1998 Bruno Giacosa, Barolo, Falletto Vigna Le Rocche

The limited cuvee made from four blocks of the Falletto Vineyard called Rocche, the 1998 Barolo Falleto Vigna Le Rocche, borders on perfection. This massive, full-bodied wine is spectacular. A dark plum color reveals lightening at the edge. Stunning aromatics offer up scents of crushed stones intermixed with cherry jam and sweet tobacco. There are loads of glycerin, moderately high tannin, and an amazingly long finish of nearly 50 seconds. As staggering as it is now, I am sure it will close down and require 7-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035. A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

(1997 was the first vintage for this bottling) Full red. Deep, brooding nose combines roasted red fruits, leather, tar and camphor. Sweet, lush and deep; conveys an impression of great delicacy in spite of its sheer size. An extremely harmonious wine with wonderfully palate-caressing fruit and thoroughly ripe acidity. The tidal wave of finishing fruit rolls by the big, sweet tannins.

Bruno Giacosa’s 1998 Barolo Falleto Vigna Le Rocche is another gorgeous wine. The fresh, floral bloom the wine had in its infancy has softened and the aromas today are moving towards sensations of dried flowers and spices. The wine retains a lovely inner sweetness backed up by considerable structure, which leads me to believe that the tannins might very well outlast the fruit. This is a beautiful Le Rocche, but probably won’t be one of the longest-lived vintages of this wine. The wine can be enjoyed today if opened several hours prior to serving, but should also drink well for at least another decade. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.