The Conterno family has been growing wine in Piedmont since 1770. Whether it is this long association with the area that does it is not known, but in any case, there is no other producer who is so synonymous with traditional Barolo. But talking about style in connection with Conterno’s wines is subordinate to the quality presented.
The absolute stars of the house are Barolo Francia and Barolo Riserva Monfortino. The latter is an extreme product produced in the best years and only from the absolute best grapes. Monfortino has thus only been made approx. 20 times in the last 50 years. Monfortino is not a field designation but a special selection of grapes from the Francia field. It is only the very best grapes that, due to the de-vinification methods, can be used to make Monfortino. The difference between the two Barolo is that Francia controls the fermentation not to exceed 30 degrees Celsius, while Monfortino is allowed to ferment freely with temperatures as high as 36 degrees. Can Only be done with grapes of exceptionally high quality, and therefore Monfortino is not made in all vintages either. The storage is also extreme: where Francia is stored for approx. 48 months on large barrels, Monfortino will be stored 72 months on the large Botti.
As a small curiosity, it can be mentioned that Conterno follows the regulations for organic use – without, however, boasting about it. News from Conterno is usually rarer than pope changes in the Vatican. With the acquisition of the Cerretta field in Serralunga d’Alba, in 2010 Conterno launched two new wines on the market. These are a Barbera d’Alba and a Barolo from the Cerretta field in the northern Serralunga d’Alba. Both wines come, as is the case with the other wines, in very limited quantities. Most recently, Conterno has acquired 9 hectares of the recognized land Arione, next door to Francia. Arione goes on to be one of Serralunga’s top spots. The first vintage from here was 2015.