Giacomo Conterno

Giacomo Conterno is an Italian estate just outside Monforte d'Alba in Piedmont, in the south of the Barolo DOCG zone. It is best known for two great Barolos: the Cascina Francia and the Monfortino Riserva, both of which are long-lived and earthy.

In 1908, Giovanni Conterno opened a small tavern in the village of San Giuseppe, making Barolo to supply the business. The first Riserva was bottled around the time of World War I, and was one of the first examples of producer-bottled Barolo, at a time when most were sold in bulk for early consumption. Giovanni's son Giacomo took over when his father died in 1934, and ran the estate until he himself passed away in 1961. His sons, Giovanni and Aldo, worked together until the latter left in 1969 over stylistic differences, forming his own estate. Roberto Conterno, grandson of Giacomo, took charge in 2003.

In 1974, Conterno acquired the 16-hectare (40-acre) Cascina Francia site in Serralunga d'Alba. This was a promising southwest-facing site on chalky soil, but at the time was a wheat field. Nebbiolo vines were planted and the vineyard's first vintage was in 1978, after which the reputation of the estate began to soar. In 2009, Conterno purchased a 3-ha Ceretta plot, which is used to make the Langhe Nebbiolo.

The Monfortino Riserva Barolo is only made in excellent vintages and is aged for at least seven years in very large oak casks called botti. Conterno uses this traditional method to make its wines to avoid excessive vanillin sweetness. The Cascina Francia site makes both a single-vineyard Barolo and a Barbera d'Alba, and the Langhe Nebbiolo is the estate's entry-level offering.

Assuming a satisfactory vintage, production levels for the Barbera and Cascina Francia Barolo are around 20,000 bottles each a year. In exceptional years, around 7000 bottles of Riserva may be produced.