From the private cellar of wine professional we have known for
decades. Bought new and immaculately stored.
Fill level: Mid Neck (see picture)
Wine Advocate #
187
Feb 2010 |
Antonio
Galloni |
98 |
Drink: 2020 -
2050 |
|
In this context, the 1990
Barolo Riserva Monfortino is almost too much. While the 1990
Cascina Francia delivers tons of pleasure, the 1990 Monfortino is
still years away from offering its finest drinking. Still, this
breathtaking Barolo is a pleasure to drink for its round fruit and
long, powerful finish. It is exceptional in every way. Here the
fruit is quite a bit darker in tonality than the Cascina Francia,
with mesmerizing layers of mocha, leather, licorice and tobacco
that develop in the glass and add further complexity. This is a
marvelous effort from Conterno, but it will require the patience of
a saint. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.
Giovanni Conterno was one of the icons of his generation. These
three Barolos are some of Conterno’s finest achievements in a
distinguished career that was cut tragically short in 2004.
Conterno was among the first growers to recognize that owning his
own vineyards would ultimately allow for greater control over the
quality of his fruit, a forward-thinking view at a time when
Piedmont was dominated by a negociant culture of large bottlers who
bought grapes and wine in bulk from smaller properties. In 1974
Conterno spent a princely sum to acquire Cascina Francia, the
vineyard that would become the exclusive source for his Barolos.
Cascina Francia, a high-altitude monopole in the village of
Serralunga, is typically one of the last vineyards in the Barolo
region to be harvested. Conterno’s epic Barolo Riserva Monfortino,
arguably the single most important wine made in Italy, is a
selection of plots within the vineyard. The exact source of the
fruit can vary from year to year, but Monfortino is only made in
the finest vintages. Both Conterno Barolos are vinified along
rigorously traditional methods, with long fermentations and
extended aging in oak that reaches seven years (sometimes more) for
the Monfortino. These are reference-point bottles for readers who
seek to understand the genius of one of Piedmont’s truly legendary
producers. |
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