Conterno Giacomo

The Giacomo Conterno winery is a monument to Italian oenology, an estate considered to be one of the greatest interpreters of Barolo, the celebrated red wine for which it has contributed greatly to the worldwide success. The roots of this important Langhe winery go back as far as the 19th century, a time when the Conterno family was already producing wine in the Barolo area. In 1900 Giacomo Conterno officially founded the winery in Monforte d'Alba, in the locality of Ornati, and in the 1920s began bottling the first bottles under his own label. The inheritance was first handed down to his son Giovanni and later to his grandson Roberto, who now runs the estate. Rigour, passion and precision are some of the qualities that have allowed the Conterno family to rightfully enter the world Olympus of oenology.

Although the Conterno Giacomo winery is based in Monforte d'Alba, most of the 23 hectares of vines owned are located in the neighbouring municipality of Serralunga d'Alba, at altitudes close to 500 metres above sea level, on clay-limestone soils. The focal point of the estate's varietal is, needless to say, Nebbiolo, a grape variety that the Conterno family have shown they know how to work with a masterly touch, embracing a strictly and purely traditionalist vision. This is why in the vineyard yields are kept very low through techniques such as thinning and green harvesting, while in the cellar fermentation involves long macerations on the skins in oak vats, with subsequent ageing taking place exclusively in large oak casks for prolonged periods.

Giacomo Conterno's sought-after production consists solely of Barolo and Barbera d'Alba. Francia', 'Cerretta', 'Arione' and above all 'Monfortino' are labels that have written the history of the Langhe, Piedmont and Italy in general, able to excite with their names alone. Of these, the Barolo Riserva 'Monfortino' is produced exclusively in exceptional vintages through a selection of the best grapes from the Francia vineyard. Due to its extraordinary breadth and solemnity, this bottle has been awarded top marks numerous times by famous wine critics of the calibre of Piedmont expert Antonio Galloni. Also worth mentioning are the Barbera d'Alba 'Francia' and 'Cerretta', expressions that rank at the top of varietal quality.