Wine Advisor
Giacomo Conterno, Barolo Francia 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Next comes 50-hectoliter botte number 88 that houses the upcoming 2015 Barolo Francia. Again, this wine will be bottled by the time you read this, with Conterno's newest vintages hitting the market in October. What impresses most here is the supreme elegance of the wine. It speaks in hushed whispers, enunciating promises of depth, complexity and mysterious intrigue. The wine unfolds slowly, revealing new elements with each swirl of the glass. Together, these aromas build in intensity and stature to become a magnificent Barolo with a capital B. The bouquet exudes elegance and complexity that will carry it through the ages. When I tasted this wine from barrel last year, I described it as demure. One year later, the wine is bursting with confidence, character and moxie.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This is a very early sneak peek at a wine that still has a long way to go. The 2015 Barolo Francia is softly elegant and demure. At this point in the wine's infancy, it shows silky tight tannins and crunchy fruit brightness. The wine boasts an impressive sense of freshness, focus and precision with small berry nuances followed by grilled rosemary, crushed river stone and campfire ash. The 2015 vintage is similar to 2011 in that it offers broad shoulders and a firm spine of structure at the back. The acidity is very nicely integrated as well.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Barolo Francia is a soaring, regal wine endowed with tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. The most reticent and inward of the 2015s, the Francia possesses superb textural density and persistence all the way through to the explosive finish. An immense, towering Barolo, the Francia is positively stellar. It is also going to require a number of years to be at its best. In recent years, the Conterno Barolo Francia has often been relatively accessible post bottling, the 2015 is far from that.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Conterno's 2015 Barolo Francia is exquisitely balanced and harmonious from the very first taste. Soaring aromatics and seemingly endless layers of fruit open up in the glass, but there is something about the wine's completeness that is deeply thrilling. Seamless and expansive on the palate, with tremendous resonance, the 2015 Francia is simply magnificent.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Conterno's 2015 Barolo Francia is exquisitely balanced and harmonious from the very first taste. Soaring aromatics and seemingly endless layers of fruit open up in the glass, but there is something about the wine's completeness that is deeply thrilling. Seamless and expansive on the palate, with tremendous resonance, the 2015 Francia is simply magnificent.
About the Producer
Roberto Conterno took full control over the running of this famous estate just outside Monforte d'Alba, Piedmont, in 2003, when his father Giovanni Conterno passed away. Giovanni was the oldest son of the winery founder, Giacomo Conterno, and initially worked alongside his brother, Aldo Conterno. In 1969 the two sibling winemakers parted ways to create their own styles of Barolo. Roberto continues to practice the traditional winemaking techniques of the area, producing long-lived, earthy wines. The focus has been strictly on nebbiolo and barbera since their freisa and dolcetto vines were grubbed up. Roberto also stresses the importance of organic viticulture especially in the early years of the vines' growth. The estate is most renowned for its great Barolos, Cascina Francia and Monfortino Riserva. The latter is produced only in the very best of vintages and aged at least 7 years in large oak 'botti'. This is regarded as one of the finest Barolos produced today and by many as the finest wine made from Nebbiolo in the world.
1961(2)1988(1)1998(1)1999(1)2000(5)2003(5)2004(4)2005(7)2006(12)2007(7)2008(15)2009(11)2010(7)2011(9)2012(12)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L
