Winemaker Notes
Giacosa Fratelli is a fifth-generation, family-owned winery in Piedmont, Italy, where tradition, place, and sustainability come together in every bottle.
The story begins in 1895, when Giuseppe Giacosa—a local sharecropper—won the Italian lottery and used the prize to buy a small winery in Neive. More than a century later, the Giacosa family still farms these same hills, now led by brothers Maurizio and Paolo alongside the next generation, twins Alessandro and Mauro.
Today, Giacosa Fratelli owns organic vineyards across some of Piedmont's most celebrated appellations, including Monforte d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto in Barolo, and Neive in Barbaresco. Their vines grow in highly prized sites such as the Scarrone cru (Castiglione Falletto) — an elevated, south-facing hillside known for producing wines of depth, elegance, and remarkable aging potential. Additional vineyards, like Bussia (Monforte d'Alba) and Gianmate (Neive) allow the family to craft a diverse lineup that truly reflects Piedmont's terroir.
What truly sets Giacosa Fratelli apart is their deep commitment to sustainability. The winery is powered by solar energy, captures its own CO2 emissions, and uses rainwater recycling for irrigation. Organic viticulture and lightweight bottles further reduce their environmental footprint.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
A wine that most perfectly conveys the spirit and essence of its place, Barbaresco is true reflection of terroir. Its star grape, like that in the neighboring Barolo region, is Nebbiolo. Four townships within the Barbaresco zone can produce Barbaresco: the actual village of Barbaresco, as well as Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.
Broadly speaking there are more similarities in the soils of Barbaresco and Barolo than there are differences. Barbaresco’s soils are approximately of the same two major soil types as Barolo: blue-grey marl of the Tortonion epoch, producing more fragile and aromatic characteristics, and Helvetian white yellow marl, which produces wines with more structure and tannins.
Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, primarily due to the vineyards’ proximity to the Tanaro River and lower elevations. While the wines here are still powerful, Barbaresco expresses a more feminine side of Nebbiolo, often with softer tannins, delicate fruit and an elegant perfume. Typical in a well-made Barbaresco are expressions of rose petal, cherry, strawberry, violets, smoke and spice. These wines need a few years before they reach their peak, the best of which need over a decade or longer. Bottle aging adds more savory characteristics, such as earth, iron and dried fruit.