Forget the Ferrari Modulo, and say hello to the Ferrari Conterno. Sleek, powerful and achingly covetable, Giacomo Conterno is what Italian wine enthusiasts like to call dannatamente buono. Producers of probably the best Barolo in Italy (if not the world), with seven years in cask before releasing, Giacomo Conterno’s wines are well worth waiting for.

Three father/son generations of Conternos have paid heed to the family legacy, with each generation adding their signature style. Today it is the turn of Roberto; not only does he share his father’s talent, but he is also in the happy position whereby he can build on his grandfather’s wisdom and experience. Coupled together with an ambitious attitude and a healthy respect for tradition, and you might just be experiencing some of the finest Giacomo Conternos yet.

The famed longevity of the Monfortino Riserva is a legend in its own right. In 1920 Giacomo had just returned for WWI and needed a profession. At the time, Barolo was made for early or immediate drinking but Giacomo, ever the visionist, saw the complex structure of the grapes potential and thus created the first Barolo to be made for ageing. The first bottle he made was the 1920 Barolo Riserva, which soon became the Monfortino Riserva in honour of his village. Life carried on much the same for the next 50 plus years. Giacomo, then later with his son Giovanni, purchased grapes from the region’s lowest yielding farmers, and continued to make superlative Barolos. However, in 1974 all that changed: he purchased a 16-hectare south-west facing wheat field, with the intention of planting Nebbiolo vines. The first vintage made using his own grapes was in 1978 and the rest is history.

Giacomo Contorno is famed for their two Barolos, Cascina Francia and Monfortino. Within the wines made under Giovanni’s command, we find many superb vintages; the 1964, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1996, 1999, and 2001 all spring to mind. But perhaps it was his last vintage, the 2002 that was the ultimate success. Aged for eight years in botti (cask), the Monfortino is nothing short of legendary. The only cuvée to have been produced for that year (i.e. no Cascina Francia was made), it has earned scores of fans worldwide, including the influential Antonio Galloni (while still writing for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) who gave it a whopping 98 points. 2019 selling prices were upwards of €500 a bottle in Europe, almost doubling in Asia and the United States. Recent vintages have yet to reach the stellar heights of the 2002, but at a release price of €60 a bottle in bond for 2019, we expect great things from this great producer.