Barolo Riserva Monfortino

Giacomo Conterno is a widely acclaimed Barolo producer based just outside Monforte d'Alba in the south of the Barolo DOCG zone in Piedmont, northwestern Italy. It is best known for its Cascina Francia and the Monfortino Riserva Barolo labels, 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. The Monfortino Riserva Barolo is only made in excellent vintages and is aged for at least seven years in very large Slovenian oak casks known as "botti". Conterno uses this traditional method to make its wines to avoid excessive vanillin sweetness.