2008 Barolo Falletto

The 2008 Barolo Falletto initially comes across as sweet, layered and pretty. Dark plums, cherries, flowers, menthol and spices take shape in the glass. This is a decidedly understated vintage for the Barolo Falletto. The wine’s mid-weight structure suggests it will be at its finest over the next handful of years. Overall the 2008 Falletto is diluted and fleeting. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. It’s hard to know what to make of Bruno Giacosa’s 2008 Baroli. Over the years I have had the privilege and pleasure to drink virtually all of Giacosa’s wines from both legendary and weaker vintages all the way back to 1961. These wines don’t match anything in my previous experience. Importer: Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 256-2700

(white label): Medium reddish-amber. Very spicy aromas of red berries, cherry, rose petal and menthol, plus a whiff of darker blueberry. Dense, sweet and bright, with bright acidity and a strong floral element providing left. Smooth in the middle, with more mid-palate stuffing to support its serious tongue-dusting tannins than the Asili. Built for a slow and graceful evolution in bottle.

The 2008 Barolo Falletto initially comes across as sweet, layered and pretty. Dark plums, cherries, flowers, menthol and spices take shape in the glass. This is a decidedly understated vintage for the Barolo Falletto. The wine’s mid-weight structure suggests it will be at its finest over the next handful of years. Overall the 2008 Falletto is diluted and fleeting. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. Apr 2012, www.robertparker.com