Wine Advisor
Giacomo Conterno, Barolo Riserva Monfortino 2015
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Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Monfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means that we might not see his flagship wine for a number of years. The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives us plenty to contemplate in the meantime. First, in terms of winemaking notes, this vintage see 22% Arione fruit in the blend, with the rest from Francia. Roberto Conterno is fond of telling me that "Francia is a Barolo you drink, and Monfortino is a wine you chew." (The exact word in Italian is "masticare.") I think his comment rings especially true in this vintage that arguably shows greater concentration and fruit weight and softer or more integrated tannins overall. There is structure but minus any hard edges or bite. Harvest was completed by mid-October, and this was a very easy and trouble-free growing season that ended with ample warmth and sunny temperatures. In fact, Roberto Conterno prefers 2015 over 2016. The wine's beautiful richness most definitely translates to the bouquet, which is expressive, buoyant and full of dark fruit character. Blackberry and blackcurrant cede to spice, smoky tar, aniseed and potting soil (after a shorter five years in oak).
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is not only outrageously beautiful, it also marks a new era in the wine's history where Monfortino is once again a blend from more than one vineyard. Between 1978 (the first year of production at Francia) and 2014, Monfortino was a single-vineyard wine. Following his purchase of Arione in 2015, Conterno set aside part of that fruit for Monfortino. I tasted the 2015 from its separate components (Francia and Arione) and there was simply no question that the blended wine was better and more complete than either of two components, which is one of the main reasons Barolo was traditionally made from a blend of sites in the first place. Powerful and imposing in the glass, with tremendous textural richness, the 2015 is a total stunner. Everything seems amped up in the 2015: aromatics, fruit and acidity. What a captivating wine it is.
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.
