Giacomo Conterno: Seven Decades of Barolo Riserva MonfortinoBY ANTONIO GALLONI | DECEMBER 18, 2025La Festa del Barolo 2024 was full of highlights. Our
vertical tasting and dinner featuring Conterno’s flagship Barolo Riserva
Monfortino was one of the most highly anticipated events of the weekend. It was
a magical night. The wines spoke with tremendous eloquence, while our guests
brought energy and enthusiasm to match.We were happy to be back at Legacy Records, where we held
many events until the restaurant closed earlier this year. Executive Chef/Proprietor
Ryan Hardy prepared a stellar meal from start to finish, including Hardy’s
signature lacquered duck. Wine Director Celia Erickson and Beverage Director
Theo Lieberman ensured every detail of wine service was perfect. We opened all
the bottles a few hours before service. Any bottles that did not meet my
standards were set aside. Unfortunately, that meant we did not serve the 1958, but
we had the 1964 (and some other goodies) ready to go if needed. While we can’t
control all the elements, we do strive for as perfect an experience as
possible. The 2015 was a last-minute addition, and a great opportunity for guests
to taste the latest vintage of Monfortino, which had not been released at the
time. As is our custom, wines were arranged in thematic flights.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766093532847-Conterno+Cover_Vinous.jpg">A Brief HistoryFirst produced in 1924, Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo Riserva
Monfortino has gone on to establish itself as one of the most iconic wines in
the world. Early vintages were made from purchased fruit sourced from top
vineyards in Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba, as was the custom at the
time.In the 1970s, Giovanni and Yvonne Conterno understood the
fundamental shift taking place in Piedmont and around the world—namely that
land prices were rising and that the only way to ensure quality over the long
term was to own vineyards. In 1974, the Conterno family purchased Cascina
Francia, a 14-hectare vineyard in Serralunga. Although cultivated predominantly
with wheat at the time, vines had been planted on this site previously.
Conterno replanted Cascina Francia with Dolcetto, Freisa, Barbera and Nebbiolo,
the four main indigenous grapes of Piedmont. The spectacular 1978 vintage
rewarded the Conternos with their first Monfortino from Cascina Francia. In
time, the 1978 claimed a place for itself as one of the greatest wines ever
made in any region. Giovanni Conterno turned out a series of spectacular wines
in the years and decades that followed until his untimely passing in 2004.Even during the 1980s and 1990s, as a new style of Barolo
began to emerge, Conterno held to his convictions with firmness, tenacity and
conviction. Times were often hard. Many of my older friends have memories of
being gifted a magnum of Monfortino after a visit, which Giovanni Conterno did
as a sign of appreciation and respect, traditional values of a much simpler
time in Piedmont. For as long as I have followed it, which is about three
decades, Monfortino has always been an expensive wine. But in my early days of
buying, it was readily available. When I was in business school in the
mid-2000s, I was offered an unlimited amount of 1996 and 1997 Monfortino.
Finances were tight, so I only bought a few bottles of each, an act that seemed
foolish and fiscally irresponsible at the time.The Present DayToday, Roberto Conterno continues the rich legacy of
vineyard work and winemaking established by his late father, Giovanni, and
grandfather, Giacomo, before him. The Conternos bottle Monfortino only in top
years. From 1978 through 2014, Monfortino remained a selection of the best
fruit from within Francia, but in 2015, Roberto Conterno incorporated fruit
from the adjacent Arione vineyard, which he bought that year. What is evident
today is that quality is higher and more consistent now than it has ever been.
Winemaking is rooted in traditional concepts, but also clearly contemporary in
spirit. Long fermentations are followed by extended aging in cask, although
time in wood has come down in recent vintages in response to climate change and
the general chemistry of today’s grapes, an example that highlights Roberto
Conterno’s adaptive approach.<img alt=""><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766108585688-Vinous+monfortino+vertical+glasses+tags.jpg">ReceptionChef’s Seasonal Selection of Passed CicchettiDinner MenuFirst CourseFarro Salad; Honeynut Squash, Parmigiano &amp; PistachioFlight 1: To Get Started -&nbsp;2000, 1997, 1995 &amp; 2004 Barolo Riserva MonfortinoThe night gets off to a bang with this first flight, staring with one of the best bottles of the 2000 Monfortino I have ever had and concluding with the first 100-point Monfortino of the evening. While I am not a huge fan of scores, they do require a critic to take a specific view, and in that context, the 2004 clearly deserves its lofty rating.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766092476606-Conterno+Flight+1_Vinous.jpg">Second&nbsp;CourseCavatelli Verdi; Sausage Ragu, Pecorino &amp; MintFlight 2: The Underdogs -&nbsp;1970, 1979, 1999 &amp; 2002 Barolo Riserva MonfortinoThis is a very fun flight of Monfortinos that had all been somewhat passed over in their early days for different reasons. Time, however, is the ultimate judge. All four wines were superb.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766092498525-Conterno+Flight+2_Vinous.jpg">Third&nbsp;CourseRaviolo Doppio; Chestnut, Ricotta, Sage &amp; PorciniFlight 3: Modern-Day Classics -&nbsp;2008, 2010, 2013 &amp; 2014 Barolo Riserva MonfortinoTasting four young recent Monfortinos side by side is not something that happens every day. Once again, I am so struck by the profound expression of vintage in each wine. There is no way to pick a favorite here; each wine is sublime on its own. If I could only have one, however, it would be the 2010.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766093725129-Conterno+Flight_Vinous.jpg">Fourth&nbsp;CourseChoice of: Farm Chicken; Chicories, Truffle Jus or Honey
Lacquered Duck Breast; Parsnip, Poached Quince<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766093260596-uploads_1766092592749-Conterno%2BChef_Vinous.jpg">Flight 4: Icons -&nbsp;1996, 1990, 1985, 1982 &amp; 1978 Barolo Riserva
MonfortinoThis is probably the most anticipated flight of the evening. All five wines are spectacular. The 1978 is clearly the star. A few years ago, I would have placed the 1982 next, but I think the 1985 is aging a bit better. And then there is the spectacular 1996 and the 1990.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766093007631-uploads_1766092518546-Conterno%2BFlight%2B3_Vinous.jpg">Fifth&nbsp;CourseChef’s Selection of CheesesFlight 5: Stepping Back in Time -&nbsp;1971, 1967 &amp; 1958 Barolo Riserva MonfortinoThese last three wines open a door into another era at Conterno, with a young Giovanni Conterno taking over from his father, Giacomo, in the late 1950s. Sadly, our bottles of 1958 aren’t great, so we serve the 1964 in its place. The 1971 and 1967 both live up to their stellar reputations.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766092560996-Conterno+Monfortino_Vinous.jpg">A New Era Begins…





















































































We always like to have a little something extra at our events.
On this night, it is the 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino. It is the first
vintage that includes some fruit from Arione (about 20%), an approach Roberto
Conterno has used for all subsequent vintages. Personally, I like the mix of
sites quite a bit. Perhaps that’s because the blend gets back to Monfortino’s
origins as a Barolo blended from multiple sites. In that sense, the 2015 is the
perfect wine with which to end the evening, as it ties together so many of the
themes of a truly spectacular evening.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1766092910091-uploads_1766092538864-Conterno%2BFlight%2B4_Vinous.jpg">© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/piedmont-icons-dinner-dec-2025">Piedmont Icons Dinner</a>, Antonio Galloni, December 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/massolino-barolo-riserva-vigna-rionda-vertical-tasting-lunch-at-la-festa-del-barolo-dec-2025">Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda Vertical Tasting &amp; Lunch at La Festa del Barolo</a>, Antonio Galloni, December 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/giuseppe-mascarello-barolo-monprivato-vertical-at-la-festa-del-barolo-dec-2025">Giuseppe Mascarello &amp; Figlio: Barolo Monprivato and Riserva Cà d’Morissio in Magnum</a>, Antonio Galloni, December 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/2021-barolo-part-two-restless-energy-sep-2025">2021 Barolo Part Two: Restless Energy</a>, Antonio Galloni, September 2025 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/2021-barolo-changing-times-changing-wines-jan-2025">2021 Barolo: Changing Times, Changing Wines</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2025

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