Giacomo Conterno Barolo Vigna Francia 2018

Giacomo Conterno is a legendary, multi-generational wine producer based in Monforte d'Alba, widely regarded as an icon and the standard-bearer for traditional Barolo. The winery was founded by Giovanni Conterno in 1908, but it was his son Giacomo who envisioned and first bottled a long-aging Barolo Riserva, the now-mythic Monfortino, around 1920. The estate's philosophy is rooted in a pure, uncompromising traditional approach: focusing strictly on the Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes, employing long macerations, and extended aging (four to seven years, depending on the wine) exclusively in large, inert Slavonian or Austrian oak botti. 

The Conternos did not own vineyards until 1974, when Giovanni Conterno purchased the esteemed, south-west facing Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba, bringing all grape sourcing in-house and marking a new era of estate-grown wines. Current winemaker Roberto Conterno, who took the helm after his father's passing in 2004, has continued this strict traditionalist approach while also investing in quality control, such as modern sorting equipment and innovative anti-cork taint technology. Under his leadership, the estate has expanded its holdings further within Serralunga d'Alba, acquiring parcels in the Cerretta cru in 2008 and the highly prized Arione cru in 2015, adding to their repertoire of single-vineyard bottlings. Monfortino itself is only produced in exceptional vintages from a special selection of the best grapes (today, primarily from Francia and sometimes a small portion of Arione) and is considered one of Italy's greatest wines, known for its massive structure, purity, and profound longevity.