Giacomo Conterno Vertical Tasting

In May of this year I attended two very special tastings at Cru in New York.  Winemakers Roberto Conterno and Mauro Mascarello were in town to present extensive verticals of their Barolos.  The first tasting took place in the afternoon and featured current releases as well as a few older vintages.  Although I generally avoid trade events because they don’t allow enough time to accurately assess each wine, this sit-down tasting, which was hosted by importer Doug Polaner, was extremely well organized.  Cru Wine Director Robert Bohr and his staff did an outstanding job in coordinating the service of the wines, which was no small feat.  Between the afternoon tasting and the dinner that followed, I don’t think I have ever tasted so many profound and emotionally moving wines in a single day!  The wines were double decanted a few hours prior to serving.

Roberto Conterno kicked off the tasting by talking about his estate and its winemaking philosophy.   Giacomo Conterno is without question one of the most historically significant domaines in Piedmont, and all of Italy for that matter.  The winery is named after Roberto’s grandfather, Giacomo, who was a pioneer in producing, bottling, and exporting high quality wines decades before such practices became common in the region.  It was also Giacomo who bottled the first Barolo Riserva in 1920.

Giacomo’s son Giovanni took over the estate in the early 1960s.  Despite his untimely passing last year, Giovanni Conterno remains a towering figure in the Piedmontese landscape.  Even today he is spoken about in the most respectful and reverential terms as a great man.  “My grandfather’s wines were good, but it was my father who really took quality to the next level,” explains Giovanni’s son Roberto, who has worked in the winery since 1988.  As happens with any generational change, Roberto Conterno receives many questions about the direction he is taking the estate.  “A family friend said to me recently ‘your father was a traditionalist, but you are worse!’” recounts Conterno, assuring the audience that nothing will change in this winery’s approach now that he is in charge.

Conterno makes two Barolos both from the Cascina Francia vineyard, one of the great monopole sites in Piedmont.   The vineyard was purchased by Giovanni Conterno in 1974 and measures six hectares.  Cascina Francia is made in a traditional style, with natural yeasts and temperature-controlled fermentation and maceration lasting 3-4 weeks.  The wines are aged in large Slavonian oak casks and are bottled in the summer of the fourth year following the harvest.  In great vintages a special selection of the best fruit is made in the vineyard and that fruit becomes the Barolo Riserva Monfortino, perhaps the single most iconic wine in all of Piedmont.  Monfortino is also made with natural yeasts, although fermentation/maceration time is longer, lasting 4-5 weeks, and is carried out without the aid of temperature control.  Current vintages are aged seven years in cask, but past vintages have seen as much as 10 years of cask aging before being released.  Monfortino is legendary for its extraordinary longevity, which is usually measured in decades.

Barolo Cascina Francia 1989 – 2000

Flight #1

This first flight explored the four most recent vintages of Cascina Francia, which offer something for every palate.  The 1997 and 2000 are very immediate, pleasing Barolos, while the 1999 is the most classic and layered wine.  The 1998 has always been atypically closed for the vintage, although it reveals much character and beauty with decanting.