2009 Barolo Francia

Roberto Conterno has dedicated significant effort and money to ensuring the quality and consistency of the corks he uses for his widely sought Barolos.For starters, he begins with high-quality, completely untreated corks with few pores, analyzes them, then selects the ones he wants and sends back the rest.His treatment of his corks, which relies on a combination of paraffin, silicone and an anti-absorption agent, is designed to prevent the transfer of tannins from the cork to the wine.But in order to lubricate his corks with these materials in a completely consistent and controlled way, Conterno had a special machine designed and built that looks like a cross between a lottery machine and a spin drier (I asked him if he could dry my shirt while I was tasting). To prevent the counterfeiting of his highly collectible Barolos, he also uses a machine that prints an intricate logo on the corks, a lot number, the exact name of the wine, and the vintage year on both ends.Happily, the new wines at this great Monforte estate are up to the quality of the high-tech cork improvements.The 2011 barberas, from a vintage that Conterno calls "unbelievable" for this variety, are stunningly good.Conterno described the 2011 growing season as hot at the end and throughout, whereas 2009 witnessed a temperate summer until mid-August, then turned hot.Two thousand seven has more fruit, while 2009 has more tannins, added Conterno, who did not make a separate Monfortino wine in any of these three odd-numbered vintages.But 2006, 2008 and 2010 are another matter entirely, and these wines all look to be cellar treasures.

I have had many superb tastings at Giacomo Conterno over the years, but the most recent was arguably the most special. Following Conterno's Barolos from barrel, into bottle and then over the years as they age is a fabulous experience. Roberto Conterno has done a fabulous job with his new releases, but there are plenty of other emotional, riveting wines aging in the cellar as well. Conterno's attention to detail is equaled by few, if any, other producers in Piedmont. Bringing cork selection and printing in house is just the latest development in an approach that starts in the vineyard and finishes in one of the most pristine, immaculate cellars readers will see anywhere in the world.

It is always so quiet at Conterno. Like a cathedral. Nothing is out of place. Roberto Conterno once told me his late father would walk throughout the cellar and make sure all of the casks were perfectly inline. It is that unreleting drive for excellent that has produced so many extraordinary wines here over the years. A tasting at Conterno is always a great education, but things have gotten even more interesting over the last few years with the addition of the Barbera and soon-to-be Barolo from Cerretta. Both those wines continue to grow with each passing year. The highlight among these upcoming releases is surely the 2006 Monfortino.

It's always an interesting experience tasting with Roberto Conterno, as his take on recent vintages does not necessarily track that of his colleagues. Conterno views 2008 as a unique year. "We picked late but the wines are fruity more than minerally," he said. In quantity of tannins, he went on, the 2008s are lower than 2009 but higher than 2007. "The most tannic recent vintages for us were 2010, 2006 and 2002." Conterno compares 2009 to 2007 but with a bit more acidity. There will be no 2007 Monfortino, as this cuvee was not rich enough in tannins or sufficiently powerful. Needless to say, the Cascina Francia, Conterno's only Barolo in '07, is an outperformer. In September, Conterno had not yet decided if there would be a Monfortino in 2009.