2007 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia

This vertical tasting of Giacomo Conterno's Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia was a poignant reminder that Piedmont is more than Barolo and Barbaresco, as great as those wines are. The Conterno family purchased Cascina Francia in 1974 and immediately planted the vineyard with Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Freisa, the typical complement of Piedmontese grapes at the time. The first vintage from Cascina Francia, a steep hillside vineyard in Serralunga was 1978. The Barolos from this site are of course among the most iconic wines anywhere in the world, but the Barbera is equally deserving of attention.

After tasting three stunning vintages of Per Cristina with Domenico Clerico, I drove up the road to see Roberto Conterno, where I was treated to two more of the highlights of my September tour: the 2004 and 2006 Barolo Monfortino. Conterno describes these vintages as similar in style, just as he links 2007 and 2005 as rounder, more elegant wines. But the 2007 does not have quite the tannic structure to merit a riserva bottling, he told me. Still, Conterno, like many of his colleagues in the Langhe, described 2007 as "a masterpiece for barbera." He calls 2006 "an intermezzo between 2005 and 2004." The wines, he says, combine the structure of 2004 with the fruit notes of 2005. (Numerous importers, including Douglas Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY and The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA)

My recent visit to Giacomo Conterno was fascinating, as I had an opportunity to spend several hours tasting through all of the wines in barrel with proprietor Roberto Conterno. The question of succession is always an issue in small, family-run wineries, but this is one example where the younger generation is building on past success by taking things to an entirely new level. I can only imagine how proud Giovanni Conterno would be if he could see (and taste!) the sublime wines that have emerged from this property in recent years. Among the wines still in barrel, the most promising appear to be the 2002, 2004 and 2005 Monfortinos, all of which are spectacular at this stage. I also tasted Conterno's first wines from his newly-acquired vineyard in Cerretta. The 2008s show a work in progress as Conterno only had control of the vineyard for a few months that year. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with going forward. These two new releases from proprietor Roberto Conterno are stellar. This year there is no Monfortino, as the next vintage that is scheduled for release, the 2002, is still in barrel. Depending on one's point of view, the lack of a new Monfortino might be good or bad news. I, for one, don't mind a year without having to make the significant but very worthwhile investment acquiring these wines requires.