Diego Conterno - Barolo Monforte d'Alba 2017
Diego Conterno Description
A rising star in the southern reaches of the Barolo zone, Diego Conterno and his son, Stefano, craft elegant, lively Nebbiolo wines in Monforte d’Alba.
Trained by Piedmont legend Beppe Colla years ago at Prunotto, Diego with his cousins helped establish Conterno-Fantino in 1982. After nearly two decades of crafting bold wines at this modern Barolo estate, Diego felt it was time for him to explore a more natural expression of Nebbiolo.
He left the family project to start his own in 2000, bringing with him from his family’s holdings a nearly five-acre plot in ‘Ginestra,’ unquestionably Monforte’s top cru. In 2010, his son Stefano joined the estate, adding a new energy and focus to its already growing reputation for quality in Monforte.
Crucially, Diego Conterno wines “blend the energy and brawn of Monforte with the translucence of traditionally inspired winemaking,” says Antonio Galloni. Rich and potent yet utterly suave in perfume and flavor, wines across the board are made naturally, fermented on indigenous yeasts in neutral cement tanks and aged in traditional large oak cask (botti). All vines are cared for organically.
Vinous Media: 94 Points
The 2017 Barolo de Commune di Monforte d'Alba is a gorgeous, beguiling wine. Readers will find a Barolo that expresses all of the balsamic, spiced character typical of Ginestra Barolos but without the heft that can make some wines forbidding. Transparent, gracious and super-expressive, Conterno's 2017 is all class. Don't miss it.
