Does Anyone Still Buy Aldo Conterno Barolo?

[john_stimson]

@Mike V e r h i l l e

K&L had a blow out on the wines five years ago with really low prices. I bought several cases and tried several bottles early to check on them. (there was talk that they were on sale because they were damaged, K&L I think would not do that) They were good so I’m sitting on the rest.

The wines weren’t damaged. There was a dispute with the main distributor of some sort and hence the fire-sale, and someone involved planted a rumor, if I’m getting my facts correct. Very unfortunate, but it did allow a number of us to get some unusually cheap wine that I’m sure was painful for the estate, as it now makes the wines seem very expensive.

[Ken_V]

@john stimson

@Mike V e r h i l l e

K&L had a blow out on the wines five years ago with really low prices. I bought several cases and tried several bottles early to check on them. (there was talk that they were on sale because they were damaged, K&L I think would not do that) They were good so I’m sitting on the rest.

The wines weren’t damaged. There was a dispute with the main distributor of some sort and hence the fire-sale, and someone involved planted a rumor, if I’m getting my facts correct. Very unfortunate, but it did allow a number of us to get some unusually cheap wine that I’m sure was painful for the estate, as it now makes the wines seem very expensive.

K&L wasn’t the only one. I bought some 2004 Romirasco at $145 in 2008. Then a year later, I paid $90 to Blicker-Pierce for the same wine.

I paid $50 for 2000 Colonnello and $60 for the 2001. Today, you can buy the 2001 or the 2012 for $120. The 2010 is $150.

The Gran Bussia is ridiculous though.

[John_Morris]

As I recall, Italian Wine Merchant put out an e-mail pitching the wines from the new distributor/importer at high prices, saying, “Don’t buy those discounted bottles – they’re from the old distributor, who was fired because they didn’t take care of the wines.” That didn’t sit well with some people here, I remember.

[Todd_Tucker]

Those were some great prices in 2012, and I wished I had gone longer. Delivered to Arizona, the 04 Romirasco was $67, 06 Colonello was $57, and the 01 Granbussia $99. Mags of 04 Romirasco were $144. I only bought a mixed case.

I also agree the 89 and 90 GB are spectacular wines.

That said, to address the OP, I do not buy their wines anymore and have not bought any since that 2012 sale. I would be interested in trying them again, but the new prices make me much less excited about buying current releases.

[R_Frankel]

I’m a fan of the wines and have enjoyed quite a few '89, '90, '96 and '01s in the last few years. I’ve gone fairly deep on '06 and '08 but have hesitated on more recent vintages due to pricing. Plus I’ve been taught to look for discounts in the gray market or several years after release.

Still, love the wines.

[michael_ottesen]

I did purchase some Romarisco 2011, could not recist.I tasted it first,delish wine,But at 190$ the price is to steep for me compared to other good producers.The same thing goes for colonello and cicala cru’s

[Ian_Dorin]

@john stimson

@Mike V e r h i l l e

K&L had a blow out on the wines five years ago with really low prices. I bought several cases and tried several bottles early to check on them. (there was talk that they were on sale because they were damaged, K&L I think would not do that) They were good so I’m sitting on the rest.

The wines weren’t damaged. There was a dispute with the main distributor of some sort and hence the fire-sale, and someone involved planted a rumor, if I’m getting my facts correct. Very unfortunate, but it did allow a number of us to get some unusually cheap wine that I’m sure was painful for the estate, as it now makes the wines seem very expensive.

Mostly correct. Conterno had a global agent, and when Conterno said he wanted to take back control and pick and choose his own partners. When the discussion came about buying back the wine, it was my understanding it didn’t go well.

[Sanjay_Nandurkar]

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

@Mike V e r h i l l e

K&L had a blow out on the wines five years ago with really low prices. I bought several cases and tried several bottles early to check on them. (there was talk that they were on sale because they were damaged, K&L I think would not do that) They were good so I’m sitting on the rest.

I hit-up that sale, although – admittedly – I now regret not buying many more than I did. The '04 Romirasco is stupendous.

I thought I was going to like the 2004 Romirasco …until I tasted it. Felt underwhelmed. Had similar experience with the 2010 Romirasco few years ago.
May be those wines are not aligned to my palate. May be they take a long time to show their best. Nevertheless, count me as one who has stopped buying Aldo Conterno.

[Kent_Comley]

What didn’t you like Sanjay? he asks pensively since he owns both of these wines…

[Sanjay_Nandurkar]

@Kent Comley

What didn’t you like Sanjay? he asks pensively since he owns both of these wines…

…just the taste.

[john_stimson]

Last time I had the 04 Romirasco, it was a wide open, showy, seductive wine (but only after a couple of hours of air). The burg collector in our group admitted that he could probably chase that wine. this was about 1 1/2 years ago. Perhaps it has started to close down since then?

[Sanjay_Nandurkar]

Both the Romirasco were tasted blind at our offlines. My TNs

2010 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia -Romirasco (Monforte d’Alba)
The Romirasco was a big bruiser of a wine. A very muscular wine with concentrated fruit structure married to a lot of tannins. Lot of debate ensued whether it come together or not. It was not very enjoyable. But possible that its made in a style that takes no prisoners and its best left to age for 15+ years before tackling it again.

2004 Aldo Conterno Romirasco (Monforte)
The Aldo conterno was a very substantial wine. A bit polarizing because some thought the intensity of fruit and oak a bit too much especiallty compared to the other wines. The others thought extremely highly of it and ranked it as their best wine of the bracket. Its made in a modern style with lots of everything. Yes there was balance and it would be very interesting to reassess it again in 5 to 10 years. Wine perhaps with the greatest potential ‘if’ the fruit and oak mesh together and resolve.

[Daniel_Moritz]

Another data point on the older side. The wines from good vintages in the 60s - ie 61, 64, 67 can be exquisite. Note these are “pre split” wines, so are generally identical juice to the wines labeled Giacomo Conterno of the same years, yet are often priced about 1/3 of the Giacomo wines. Worth noting and can provide some outstanding drinking experiences.

[John_Morris]

It’s interesting that the Aldo Conterno wines don’t seem to have run up in the secondary market in the way that wines from G. Conterno, the Mascarellos and others have. Chambers Street is offering older Bussia Sopranos for less than the current release price for the 2012 ($125 and up):
1999 - $85
2000 - $65
2001 - $80

[Michael_S_Monie]

@John Morris

It’s interesting that the Aldo Conterno wines don’t seem to have run up in the secondary market in the way that wines from G. Conterno, the Mascarellos and others have. Chambers Street is offering older Bussia Sopranos for less than the current release price for the 2012 ($125 and up):
1999 - $85
2000 - $65
2001 - $80

That’s probably because no one is buying them.

[john_stimson]

Actually, I thought the 99 bussia sop was pretty enjoyable wine, although perhaps that’s about what it’s worth.

[Vinod_S]

Purchased a mixed case during the K&L sale (my first major wine purchase and in retrospect should have bought 3-4x). Thought both the 2000/2001 Granbussia were amazing wines 2-3 yrs ago while the 2004 Romirasco needed more time/was a bit disjointed. Sitting on a few bottles of Cicala/Colonello from later vintages as well. Not sure I’d be a buyer at current prices, but I can get Mascarello/Monprivato at reasonable prices here in the UK.

[Pierfrancesco_Bini]

Funny no one is mentioning that from 95 or 96 onwards they used small oak, rotofermenters and all sort of crap… Not sure when the trend was reversed but any wine from 96 to 00/01 is tough to handle.

That said wines of the 70/80s and ealry 90s are truly magnificent with 89 Granbussia as serious reference.

[Ian_Sutton]

@Pierfrancesco Bini

Funny no one is mentioning that from 95 or 96 onwards they used small oak, rotofermenters and all sort of crap… Not sure when the trend was reversed but any wine from 96 to 00/01 is tough to handle.

That said wines of the 70/80s and ealry 90s are truly magnificent with 89 Granbussia as serious reference.

Yes, I got badly stung by that experimentation

[John_Morris]

@Pierfrancesco Bini

Funny no one is mentioning that from 95 or 96 onwards they used small oak, rotofermenters and all sort of crap… Not sure when the trend was reversed but any wine from 96 to 00/01 is tough to handle.

That said wines of the 70/80s and ealry 90s are truly magnificent with 89 Granbussia as serious reference.

Of course, they denied ever using barriques on the Barolo. When we asked in 2005 about the apparent oak notes on the 99s and 01s we were offered, Giacomo said it might have been because of a new botte. But that didn’t explain why so many of the different bottlings had the same oak flavors. They did have lots of small barrels in the cellar, I remember … supposedly for the chardonnay and barbera.

Someone told me they were using micro-oxygenation in that period, too, but that’s all third-hand.

It would be nice to think they got back on track after that. The prices took them off my list so I haven’t tasted later vintages. I was going to include a 2012 Bussia in a tasting this week, but at $125 it would have blown our budget so I had to pass.