NV Monfortino @ Ai Fiori, NYC, 2/11/2026

Neb Vinous Conterno Monfortino Barolo Riserva
@ Ai Fiori, NYC, 2/11/2026

A group of Neb Heads (most of them from the Nebbiolo group formed through the Vinous forum) met to check out ten vintages of Giacomo Conterno Monfortino Barolo Riserva. For a lot more information on this producer and these wines, see the Fine Wine Geek Giacomo Conterno page.

Ai Fiori is one of my favorite restaurants. The food and service are always top notch. We had a fairly quiet round eight-top in a corner. We all ordered the Four Course Prix Fixe menu where we got to choose an appetizer, a half pasta, a main, and dessert (with an option of a cheese plate). Below are the dishes I ordered.

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Starters
Focaccia served with a pot of white bean purée with extra virgin olive oil:

2018 Nervi Jefferson 1787 Rosato Dosage Zero - Italy, Piedmont, Vino da Tavola
[Pop and pour.] An interesting wine made from 100% Nebbiolo. No dosage, but still seems sweet. I mean sugar sweet, not just fruit sweet. Pleasant to drink. (88 points)
1999 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
[Pop and pour.] Wow! This is Champagne! Gorgeous nose of fresh baked bread. Stunning in the mouth. Long, complex, expansive. One of the best Champagnes I have ever had. (97 points)

Flight 1: 1974, 1988, 1990
Beef Tartare: Hand-cut prime top round, shallot crema, cornichon, baguette.

1974 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino Speciale - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 2pm.] Dried red fruit in the nose with just a hint of oxidation. Sour cherries and tannin. Long and complex, but the oxidation is more prominent in the mouth. Lovely, but drink up! (93 points)
1988 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Corked. :( (NR/flawed)
1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 8pm the night before.] Nose of sweet black fruit, licorice and tar. It has all the ripe sweetness typical of the vintage, but with the enormous power and structure of Monfortino. Complex with a finish that seems to last forever. I suspect this will continue to be great for several more decades. (99 points)

Flight 2: 1993, 1996, 1997
Epaulettes: Veal breast & reblochon ravioli, butter, hazelnut, black truffle.

1993 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for 2.5 hours around 3pm.] Black fruit and licorice with a hint of oxidation in the nose. Dried cherries and tannin with more oxidation on the finish. Drink up! (92 points)
1996 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 8pm the night before.] Gorgeous nose of black fruit, roses, and tar. Really big and structured. A lot like the 1990 but with more tannin and structure. Super long complex finish. This might not peak for another 20 years and will surely last another 40. (97–99 points)
1997 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for 2.5 hours around 3pm.] Lovely nose of sweet red and black fruit with some menthol. Lots of sour cherries in the mouth, but some other weird flavors. No structure. Others loved this wine. I found it weird and overripe. Judgement reserved.

Flight 3: 1999, 2001
Grilled Duck Breast with red endive, pomegranate, daikon radish, nasturtium.

1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for two hours around 11am.] Stunning ripe red fruit and tar in the nose. Big and ripe. Very good length. Similar to the 1990, but more fruit forward. Like so many 1999 Barolos, this is a joy to drink. Should drink well for at least another 20 years. (96 points)
2001 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for two hours around 1pm.] Stunning nose of red and black fruit and minerals. Huge in the mouth with enormous tannic structure, but plenty of dark ripe fruit to match. An incredible wine of great purity and power that probably won't peak for 20 years. Wow! (99–100 points)

Flight 4: 2006, 2015

2006 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for 1.5 hours around 7:30am. Slow-O for 7 hours at 10am.] Compelling nose of ripe black fruit and roses. Ripe and expansive. More forward than the 90, 96, or even the 99. Long cherry finish. Oodles of sweet fruit. (96 points)
2015 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Opened about 6pm. Tasted about 8:30pm.] Gorgeous bouquet of black fruit, violets and roses. Big, expansive, fragrant. A stunning wine. Like many other 2015s, this is showing so well right now. More open and expressive than any of the previous wines. An incredible joy to drink now. Crazy. So long and fragrant. (97 points)

Dessert
I had the Tiramisu (mascarpone mousse, espresso-soaked ladyfingers, cocoa). It was very good and had quite an espresso kick.

Summary
A monumental wine like Monfortino requires a great meal. When Brad suggested Ai Fiori, we all said yes! This dinner was quite an experience. I think I was most surprised how much Monfortino varied with the vintages. Fascinating.

All the red wines:

People Pix

My tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.