winemaker somewhat late to the party in buying land in the Langhe, it is regarded as his greatest missed opportunity. Some of Italy’s greatest wines ever were Giacosa’s red label bottlings from Santo Stefano di Neive, Villero and Collina Rionda, none of which are produced today by the estate. In vinous literacy, it is impossible to read about the Langhe without reading about Giacosa and his contemporary Angelo Gaja. While Gaja was a willing frontman for the region, Giacosa continued to toil in the background. Both leading from the front and each producing the region’s best wines. Winemaking involves a great many small decisions, each affecting the next. One can only hope to get them right, to capture what there was in the grapes to begin with. - Bruno Giacosa Very few wines in the world come close to matching the complexity and presence of red label ‘Vigna Le Rocche’. In the vintages this plot is kept as a Riserva, the acidity, tannin and above all the balance must be in complete harmony due to the rigorous demands of both extended barrel ageing and the potential for a half-century in bottle. In their youth, Le Rocche Riserva is an immense wine. It is not forthcoming with its fruit when young, but nor is it disjointed in alcohol or tannin at any point. A rare kind of wine that seems carved from billet rather than made up of different parts. A cohesive wine of the tallest order, with some vintages vying for greatest wine of Italy. Intense red garnet colour with orange hints. The bouquet is complex and elegant, with notes of small ripe red fruit, blackcurrants, pomegranate and raspberries. On the palate it is full bodied, with an excellent tannic structure, the tannins are silky that give an excellent persistence to the wine.

This wine was made in 2011 and 2012 but not in 2013. The 2014 Barolo Falletto (white label) is fascinating to taste right after the Barbaresco Riserva Asili from the same vintage. There is no doubting the extra muscle mass and power that is obtained in the Barolo appellation, and from the Serralunga dAlba township specifically. This dramatic Barolo delivers darkness and density. It shows a beautiful appearance with faint highlights of dark ruby that add a subtle sparkle. At this point in its drinking cycle, the wine shows all the characteristic traits of its youth. This means it is more closed and rigid at present. That nervous tightness needs to be factored in when assessing the cellar longevity of this vintage. Hints of the wines inner complexity, sheer determination and textural fortitude are already bubbling up from deep inside this firmly layered Nebbiolo. I wanted to mention the tightness of the tannins now. These will undoubtedly serve to carry this wine forward over the coming decades. *95 points*, The Wine Advocate Monica Larner

Dont miss this rare chance to secure a magnificent wine from a top producer thats in seriously short supply. Made by an acclaimed winemaker at the top of their game, this is a slice of wine history you dont want to miss. Add it to your collection while you can.

Dont miss this rare chance to secure a magnificent wine from a top producer thats in seriously short supply. Made by an acclaimed winemaker at the top of their game, this is a slice of wine history you dont want to miss. Add it to your collection while you can.

Superb aromas of ripe fruit, such as plums and berries with peaches and tar. Very intense. Full body, great depth and density. Incredible richness and power with superb length and persistence. Powerful.

Black cherry and blackberry fruit aromas lifted by floral and spice notes. Rich, ripe fruit on the palate, with a finish accented by broad, dusty tannins and a note of mocha.