VISIT TO GIACOMO CONTERNO - (7/15/2015)
I don’t imagine you could visit Giacamo Conterno and walk away unimpressed by the operation. I certainly didn’t.
We organised the appointment by email with Stephanie, who also acted as Roberto’s translator for our visit. Besides those two, Roberto explained, there are only four other full-time G Conterno employees.
Roberto explained the topography, aspect and geology of their three vineyards - Cascina Francia (14 HA, 9 in Nebbiolo, 5 in Barbera, west to south-west facing, limestone soil), Cerretta (3 HA, 2 in Nebbiolo, 1 in Barbera, west to south-west facing, mainly white clay) and Arione (6 HA, south facing, limestone) - before taking us around the winery.
Everything in the G Conterno winery is incredibly orderly, meticulously organised and spacious. At one point on the visit, Thierry peered behind a Botti to view some ladders to report back that they were, of course, all perfectly aligned and stacked. We visited one large room that only houses a bottling machine, that gets three days’ use per year.
At different times, the winery put me in mind of a temple and others of a research laboratory, in either case of a serious and great institution dedicated to the production of fine wine!
Anyway, the wines we tasted were …
-
2014 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d’Alba Cascina Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d’Alba
From 40 year old vines on a west facing monopole vineyard with largely calcareous soil. Bright red colour. Bright, attractive largely red fruited bouquet of red cherries, blackberries and violets. Delicious in the mouth, quite silky with pure, rich fruit flavours, particularly wild cherry. Tangy, fresh acidity. Roberto emphasised the wine’s elegance noting ‘limestone soil leads to minerality’. He said that 2013 and 2014 were excellent vintages for G Conterno: 'in '13 good quantities, in ‘14 lower’. (In fact, the yield for '14 for this wine was a low 30 HL per HA). Surprisingly, here the alcohol here the alcohol is 14.5%. I would have guessed much lower. -
2014 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d’Alba Cerretta - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d’Alba
From 20 year old vines on a west facing vineyard of largely clay soil. There was only one Botti of this wine. A very different expression, one I preferred. A slightly feral, herby, wet earth, tobacco nose, with orange peel and rose petal nuances. On palate, seemingly more fruit sweetness, a more fruit-driven expression than the Francia. Brighter, sparkling, refreshing acidity. Juicy and fresh, with the flavour profile dominated by blackberries, blackcurrant and briar, with some liquorice. The alcohol is as for the Francia. -
2012 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
For G Conterno’s Baroli, Roberto said that 2012 is ‘a good vintage, more tannic’. A more expressive, aromatic bouquet than for the Barberas, all perfumes and spices. Violets and aromas of tartufi neri dominate. In the mouth, more supple and softer seeming than the Barberas. Elegant, satiny and refined. Minuscule, suave tannins. Luscious but quite precise. Chalky, mineral finish. Very good. Someone asked about drinking windows and Roberto said ‘40-50+ years’ for this wine. -
2012 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cerretta - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
For me, a step up from the Francia … There is only one 50 HL tank of this wine with approximately 2 HA of vineyards, so the wine was harvested at about 25 HL per HA. Roberto apologised that the wine needed racking. It was a little reduced on the nose but you could still sense the vigour and energy of the Cerretta on bouquet. Generous fruit in the mouth, quite voluptuous. Red fruited, with more structure seemingly than the Francia. Ultra-fine grained tannins on the back palate. ‘Of course, only neutral oak is used for this wine’ said Roberto. -
2010 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
The are two 45 HL Bottis of this wine. How do you describe a truly great wine? On bouquet, there is immediately several extra dimensions compared with the very good wines before it. A multi-layered, complex, detailed bouquet. A symphony of different red and black berry aromas, florals and spices. Immediately, in the mouth, you recognise you are tasting a special wine. Very intense with multiple layers and dimensions of flavour unfolding. It put me in mind of the experience of drinking a great Burgundy like a Musigny or a top Chave Hermitage. G Conterno was my twentieth winery visited in Burgundy and Piemonte on this trip. Having tasted hundreds of wines, including many Grand Cru Burgundies and top Baroli, I wrote in my book ‘The greatest wine of the trip’. Probably to be released in the next year or so, said Roberto.
Posted from CellarTracker
