Barolo Riserva MONFORTINO G. Conterno 1998

GIACOMO CONTERNO: THE IMPORTANCE

Arguably the most highly regarded producer in all of Piedmont, if not Italy, Parker described the estate of Giacomo Conterno as “one of the bastions of traditionally made Barolos. While Conterno’s wines have often been profound, in recent vintages the estate has found another level of finesse…”

Celebrated by critics such as Robert Parker and Antonio Galloni, the estate of Giacomo Conterno has often received perfect scores, especially for its Barolo Monfortino Riserva. The consistency of the praise heaped upon this estate reflects how seamlessly this producer has passed the reigns from generation to generation, with each incarnation of the domaine coupling fresh ideas with the expertise and wisdom of their forefathers to create a wine which never stagnates, while staying true to values of tradition and history.

This estate is credited for having created what we now understand by “traditional” Barolo, that is, a wine that is deep, powerful, and rich, structured and capable of long periods of ageing.

GIACOMO CONTERNO: THE BACKGROUND

The history of this estate began in 1908 when Giovanni Conterno opened a small establishment serving wine in the town of San Giuseppe. Giovanni bought grapes from different farmers in the region and made Barolo to serve to his customers. When his son Giacomo returned from the war in 1915, he brought with him some new ideas and began experimenting with the creation of wine which could be aged for a long time, as opposed to early-drinking, soft fruity wines.

It was Giacomo who began experimenting with the style now so closely associated with this estate, of powerful, rich Barolos with excellent potential for ageing. Giacomo also became a pioneering force in the region for producing, bottling and exporting high quality wine long before this became common practice in the region of Piemonte.

Until 1974, the wine produced at this estate was always made from purchased grapes, however this changed in 1974 when Giovanni Conterno decided to purchase the 40 acre Cascina Francia vineyard, and since then, the estate produces wines from their own grapes. In 2009, the estate purchased the 7.4 acre Cerretta vineyard planted to Nebbiolo and Barbera with the Nebbiolo classified as Langhe Nebbiolo.

Giacomo was then joined in the business by his two sons, Giovanni and Aldo, however, their differing ideas about how Barolo should be produced meant that Aldo split off from his family to start his own winery, which represents a more modern style of winemaking.

The estate is now run by Giacomo’s grandson Roberto, who continues to drive this estate from strength to strength.

The estate also produces a highly rated Barbera D’Alba.