Giacomo Conterno
The Conterno name dominates Monforte d’Alba - with Aldo Conterno, Claudio Conterno, Paolo Conterno, Diego Conterno and Franco Conterno all producing exceptional wines. But in international recognition, the name Giacomo Conterno is first among equals. The winery was established in 1900 and today retains a traditional approach to their 17ha in Serralunga and Monforte.
It is rare for a single producer to command such respect not only from lovers of the “King of Italian Wine”, but also from its peers, Giacomo Conterno is a bastion of traditional Barolo having been passed down through the years to Roberto Conterno, the third generation to be at the helm of his stunning family estate.
A winemaker of uncommon talent, Roberto’s official ascension to the throne in 2003 merely followed a period of many years during which he was head vigneron, presiding over an elevation in the wines’ quality, marked by both huge critical scores and fervent demand. From their vineyards in Serralunga, the Conterno family has been crafting incredibly elegant and high-toned Barolo for decades.
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Piedmont | 1 | 96 (DC) | HK$7,490.00 | |||||
Decanter (96)With young soils and steep hills, the importance of Arione is easily understood. The southern exposure helped the quality in this vintage and the wine shows a restrained red currant fruit aroma with graceful cinnamon, sweet violet and watermelon, allied to an anise, almost herbal, whiff. Full, refreshing and very elegant yet not without a firm structure, it features an extracted chalky finish. It will age quite well for a 2018. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JS) | HK$11,995.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)Glorious aromas of roses, whole white truffles, earth and raspberry. Dusty. Subtle rosemary and lemon grass too. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Yet it opens and caresses every inch of your palate. So gorgeous now to drink. No Monfortino in this year; so absolutely amazing because it all went in here. Wow. Drink or hold. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (VN) | HK$14,100.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)Conterno’s 2016 Barolo Francia is effusive, with a real sense of expansiveness that gives the wine breadth. Sage, mint, cedar, tobacco and strong mineral accents complement a core of dark fruit in a Barolo of real gravitas. Just bottled a few months ago, the 2016 is going through a very rare period of approachability (in relative terms). It will almost certainly shut down within the next few months. Readers who are curious will want to taste it before that happens. In 2016, Roberto Conterno did not bottle his flagship Monfortino, all the casks were blended for the Barolo Francia. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$7,490.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)I tasted the Giacomo Conterno 2017 Barolo Francia shortly before bottling. Like Roberto Conterno's other wines from this controversial vintage, this wine shines with brilliant and unexpected purity and intensity that is harder to find in its peers. It shows a deep understanding of the potential of a warm growing season, and the Nebbiolo is supple, velvety and uncharacteristically exuberant (for a grape whose elegance starts famously with understatement). Francia in Serralunga d'Alba evokes power and profound depth, with black and purple fruit highlights, rusty nail, crème de cassis, grilled rosemary and reddish rock or baked terracotta. The wine carries its considerable fruit weight with grace, and at the end of the day, it offers a complete portrait of vintage, variety and vintner. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 96-98 (WI) | HK$10,470.00 | |||||
The Wine Independent (96-98)The 2018 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia is very densely concentrated with fine tannins but it is not revealing much yet as it is so young. When tasted in May 2022 it was due to be bottled the following month. It is deep ruby in color with perfumed violet and freesia aromas on the nose, with oak spice notes. The tannins are firm but beautifully refined as you would expect from this producer. At the moment, the wine is like a beautiful statue, immaculately carved and pristine but not revealing very much. Roberto Conterno felt this wine needed 18 months before approaching and that it will last for 40 years. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 95+ (VN) | HK$10,590.00 | |||||
Vinous (95+)A dark, virile wine, the 2011 Barolo Cerretta shows just how far Conterno has come with this site. The flavors are dark, bold and incisive throughout, with plenty of dark red cherry, plum, leather, smoke, tar, licorice and scorched earth overtones. Powerful and intense, with a real sense of vertical structure, Cerretta is going to need time to settle down. There is none of the early appeal of the vintage here, so readers will have to be patient. This is going to be a fascinating wine to follow as it ages over the coming decades. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97+ (VN) | HK$11,180.00 | |||||
Vinous (97+)The 2013 Barolo Cerretta is the most complete wine Roberto Conterno has made since he acquired this site in 2008. Crazy aromatics make a strong opening impression. Rose petal, mint, sweet tobacco and licorice overtones all develop in a captivating, hauntingly seductive Barolo. Constantly changing in the glass, the 2013 is mesmerizingly beautiful. Supporting beams of tannin carry the flavors through to the finish. The 2013 Cerretta is stunningly beautiful in every way. Don't miss it. |
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Piedmont | 3 | 95 (VN) | HK$11,995.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)Conterno's 2017 Barolo Cerretta offers a classic expression of this Serralunga site. The tannins are just a bit nervy today, which lends a feeling of energy and brightness that is palpable. Bright floral and white pepper accents lift bright red-toned fruit in a Barolo that is wonderfully translucent and nuanced. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$11,310.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2019 Barolo Cerretta is positively stellar. Remarkably harmonious for a bottled, young Conterno Barolo, the Cerretta is sublime. It's as if the tannins are totally wrapped into the fruit. The tannins are present, but also not there. Bright cherry, red plum, cinnamon and blood orange all race across the palate. The luxuriousness of the fruit is so captivating. In 2019, the Cerretta is a Barolo of pure and total seduction. I don't think I have ever tasted anything like it here. Best of all, the 2019 will drink well with minimal cellaring. It is already irresistibly delicious. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 98-100 (WA) | HK$53,005.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98-100)Tasted from botte number 45, the 2006 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is gorgeous. Roberto tells me, “Monfortino is not a drinking wine, it’s a chewing wine.” His comment makes perfect sense and offers incredible insight into the profound beauty beholden before us. You almost feel the crunch of the young tannin and the snap of its presence in the mouth. The bouquet is perfectly matched to the wine. Elegance and finesse add contrast to the wine’s sheer power and determination. Dried rose, licorice, tar, spice and tobacco show immense definition and focus. The 2006 vintage is noted for its extraordinary aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 100 (VN) | HK$67,655.00 | |||||
Vinous (100)I debated whether or not to include the 2010 Barolo Riserva Monfortino in this tasting. Conventional wisdom says it is way too young, especially from magnum. You know what? I hate conventional wisdom. One of the undeniable truisms is that Monfortino is more enjoyable young now than it was twenty years ago. As for the 2010, it is every bit as monumental as everyone in the room expects. A wine of breadth and grandeur, the 2010 boasts tremendous depth in every dimension. Time in the glass brings out kirsch, rose petal, menthol, leather and mocha nuances, but the 2010 is ultimately a wine to adore for its complete and profound beauty. From magnum it is truly mesmerizing. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 99.0 | HK$40,015.00 | |||||
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Piedmont | 1 | 100 (WA) | HK$46,805.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)The Giacomo Conterno 2014 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is made with 100% fruit from the Francia cru, which is not the case for the 2015 vintage (that sees 22% Arione in the blend) or likely future vintages. In a sense, this 100-point wine represents a milestone or a chapter finale in the long and exciting trajectory of Italy's collected and revered Monfortino. I've had the great fortune of tasting this wine from barrel over the course of four years and twice again this summer during my visits to the Conterno estates (in Gattinara and in Monforte d'Alba). |
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Piedmont | 2 | 99 (VN) | HK$57,815.00 | |||||
Vinous (99)The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. 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. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way. |
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