Giacomo Conterno, Barolo Riserva Monfortino 1990

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

This wine displays a medium ruby color with amber at the edge. The intensely fragrant bouquet offers aromas of smoky tobacco, jammy cherries, aged Parmesan cheese, licorice, dried herbs, and truffles. In the mouth, the wine boasts awesome extract, full body, mouth-searing levels of tannin, and a massive, 40+ second finish. This old style, monster Barolo still needs 5-6 years of cellaring, although it is hard not to be seduced by the wine's fabulous bouquet. Look for this Monfortino to age for another two or three decades! This profound 1990 wine appears to be an exhilarating effort in a succession of great Monfortinos. (The 1985, 1982, 1978, 1971, 1967, and 1964 remain Piedmontese classics.) This long-awaited yet surreal 1990 Barolo Monfortino Riserva spent 7 years in foudre before being bottled. (In the old days, it was often kept 10 or more years before bottling.) The two most famous Conternos are Giacomo, who produces these wines, and his near-by neighbor, Aldo. Both are legends in Piedmont, with the wines of Giacomo Conterno about as traditional as can be found in our high-tech world. In contrast, Aldo Conterno's wines tend to be a synthesis in style between modern day techniques, and the more artisanal methods of the past. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

In this context, the 1990 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is almost too much. While the 1990 Cascina Francia delivers tons of pleasure, the 1990 Monfortino is still years away from offering its finest drinking. Still, this breathtaking Barolo is a pleasure to drink for its round fruit and long, powerful finish. It is exceptional in every way. Here the fruit is quite a bit darker in tonality than the Cascina Francia, with mesmerizing layers of mocha, leather, licorice and tobacco that develop in the glass and add further complexity. This is a marvelous effort from Conterno, but it will require the patience of a saint. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050. Giovanni Conterno was one of the icons of his generation. These three Barolos are some of Conterno’s finest achievements in a distinguished career that was cut tragically short in 2004. Conterno was among the first growers to recognize that owning his own vineyards would ultimately allow for greater control over the quality of his fruit, a forward-thinking view at a time when Piedmont was dominated by a negociant culture of large bottlers who bought grapes and wine in bulk from smaller properties. In 1974 Conterno spent a princely sum to acquire Cascina Francia, the vineyard that would become the exclusive source for his Barolos. Cascina Francia, a high-altitude monopole in the village of Serralunga, is typically one of the last vineyards in the Barolo region to be harvested. Conterno’s epic Barolo Riserva Monfortino, arguably the single most important wine made in Italy, is a selection of plots within the vineyard. The exact source of the fruit can vary from year to year, but Monfortino is only made in the finest vintages. Both Conterno Barolos are vinified along rigorously traditional methods, with long fermentations and extended aging in oak that reaches seven years (sometimes more) for the Monfortino. These are reference-point bottles for readers who seek to understand the genius of one of Piedmont’s truly legendary producers.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

1990 Barolo Riserva Monfortino—Dark ruby. The 1990 is another irresistible Monfortino that is drinking beautifully right now. It shows gorgeous aromas of sweet fruit, roses, tar, minerals, and leather, and terrific persistence on the palate, with luxurious amount of sweet dark fruit, great depth and an ethereal finish. An accessible Monfortino that can be enjoyed now, but that is sure to age gracefully for decades. 94 points/drink after 2008, tasted 05/05 Conterno makes two Barolos both from the Cascina Francia vineyard, one of the great monopole sites in Piedmont. The vineyard was purchased by Giovanni Conterno in 1974 and measures six hectares. Cascina Francia is made in a traditional style, with natural yeasts and temperature-controlled fermentation and maceration lasting 3-4 weeks. The wines are aged in large Slavonian oak casks and are bottled in the summer of the fourth year following the harvest. In great vintages a special selection of the best fruit is made in the vineyard and that fruit becomes the Barolo Riserva Monfortino, perhaps the single most iconic wine in all of Piedmont. Monfortino is also made with natural yeasts, although fermentation/maceration time is longer, lasting 4-5 weeks, and is carried out without the aid of temperature control. Current vintages are aged seven years in cask, but past vintages have seen as much as 10 years of cask aging before being released. Monfortino is legendary for its extraordinary longevity, which is usually measured in decades.