We’re very excited to present recent releases from the most storied and mighty of all Barolo producers, Giacomo Conterno. While maintaining the legendary status of the estate, passed down from his father Giovanni, Roberto Conterno is making ambitious changes. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the confident introduction of a new parcel, from the cru ‘Arione,’ into the ‘Monfortino’*. The results are stunning and this will be another landmark for this iconic wine. We have very few (and very attractive) wood case 3 packs for the ardent collectors out there. 

From the crown jewel of Serralunga, the Francia vineyard, also comes one of the finest Barberas to be made bar none. It is a wine that marries dark-fruited power with textural elegance and surprising aromatic width. It lacks any of the rusticity that are so often typical of the varietal. Instead this is Barbera of concentration, earthiness and spice- all with a refinement that verges on the paradoxical.

The Barolo that is made from the vineyard is unsurprisingly stunning and is a beautiful wine to enjoy while you’re patiently holding onto the ‘Monfortino’. Along with expansive red fruits and citrus notes, the wine has the textural suavity which is such a hallmark of Roberto’s meticulous winemaking. The herbal elements carried forward on the finely buffered mid-palate make a quasi-symphonic joy. It's impressively open knit and hard to resist already.

The 2019 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia marries elegance, power and energy. Inky blue/purplish fruit, menthol, licorice and sage are some of the nuances that build as this creamy, textured Barbera slowly opens in the glass. The Francia is wonderfully somber and mysterious, with striking shades of dimension that reveal themselves over time. Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The 2017 Barolo Francia is dense, rich and explosive right out of the gate. There is virtually no feeling of tannin, as the creaminess of the fruit is so expansive. Bright red cherry fruit, blood orange, kirsch, sage and menthol gradually appear as the 2017 starts to open in the glass. In 2017, Francia is decidedly exotic, not to mention such a thrill to taste. Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical… Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today… it is a flat-out stunner in every way. Antonio Galloni, Vinous

*It should be mentioned that the move away from using solely ‘Francia’ fruit for the cuvée is actually somewhat of a return to the pre-1978 ‘Monfortino’ cuvées, which were multi-vineyard blends. 

Cheers,

- Spencer