Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda 1989 Bruno Giacosa

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (100)

I suspect over the years I have had more than my fair share of the 1989
Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda. After all, there were only 2,838 bottles
produced. Still, I never fail to be utterly seduced by this transcendental,
emotionally moving Barolo. The Rionda isn’t Giacosa’s most powerful wine,
rather it is a Barolo built on elegance. Impossibly fine, silky tannins frame
subtle, yet incredibly vivid aromatics that meld into a gorgeous core of
violets, roses, tar, licorice and minerals. Still incredibly fresh, this towering
Barolo has another 20+ years of life ahead. It remains Giacosa’s foremost
masterpiece and one of the greatest wines ever made. Anticipated maturity:
2010-2030. Bruno Giacosa’s wines are well represented in my personal
cellar, which was the source for the vast majority of these bottles. I have had
the good fortune to taste all of Giacosa’s 1989s and 1990s from multiple
sources over the last year, and therefore can report that these notes are
representative of what readers can expect from well-stored bottles. I consider
1989 and 1990 – along with 1978, 1982, 1996, 2001, 2004 and 2007 – to be
among Giacosa’s finest vintages. The bevy of Red Label Riservas in this
article says it all. In 1989 and 1990 Giacosa produced an immense number
of legendary wines. In fact, he is one of the very few producers who did
exceptionally well in both years. In general the 1989s are a touch more
layered and nuanced, while the 1990s are impressive for their massive
concentration. If forced to state a preference, I would say 1990 gets the nod
for its consistency from top to bottom, even if few of those wines reach the
sublime heights of the very finest 1989s. Still, these are relatively small
distinctions at this high level. Readers who have the opportunity to taste any
of these wines should not think twice. By the late 1980s Giacosa had begun
to move towards an enlightened traditional style with the introduction of the
French oak casks he now uses exclusively. Fermentations and barrel aging,
however, remained very much within the framework of traditional
winemaking, resulting in a combination that was electric. Readers will note
that many of Giacosa’s Red Label Riservas during this time were made in
small lots (such as the 1990 Asili and 1989 Collina Rionda), and that for
practical purposes those wines were aged in medium-size casks rather than large casks

BOW (9.25)