When this parcel arrived in our warehouse recently, it was like that scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when they opened the Ark. Our faces didn’t melt, but we were definitely blown away by what was inside: six 4-packs of the top ‘cru’ wines from Barolo icon Aldo Conterno. The 4-pack includes three wines from the superb 2012 vintage—single-vineyard wines from the “Cicala,” “Colonello,” and “Romirasco” crus—along with Conterno’s profound Riserva, “Gran Bussia,” from 2006.
These are time-honored collectibles from one of the bluest of Barolo’s blue chips, the Italian equivalent of Grand Cru Burgundy or First Growth Bordeaux. If you are looking for some reference-point wines for your collection (particularly if 2012 is a significant year for you), this is as sure a bet as you can make.
Naturally this offer will appeal most to the Nebbiolo hounds among you, and before we get to the specifics on the wines, here’s a quick refresher on Aldo Conterno: The family’s roots in the Barolo village of Monforte d’Alba go back to the 19th century, and it was Aldo’s father, Giacomo, who was among the first to commercialize bottled Barolo back in the 1920s and ‘30s. The Giacomo Conterno estate, still one of Barolo’s most iconic, is where Aldo and his brother, Giovanni, cut their wine teeth in the ‘50s and ‘60s—but in 1969 Aldo struck out on his own, purchasing a farm called “Il Favot” in Monforte and leaving Giovanni to run Giacomo Conterno. While the Giacomo Conterno winery was/is based in Monforte, its legendary ‘Francia’ vineyard was/is in the neighboring village of Serralunga; Aldo’s vineyards were/are in the ‘Bussia’ hamlet of Monforte, with a little more of a full-south exposure than the west-facing Francia. Traditionally, the Aldo Conterno Barolos are perhaps a little burlier and darkly fruited than the earthy, ethereal Giacomo Conterno wines, though both produce some of the longest-lived wine in the zone.
The Aldo Conterno property is synonymous with the “Bussia” vineyard in Monforte—one of the largest and best-known sites in all of Barolo, of which Cicala, Colonello, and Romirasco are small, contiguous parcels the sit near the crest of the hill. There are subtle differences in soils and aspects among the three, although their overall orientation is south/southwest and the soils are bluish marls rich in calcium carbonate and iron. These are powerful, concentrated, long-aging wines from old vines—an average of 50 years across the three—and they are treated more or less equally in the cellar, undergoing 28-30 months’ aging in large Slavonian oak casks. “Gran Bussia,” Conterno’s epic riserva, is made only in select vintages (there’ve been about 20 released since the first one in 1970) and contains grapes from all three crus (typically about 70% Romirasco). It is macerated on its skins longer and spends a longer period in oak and bottle before release—it typically doesn’t enter the market until 8 (!) years after the vintage year.
The power of these wines may be unrivaled anywhere in the wine world: they are brooding, smoky, leathery beasts in their youth, evolving beautifully over time to reveal all the toe-curling charms of the Nebbiolo grape: dried cherry, tobacco, blood orange peel, rose petals, anise, and so, so much more. A properly stored bottle will age for 30 years with ease, and we’d recommend forgetting about these for at least ten before diving in. If your budget allows, these are can’t-miss additions to a great cellar.
