2009 Barolo Riserva 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.