Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
2008
$51.64
Barbera
Italy
Piedmont
Alba
750ml
N/A
Similar Price
2018
$50.95
Barbera
Italy
Piedmont
Alba
750ml
Similar Price, Better Score
2020
$51.32
Barbera
Italy
Piedmont
Alba
750ml
Better Price, Better Score
2021
$36.77
Barbera
Italy
Piedmont
Alba
750ml
More wines available from Bruno Giacosa
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco 2014
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$128.95
Rated 93 - This is a difficult wine to find in the marketplace and it is rarely presented for official review. In...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 2005
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$805.62
Rated 95 - Giacosa's 2005 Barbaresco Asili is noticeably rounder, sweeter and denser than the Santo Stefano. It shows...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 2008
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$361.95
Intense garnet color with orange highlights. Notes of red fruit and roses are found on the nose. On the palate, good...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 2008
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$155.95
Intense garnet color with orange highlights. Notes of red fruit and roses are found on the nose. On the palate, good...
More Details
Winery
Bruno Giacosa
Vintage: 2008
2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year.
Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost.
However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
Varietal: Barbera
For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.
Region: Piedmont
The beautiful region of Piedmont in the north west of Italy is responsible for producing many of Europe's finest red wines. Famous appellations such as Barolo and Barbaresco are the envy of wine-makers all over the world, and attract plenty of tourism as a result of their traditional techniques and the stunning setting they lie in. The region has a similar summer climate to nearby French regions such as Bordeaux, but the rest of their year is considerably colder, and far drier as a result of the rain shadow cast by the Alps. The wineries which cover much of Piedmont have, over many generations, mastered how to make the most of the Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera grapes which thrive here, and nowadays are beginning to experimenting with many imported varietals to increase the region's range and meet international demand.
Country: Italy
It isn't difficult to understand why Italy is famed not just for the quality of its wines, but also for the vast variety and range of characteristics found in the wines there. The terrain of the country varies wildly, from the lush rolling green hills and valley of Tuscany, to the sun drenched rocky coasts of Sicily, the mountainous and alpine regions of the north, and the marshy lowlands of the east. Italy really does have a little bit of everything. Combine this huge range of landscapes with an almost perfect climate for grape cultivation, and you have a country seemingly designed for viticultural excellence. The results speak for themselves, and it is clear to see that wine has become an inseparable part of Italian culture as a result of its abundance and brilliance. Each village, city and region has a local wine perfectly matched with the cuisine of the area, and not an evening passes without the vast majority of Italian families raising a glass of locally sourced wine with pride and pleasure.