Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 100
The 2004 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is simply as profound as wine can be. Period. Strikingly layered, perfumed and sensual to the core, the 2004 has it all. Next to the straight Falletto, the Rocche is more refined but also quite a bit more backward as well. Mint, rose petal and melted road tar grace the exquisite finish. The level of intensity here is simply mind-blowing. At ten years of age, the 2004 Rocche is a youngster, but it is clearly a wine of divine inspiration. For readers who look at the numbers, the score is the only possible score.
Anticipated maturity: 2016-2044
Vinous 98+
Full, deep red. Incredible nose combines red fruits, blood orange, minerals, spices and smoked meat. Sappy, silky and extremely intense yet somehow weightless, with a pristine quality to its fruit and mineral flavors. This saturates every millimeter of the palate with flavor, with the extraordinary rising finish going on for two minutes or more. Again, when I free-associated, the first word that came to my mind was Musigny. There’s so much going on in this extremely primary and mineral-driven wine that one is hardly aware of the tannins. I think this will make a compelling drink in just two or three years but will evolve positively for a couple of decades. Giacosa considers this to be his best Barolo of the last ten years.
Wine Advocate 99
As good as the Falletto is, the 2004 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto takes things to another level entirely. It exudes the essence of violets, tar, licorice, minerals and sweet dark fruit, with a profound expansiveness that saturates the palate. This big, imposing wine also remains superbly elegant and focused, with silky tannins that carry through to a long, satisfying finish. The sheer massiveness of its fruit hides the powerful tannins that lurk beneath, but this same bottle tasted a few hours later was completely shut down. This is a monumental effort from Bruno Giacosa, and has been nothing short of breathtaking on the several occasions I have had the privilege of tasting it. Incidentally, a bottle of the 2001 tasted a few days prior to my visit suggests that wine has entered what is likely to be a long period of dormancy. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034.
Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034
