Giacomo Conterno the Gold Standard for Traditionally Made Barolo for 45 Years, Until His Death in Demijohn, Meant for Early 2004, Giovanni Conterno Forged Drinking

T H E R A R E W I N E C O. Giacomo Conterno The Gold Standard for Traditionally Made Barolo For 45 years, until his death in demijohn, meant for early 2004, Giovanni Conterno forged drinking. But when a reputation as the greatest of all Giacomo returned from the Barolo producers, irrespective of war, he decided to create a style. The wines he made were the Barolo with immense aging quintessence of “traditional” potential. His first wine Barolo: rich, powerful, massively was a 1920 Barolo Riserva, structured, and capable of long and he soon adopted the development in bottle. At left, Giovanni Conterno and at name Monfortino in honor right his son Roberto who is carrying of his home village For many, his heroic Monfortino on the Conterno family legacy. Monforte d’Alba. —the product of wild tempera- ture swings during fermentation and 6 to 8 For the next 54 years, Giacomo—and then years in barrel—is the most perfect expres- his son Giovanni—made Barolo in much sion of the Nebbiolo grape. As for his glo- the same way. Two Barolos were made, rious Barolo Cascina Francia, it has long always from purchased grapes, the main been the benchmark against which other distinction being fermentation technique producers measure their own efforts. and time in cask. Giovanni left the world many great vintages A Noble Vineyard of Barolo, including 1964, 1971, 1978, Then, in 1974, Giovanni acquired the 1985, 1990, 1996, 1999 and 2001. But Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga. possibly his greatest legacy was to hand over With its fabulous exposure, the site was his important work to his gifted son Roberto. perfect for the powerful Conterno style, A talented winemaker in his own right, and Giovanni immediately stopped buying Roberto not only shares his father’s bril- grapes, relying on approximately 5 hectares liance but is equally determined to uphold of Nebbiolo to produce about 600 cases of his family’s traditions. He could follow Monfortino and 1500 cases of Cascina other young Langhe winemakers into mod- Francia. The ownership of Cascina Francia ernism, but he never will. In his words, the also made it possible for Giovanni to pro- wines of Giacomo Conterno will always be- duce a tiny amount of some of the Langhe’s long to the generations that came before him. finest, and most sought-after, Barbera. The First Important Barolo Like his father, Roberto is patient in raising The Conterno crown jewel, Monfortino, is his wines. Consequently, the period from not only arguably the greatest Barolo; it was harvest to release is two years for his also the very first Barolo made in what has Barbera “Cascina Francia,” four years for come to be known as the classic style. Barolo “Cascina Francia” and seven years At the time that Giovanni Conterno’s for Barolo “Monfortino.” father Giacomo served in World War I, The wines of Giacomo Conterno are among Barolo was generally sold in either cask or the glories of Piemontese winemaking.