Italy · Piedmont

Bruno Giacosa

Bruno Giacosa is considered by many critics the finest Barolo and Barbaresco producer of the 20th century — a négoce-trained winemaker from Neive who spent decades purchasing the finest grapes from selected growers before acquiring his own estate vineyards and who produced a series of single-vineyard Riservas in exceptional vintages that stand among the greatest wines Italy has ever made. Born in 1929 and educated in wine from childhood, Giacosa began making wine commercially in 1961 and was fully established by the late 1960s as the most discerning buyer of Serralunga Nebbiolo in Barolo and Neive and Asili Nebbiolo in Barbaresco. Giacosa's most celebrated vintages are from Barolo's Falletto vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba (acquired by the estate in 1982) and from Barbaresco's Asili vineyard (farmed under long-term contract). The 'red label' versus 'white label' distinction — red labels for Giacosa's finest Riserva selections in exceptional vintages, white labels for the regular vintage wines — is one of Italian wine's most celebrated quality signals. Red-label Riservas are produced only when Giacosa judges the quality extraordinary; the 1971, 1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, and 2004 are the celebrated examples. Giacosa suffered a stroke in 2006 that severely limited his activity, and his daughter Bruna Giacosa has managed the estate since with winemaking guidance from Dante Scaglione. The post-Bruno era wines have maintained quality but collector demand for pre-2006 vintages under Bruno's direct supervision remains at a premium. The estate was sold to a trust in 2020 to ensure continuity.