An owner and winemaker, Giacomo Conterno, met with us. AC makes over 120,000 bottles (10,000 cases) per year. He was a very engaging and interesting speaker so I started to write down some of his quotes. Clearly he has a passion for making wines but stressed that he is a farmer first.
They use new barrels every year as they want the oxygenation they can achieve with new barrels. A rather expensive proposition with the cost of barrels these days.
“Wine for me is culture” - Giacomo Conterno
When asked about drinking older wines he said, “Sometimes they wines are good but mostly people just drink old wines”. In Giacomo’s estimation 20% of their wines are exported and another 50% are gray marketed.
They have fairly large holdings for a Piedmont winery. In Monforte they have 1730H and another 660H in Barbaresco. Their more famous Crus include Bussia, Colonnello and Cicala.
They made no classified wine in 2002 or 2003 as they did not feel the wines were up to their standards of quality. They did not bottle the 2002 but did bottle some of the 2003. After the 2003 was in the bottle a while they tasted them and sold the lot for table wine. Ouch on that business model.
In a discussion about when to drink the wines Giacomo said "Sometimes people drink good old wines and many times they just drink old wines". Big laugh all around.
Giacomo had some vintage comments about when he thought his wines would mature.
1997 – start drinking them 10-15 years after vintage so start 2007 peak in 2012
1999 – start drinking them in 2008 with a peak of 2017
2000 – start drinking now (2007) with an earlier peak of 2013
2001 – start drinking in 2010 with a peak of 2016
Vintages to age – 1996, 1999, 2001
Vintages to drink – 1998, 2000
Yet another visit where the winemakers mentioned that the 2000 was going to be drinking early (FWIW).
A delightful visit with someone with a passion for his craft and makes wines the way he wants to drink them (when he's much older...).
2004 Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Freisa Masante - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (5/8/2007)
Tasted at the winery; An appertif wine made from the Freisa grape. Clear ruby in color with fresh cherries and a touch of menthol aromas and flavors. Simple but pleasant. €4 from the winery. (85 pts.)2004 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Conca Tre Pile - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (5/8/2007)
Tasted at the winery; Dark ruby color; Plums, spices including nutmeg and cinnamon aromas and flavors. It had high acidity and a slight reductive sulphur (wood) note.“Conca Tre Pile” is the name of the area where these grapes are grown. (87 pts.)2003 Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Nebbiolo Il Favot - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (5/8/2007)
Tasted at the winery; Clear garnet in color; It had an aromatic, floral nose with cherry flavors but a clipped, hot finish. 14.5% stated alcohol but it is really over 15%. This vineyard was harvested early and thus they avoided the problems they had with their 2003 Barolo. “Il Favot” means Pidgeon named for the Pidgeons that they used to hunt on their land some time ago. (87 pts.)
1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (5/8/2007)
Tasted at the winery; Dark, clear ruby in color; Started out a little flat but opened up with time in the glass. This was a blockbuster Barolo with interesting earth and iron aromas and flavors. Overall it was balanced but still had some tannins to resolve before it really reaches its drinking window. You are lucky if you own this wine. The winemaker mentioned that he thought this would start its drinking window in 2008 with a peak about 2017. About $90. (94 pts.)Posted from CellarTracker