Monforte d'Alba, Piedmont
One of the greatest and most famed names in Piedmont, the Giacomo Conterno estate was founded by his father, Giovanni Conterno, in 1908. He placed emphasis on making premium quality Barolo only in great vintages using long fermentation and aging periods to create the best aging potential. Giovanni taught his son Giacomo and when he returned from serving in WWI, Giacomo had a vision to make a Barolo that would age for decades.
Before Giacomo Conterno, winemakers made and sold Barolo in cask or demijohn. It was a wine intended for early drinking. In the 1920s, Giacomo realized his vision through extending the grapes’ maceration time and aging the wine in large, old wooden botti. In the early ‘60s, Giacomo decided to pass the winery to his sons, Giovanni and Aldo, passing on his credo: “only premium quality can bring prestige to the Langhe.” Giovanni and Aldo worked together until 1969, when Aldo branched off and founded his own estate, the Poderi Aldo Conterno. Giovanni brought his son, Roberto, to work with him in 1988, and Roberto took control of the estate upon his father’s passing in 2004.
Until the 1970s, Giacomo Conterno owned no vineyards and the estate made its wines from selected old-vine grapes that were purchased from farmers. But as farmers increasingly began bottling their own wine, the estate felt the need to purchase its own land: in 1974, the estate bought the densely planted 17-acre Francia vineyard, one of Piemonte's great monopole sites.
Known for its superb long-lived wines, this estate is strictly focused to Nebbiolo and Barbera. Giacomo Conterno uses only the highest quality grapes from Francia vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba for their two famed Barolos: the Barolo Francia and the legendary Barolo Monfortino Riserva. More recently, the estate has added two other wines: the Barolo Cerretta and the Barolo Arione, both from Serralunga vineyards that were bought respectively in 2008 and 2015.
Giacomo Conterno labels represent the ultimate and purest expression of Barolo as the wines are rich, powerful, massively structured, and capable of long aging in bottle.The Conterno crown jewel, the Barolo Monfortino Riserva, is not only arguably the greatest Barolo but it also encapsulates the history of the Langhe: drinking a great wine such as Monfortino is like drinking the history of Barolo.
“Giacomo Conterno is indisputably one of the premier producers of wine in the world with a multigenerational pursuit of diligent vineyard work and traditional winemaking”. Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Main Wines
Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia
Barbera d'Alba Vigna Cerretta
Barolo Cerretta
Barolo Francia
Barolo Arione
Barolo Riserva Monfortino