Barolos Made by the G. Conterno Winery
- Here is a presentation on how to read the labels of G.
Conterno's Barolos (in PPT),
(in PDF).
- The official name of the winery is "Conterno Giacomo Azienda Vitivinicola".
- "Azienda Vitivinicola" means a wine grape growing estate.
- In the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, the winery is listed on the label simply as "Giacomo Conterno".
- In the 1950s, and 60s, they are labeled "Ditta Giacomo Conterno" (loosely, the Giacomo Conterno Company).
- From the early 1970s to the present, the wines are labeled
"Conterno Giacomo Azienda Vitivinicola di Giovanni Conterno".
- Table Key: N = Non-Reserve, R = Reserve, X = None Made, * = Special Label.
- Before 1980, reserve wines were officially called "Riserva Speciale".
- Up through the 1940s, the term "Stravecchia" was sometimes used to designate a reserve.
The term literally means "very old".
- I have high confidence in the entries in bold font, less for the non-bold.
- Clickable entries are linked to a photo of one or more labels for that wine.
- If you have a photo of wine that I do not, or you have a better photo than the one here,
and you would like to contribute your photo, please email it to me (kenvastola "at" gmail.com).
- Please see the notes at the bottom of the page which include more on the
history of the winery and its wines, as well as some wines not listed in the table,
including some Barbarescos made by G. Conterno..
- The Fine Wine Geek has a page on Barberas made by G. Conterno.
- Table Key: N = Non-Reserve, R = Reserve, X = None Made, * = Special Label.
Vintage | Arione | Cerretta | Francia | Monfortino |
2015 | N | N |
N | R |
Vintage | Arione | Cerretta | Francia | Monfortino |
2015 is the first vintage of G. Conterno Barolo Arione.
It is also the first vintage since the early 1970s where
Monfortino isn't entirely from the Francia vineyard.
Vintage | Cerretta | Francia | Monfortino |
2014 | N |
X | R |
2013 | N |
X | R |
2012 | N |
N | X |
2011 | N |
N | X |
2010 | N |
N | R |
Vintage | Cerretta | Francia | Monfortino |
2010 is the first vintage of G. Conterno Barolo Cerretta and
the first vintage where "Cascina Francia" is just "Francia".
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
2009 | X | N | X |
2008 | X | N |
R |
2007 | X | N | X |
2006 | X | N |
R |
2005 | X | N |
R |
2004 | X | N |
R |
2003 | X | N | X |
2002 | X | X | R |
2001 | X | N |
R |
2000 | X | N |
R |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1999 | X | N |
R |
1998 | X | N |
R |
1997 | X | N |
R |
1996 | X | N |
R |
1995 | X | N |
R |
1994 | X | N | X |
1993 | X | N |
R |
1992 | X | X | X |
1991 | X | X | X |
1990 | X | N |
R |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1989 | X | N | X |
1988 | X | N |
R |
1987 | X | N |
R |
1986 | X | X | X |
1985 | X | N,R |
R |
1984 | X | X | X |
1983 | X | N,R |
X |
1982 | X | N,R |
R |
1981 | X | N | X |
1980 | X | N,R |
X |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1979 | X | N,R |
R |
1978 | R* | R |
R |
1977 | X | X | X |
1976 | X | X | X |
1975 | X | X | X |
1974 | N,R |
X | R |
1973 | N,R |
X | X |
1972 | X | X | X |
1971 | N,R |
X | R |
1970 | N,R |
R* | R |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1969 | N,R | X |
R |
1968 | N | X |
R |
1967 | N | X |
R |
1966 | N | X | X |
1965 | N | X | X |
1964 | N,N*,
R* |
X | R |
1963 | X | X | X |
1962 | X | X | X |
1961 | N,R |
X | R |
1960 | ? | X | X |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1959 | R | X |
R |
1958 | N, R |
X | R |
1957 | N | X | R |
1956 | N | X | X |
1955 | N, R |
X | R |
1954 | N | X | X |
1953 | X | X | R |
1952 | N, R | X |
R |
1951 | N,R | X |
R |
1950 | R | X | X |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1949 | N | X | R |
1948 | N | X | R |
1947 | N | X | R |
1946 | N | X | X |
1945 | N | X |
R |
1944 | ? | X | ? |
1943 | X | X | R |
1942 | ? | X | ? |
1941 | N | X | R |
1940 | ? | X | ? |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1939 | N | X | R |
1938 | N | X | ? |
1937 | N,R | X |
R |
1936 | N | X | ? |
1935 | N | X | ? |
1934 | N,R | X |
R |
1933 | X | X | ? |
1932 | X | X | ? |
1931 | N | X | ? |
1930 | N | X | ? |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
1929 | N | X | R |
1928 | N | X | R |
1927 | R | X | ? |
1926 | N | X | R |
1925 | N | X | ? |
1924 | N | X | R |
1923 | N | X | ? |
1922 | X | X | ? |
1921 | N | X | ? |
1920 | N | X | R |
Vintage | Barolo | Cascina Francia | Monfortino |
Table Key: N = Non-Reserve, R = Reserve, X = None Made, * = Special Label.
Notes, History, and Some Non-Barolo Labels
History
- The winery began in 1908 when Giovanni Conterno (I) started an osteria (tavern) and
made wine in the village of San Giuseppe, and significantly expanded when his son,
Giacomo (I), returned from World War I.
During this time, their wine was sold in large barrels in Italy and Argentina
(where Giacomo (I) was born and they still had family).
- According to A Wine Atlas of the Langhe, in the 1920s, father and son (Giovanni and Giacomo)
decided to bottle their best wine as a riserva, and this is how Monfortino was born.
Consistent with this, the Wassermans wrote:
"According to Carlo Petrini, Giuseppe [Giovanni???] Conterno produced his first Monfortino, the 1920,
from grapes grown in the Le Coste vineyard of Monforte."
But then added "Other reports suggest that it was made in 1912.
Giovanni and Aldo Conterno told us they don't recall the date of the first one,
only that it was prior to the First World War."
The Giovanni referred to in this quote is the son of Giacomo not the father, so we refer to him
as Giovanni (II).
The book Barolo: Tar and Roses says that Monfortino was first made by Giovanni in 1912.
I believe the first Monfortino commercially bottled and labeled as such was the 1924.
- Giovanni (I) the father died in 1934. Giacomo (I) ran the winery and the osteria.
- Giacomo Conterno (I) ran the winery until 1961, when he turned it over to his two sons, Giovanni (II)
and Aldo Conterno. The Wassermans report that Giovanni (II) and his father Giacomo made the
1958 Barolos, but that Giovanni made the wines by himself starting in 1959.
This Giacomo passed away in 1971.
- Aldo wanted to experiment with new winemaking techniques, so in 1969, Giovanni and Aldo
Conterno split the winery. Aldo went out on his own, founding
Poderi Aldo Conterno.
- In 1988, Giovanni's youngest son, Roberto Conterno, joined his father in the winery.
Roberto was born in 1968.
- Giovanni Conterno died on 18 February 2004 at the age of 75.
He was widely mourned as one of the giants of Barolo.
Roberto now runs the winery and makes the wine.
- In 2018, Roberto's oldest son, Gabriele Conterno, graduated from Politecnico di Torino with a
degree in aerospace engineering and joined his father to work in the winery.
Barolo and Vineyards
Cascina Francia Vineyard
- In 1974, Giovanni Conterno purchased the entire 14-hectare Cascina Francia vineyard
in Serralunga d'Alba.
Under the new (2010) rules for naming vineyards in Barolo, it is now known only as the
Francia
vineyard.
- Here is a photo of Cascina Francia vineyard
taken from the winery by Rune Rake in 2010.
- At the time of purchase, the land was not being used for vines,
so the entire vineyard was replanted in 1974.
Roberto Conterno was six years old when his father purchased this vineyard.
He told me that he remembers playing in Francia in 1974. It had been replanted with wheat,
but there were a few very old vines there, perhaps too deeply rooted for prior owner to pull out.
- The G. Conterno winery has not used purchased grapes since that time.
No G. Conterno Barolo was made in 1975, 1976, or 1977.
- 1978 was the first vintage in which both Barolos were made exclusively from Cascina Francia
grapes, though the vineyard name did not appear on the Barolo until the 1979 vintage and
it has never appeared on the label of Monfortino.
- Since 1974, when they purchased Cascina Francia, Monfortino has been made only from this vineyard.
In a typical year, the yield from the 5 hectares planted to Nebbiolo in Cascina Francia
is 30 hectoliters per hectare. So about 150 hectoliters are produced.
The juice intended for Monfortino goes into one of 3 botti.
Around 600 cases of Monfortino and 1500 cases of Cascina France are made in a typical year.
All of this changed in 2015, when they bought the Arione vineyard. (See below.)
-
This blog
has a nice story from John Kapon that "Giovanni asked his wife by what means they could consolidate
their business. She logically replied that they should purchase their own vines, nurture the vitis
vinifera themselves to control quality. He discovered a vineyard whose entire crop was being sold
to other growers and its acquisition meant that they gained exclusivity,
Mrs. Conterno reasoning that higher quality and prices would yield financial returns."
Monfortino
- Monfortino is not a vineyard. It is a name invented for their top bottling at some point
early in the 20th Century.
- In each vintage, all Monfortino is from the same lot, usually one botte.
Even if some bottles say "Riserva" while others say "Riserva Speciale" or "Stravecchio",
these are all from the same botte.
There was only one bottling of Monfortino in each vintage, if any; though the bottles
were typically labeled only when readied for sale. Because of this, you will see a mix
of labels in most vintages though at least 1964.
- The selection of grapes for Monfortino typically takes place in the vineyard.
It must be done early in the winemaking process because one of the key differences between Monfortino and
their other bottlings is that there is no temperature control during fermentation of the Monfortino grapes.
- Since 1974, when they purchased Cascina Francia, Monfortino has been made only from this vineyard
(until 2015, when they bought the Arione vineyard, see below).
In a typical year, the yield from the 5 hectares planted to Nebbiolo is 30 hectoliters per hectare.
So about 150 hectoliters are produced.
The juice intended for Monfortino goes into one of 3 botti.
Around 600 cases of Monfortino and 1500 cases of Cascina France are made in a typical year.
A couple of exceptions to this are:
- 2002 when the yields were half and
all the production from Cascina Francia went into Monfortino.
- 2010 when the yields were normal, but two of the three botti
from Francia went into Monfortino.
- 2013 when the yields were normal and all the production
from Francia went into Monfortino.
- 2014 when the yields were only 40% of normal and again all the production
from Francia went into Monfortino.
- In 2015, Roberto Conterno bought 22 acres of the Arione Vineyard which is
adjacent to the Francia vineyard.
- In the 2015 vintage, about one third of the Arione grapes will go into the 2015 Monfortino,
making it the first blended Monfortino since at least the early 1970s.
- It is not clear yet what will be the blend for subsequent Monfortino vintages.
- Monfortino is generally bottled seven years after the vintage.
However the 1978 and 2002 were bottled 8 years after the vintage.
While the 2008 was bottled after only 6 years.
- The Conternos only make Monfortino when they feel the quality warrants it.
- Monfortino is sometimes made in vintages that generally don't have a good reputation
for Barolo in general, but Monfortino can be surprisingly good in these years.
For example, Monfortino was made in 1968, 1969, 1987, 1993, and 2002,
all considered mediocre or even poor quality years for Barolo.
For example, 2002 is a vintage where many producers made no Barolo or only a blended Barolo
(i.e. no single vineyard Barolo). The primary reason for this was a horrible hail storm that
hit La Morra, Barolo, and Castiglione Falletto on 2 September 2002.
However, the 2002 Monfortino is a great wine.
Moreover, no 2002 Francia was made, only Monfortino.
- On the other hand, no Monfortino was made in 1989, arguably the best vintage in
Barolo between 1978 and 1996. The reason for this is not entirely clear.
Giovanni Conterno has stated that it did not have the requisite balance.
I've wondered if that was a euphemism for something worse that happened as the
wine was developing. The Cascina Francia vineyard was hit hard by hail early in 1989.
Initially, Giovanni said he might make no wine at all in 1989!
Eventually, he bottled a Cascina Francia, but at about 30% of his normal total
production of Barolo.
Thankfully, he did, because it's quite a wonderful bottle of wine.
Perhaps not among the best Monfortinos, but among the best Cascina Francia certainly.
- 2016 is another exceptional vintage in which Francia was produced but not Monfortino.
- Note that many of the Monfortino labels from the 1920s to the 1940s say "Extra Barolo".
After that, until the DOC started in the 1960s, many labels did not mention the
word "Barolo".
- The source of the grapes for Monfortino in the years before 1974 (when Giovanni
purchased the Francia vineyard) is not very clear.
- In his Enogea Barolo book
Alessandro Masnaghetti writes that Monfortino "was initially produced from grapes
cultivated in Monforte d'Alba (thus its name), to be precise in the Castlé zone
situated in the heart of the current Le Coste di Monforte MGA."
- It appears the source for Monfortino remained in Monforte at least through 1955,
since I have photos of quarter brentas of
1952 Monfortino and
1955 Monfortino which say
"Produced with Nebbiolo grapes selected and harvested in Monforte d'Alba"
on the back label.
- At some point, they stopped using grapes from Monforte and focused on grapes from
Serralunga. During this time, I believe that Giovanni Conterno purchased grapes
from the Cagnazzo family. The grapes came from a vineyard in southern Serralunga.
I know that this included 1969 and 1970 since Conterno bottled a single vineyard
wine from these grapes. (See "Other Vineyards" below.)
- Note that 1969 is when Aldo Conterno broke from his father and brother and started his
own winery. His primary grape sources have always been in Bussia, which is in
Monforte d'Alba.
- I have also heard that a second source during this period was from a vineyard refered
to as "Marenga". I suspect this is the vineyard known as "Marenca" but I cannot
confirm this.
Cerretta Vineyard
- In 2008, Roberto Conterno bought a three-hectare parcel in the Cerretta Vineyard
in the north of Serralunga d'Alba. (Cascina Francia is in the far south of Serralunga d'Alba.)
- The first two vintages are just labeled 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo
and 2009 Langhe Nebbiolo, not Barolo, because
Roberto Conterno felt that the quality was not yet up to his standards.
- 2010 is the first Conterno vintage from this vineyard to be labeled as Barolo.
Thus, we have updated the table to include Cerretta from 2010 going forward.
- In addition to two hectares of Nebbiolo, Conterno's parcel includes one hectare of Barbera.
A Cerretta Barbera d'Alba was from this vineyard starting in
2008.
Arione Vineyard
- In 2015, Roberto Conterno bought 22 acres of the Arione Vineyard which is
adjacent to the Francia vineyard in the far south of Serralunga d'Alba.
- This vineyard was owned by Gigi Rosso since the 1960s.
According to Monica Larner,
Most of the vineyard was planted in the 1960s
with some replants throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
- The 22 acres includes 15 acres of vines including almost 9 acres of Nebbiolo for Barolo,
about 3 acres of Nebbiolo for Nebbiolo d'Alba (because it is in Roddino not Serralunga,
hence does not qualify as Barolo), and about 3 acres of Barbera (which was removed).
- Bruno Giacosa made a Barolo from Gigi Rosso's grapes in
1971,
1976, and
1978.
- The first vintage of Conterno Barolo Arione is 2015.
- Arione is not a monopole for Conterno since Enzo Boglietti still owns a small strip of the
vineyard near the top.
- In the 2015 vintage, about one half of the Arione Barolo grapes will go into the
2015 Monfortino,
making it the first blended Monfortino since at least the early 1970s.
The other half of the Arione Barolo grapes was bottled as
2015 Conterno Barolo Arione.
- As mentioned above, about 3 acres of the Nebbiolo vines are not in Barolo zone.
These vines are in Roddino not Serralunga, hence these grapes do not qualify as Barolo.
They can be used for Nebbiolo d'Alba.
- When Roberto purchased Arione in 2015, there was some Barbera planted there.
However, Roberto has decided to replant only with Nebbiolo.
There will be no Arione Barbera.
Other Vineyards
- In 1969 and
1970 and perhaps other years,
Giovanni Conterno purchased grapes from the Cagnazzo family.
The grapes came from a vineyard in southern Serralunga.
This wine was labeled
Barolo Sirì Vigna Cagnazzo Giacinto — Serralunga.
- Antonio Galloni reports that Pio Cesare also purchased grapes from this family during
this period.
- "Giacinto" means "Hyacinth", but it can also be a man's first name.
So it is possible that "Cagnazzo Giacinto" is the name of the specific
Cagnazzo family member who owned the vineyard.
- I believe that for many years before they bought the Francia yineyard in 1974,
this family was a major source of grapes for all
Conterno's Barolos, including Monfortino.
Other facts about Barolo bottlings
- In some vintages (up to and including 1985), both a non-riserva Barolo and a Barolo Riserva were made
(not including Monfortino). In these cases, these wines may have been bottled at different times,
but from the same lots of wine. So the only difference between a "Barolo" and a "Barolo Riserva"
is that the Riserva spent more time in cask.
- In 1964, Conterno bottled some Barolo for special customers using an etching by Picasso on the label.
There is both a 1964 Barolo and
a 1964 Barolo Riserva with this label.
- Magnums (1.5 liter bottles) of Monfortino were produced in
1970 by Giovanni Conterno. He also bottled some
1974 Barolo in magnum. These first magnums were corked by hand.
Giovanni was not happy with the result, as too many of these bottles leaked over time.
It was not until the 1982 vintage was ready to be bottled (in 1989) that the winery
acquired a bottling machine that handled magnuns. Starting from the 1982 Monfortino,
every vintage in which Monfortino has been made, that vintage is also bottled in magnums.
Similarly, magnums of (Caascina) Francia were bottled beginning with the 1990 vintage.
- Large bottles (over 10 liters) of Monfortino were produced in some vintages.
Pictures of some very large bottles.
Other Wines: Barbaresco, Nebbiolo d'Alba, Barbera
- The Conternos made a Barbaresco Riserva in several vintages including
1952,
1954,
1955,
1956,
1958,
1961
and 1964,
and a Barbaresco in several vintages including
1961,
1964,
1965,
1967,
1970,
and 1971.
- The Conternos made a Nebiolo Riserva in 1964,
and a plain Nebbiolo in a several vintages including 1967,
1969, 1970, and 1971,
as well as a Nebbiolo d'Alba in 1974.
- The first two years that they owned the Cerretta vineyard, they made a
2008 Langhe Nebbiolo Cerretta and a 2009 Langhe Nebbiolo Cerretta,
because Roberto Conterno felt that the quality was not yet up to his standards for Barolo.
- As mentioned above, about 3 acres of the Nebbiolo vines in the Arione vineyard are not in Barolo zone.
These vines are in Roddino not Serralunga, hence these grapes do not qualify as Barolo.
Roberto used the grapes from this parcel to make a 2015 Nebbiolo d'Alba Arione
which will only be sold for charity.
These vines were ripped out after the 2015 vintage, so it will be some time before
another Nebbiolo d'Alba Arione will be made.
- The Fine Wine Geek has a page on G. Conterno Barbera.
- The Conternos also make a Barolo Chinato.
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