The Monfortino Tasting of My Life

The Story of Giacomo Conterno and Monfortino

Let me begin with a short introduction to the history of Giacomo Conterno and his flagship wine, Monfortino.

Even though Giacomo Conterno is one of the biggest legends in the world of wine and hardly needs an introduction, I still believe he deserves one.

I can hardly hide my love and excitement for Conterno’s wines. I’ve experienced the magic firsthand — twice — inside the sacred and near-impossible-to-visit halls of Roberto Conterno in Monforte d’Alba. Roberto has led the Conterno estate since 2004 and has masterfully continued the style with deep respect for tradition.

Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino is simply in a league of its own and is considered by many to be the greatest Barolo — perhaps even the greatest Italian wine — ever made.

Monfortino was first produced in the 1920s, long before Barolo became the prestigious wine region it is today. Back then, it was a poor area where locals farmed mixed crops, fruit, grains, and vegetables — mostly to survive and sell locally.

Producing and bottling wine beyond one’s own household was not common — and Conterno was one of the very first to create and release a Barolo Riserva.

Back then, they didn’t even own their own vineyards. Giacomo bought grapes from different plots (mainly in the eastern part of Barolo). Over time, production grew, and more like-minded farmers began to believe in the region’s potential. It wasn’t until 1974 that Giacomo acquired his first vineyard specifically for wine production: Cascina Francia. This marked a turning point for Monfortino, which then became a single-vineyard wine from Francia. That continued until 2015, when Monfortino once again became a blend from multiple vineyards owned by the family — including Ceretta and Arione. A fascinating development that shows Conterno is always evolving.

Monfortino is a wine with enormous aging potential (many say up to 100 years), and it is usually only produced in excellent vintages with exceptional grapes. But there are exceptions — even in average vintages like 2002 and 2014, Conterno created Monfortino wines that scored very highly with critics.

Monfortino differs from Conterno’s other Barolos in several key ways. First, fermentation is done without modern temperature control. Also, barrel aging in large traditional botti is significantly extended — typically 6–7 years.

The Evening's Line-up

Now, onto the tasting itself — an extraordinary lineup:

• Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2004

• Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2006

• Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2007

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1996

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1997

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1998

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1999

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2000

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2001

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2002

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2004

• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2006

First Flight: Cascina Francia 2004, 2006, 2007

The tasting began with a “small” calibration — important to prepare both the palate and the frame of reference. So we started with Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo “Francia” in vintages 2004, 2006, and 2007.

Francia is by no means an everyday Barolo (though one might wish it were). It’s also among the most powerful Barolos of the modern day — so here's a glimpse of our impressions:

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2004

The first glass of the evening opened with fully mature fruit and a slightly rusty, metallic feel. Notes of camphor, tobacco, smoke, and pepper. The overall impression was archetypically traditional Barolo — with distinct tannins and fine acidity.

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2006

The 2006 vintage showed itself to be a bigger wine, with strong structure and less development than the 2004. It was gripping and generous with notes of rose petals, coffee, a hint of rubber, and ripe plums. A more clean and harmonious wine than the 2004. Without decanting, it still gave much — and likely had more in reserve.

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2007

2007 was a hot, dry vintage in Barolo, and expectations weren’t as high as for 2004 or 2006. But the 2007 surprised with its red fruit, charm, and openness. Bursting from the glass with notes of mint, black tea, and sweet cherries — the most “seductive” wine of the set.

A truly exciting opening set. Everyone at the table was debating between ‘04 and ‘06 — but in the end, the charm of the ‘07 stole the show. It simply stood out as the wine that seduced our palates the most.

Calibrated and ready, we moved on to the first Monfortinos...

Second Flight: Monfortino 1996–1998

Now it was time for Monfortino — starting with the vintages 1996, 1997, and 1998. This was a highly anticipated flight, especially due to the eternal rivalry between ‘96 and ‘97.

1997 is often known as the big, almost opulent “Parker-style” year, where many wines (like Gaja’s single-vineyard Barbarescos) earned perfect scores. But some questioned their longevity...

1996 was cooler, more structured and pure — a vintage where producers like Giacosa made some legendary wines. Hopes were high.

1998 was expected to be the weaker of the three — standing a bit in the shadow of the other two.

But the defining trait of this flight was how the wines showed more evolution than expected. If tasted blind, one might guess they were a decade apart — not just three consecutive vintages.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1996

A lovely nose of vermouth, fallen fruit, sweet tomatoes, and brown sugar. The taste was fine but dominated by acidity — feeling unbalanced compared to expectations. A bit disappointing. Moving on...

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1997

This showed better balance and performed beautifully for a hot vintage. Notes of cigar smoke, blood orange, and a malty undertone. While some at the table still preferred ‘96, most agreed ‘97 came out ahead.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1998

The youngest-feeling wine of the three — age-appropriate, especially for Monfortino. Lower acidity than the others, almost soft, with classic Barolo notes: vanilla, licorice, pipe tobacco. A beautiful surprise that exceeded expectations in this set.

The 1998 wasn’t a monumental wine, but it outshined the others in a set that, frankly, disappointed.

Third Flight

The first two flights hadn’t given us cause to break out the big superlatives, and the mood was slightly deflated. Where was the Monfortino magic?

Now came the third set: vintages 1999, 2000, and 2001 — and this brought a clear lift in spirits.

Before we dive in, it's worth noting that all the bottles came from the same collector and were in perfect condition, so differences weren’t due to provenance or storage.

And here — finally — we got to taste magic.

On paper, 1999 and 2001 are monumental vintages in Piemonte, likely sitting on a beautiful plateau now. 2000, being a hot and dry year, was expected to fall between the two. But it turned out to perform surprisingly well and charmed its way through the set.

All three wines were a delight — and once again, the warm vintages proved themselves. Around the table, the debate was lively: was 1999 or 2001 better? It ended with a split, about 60/40.

Personally, I preferred 2001 — crisp, tight, and expressive. A wine that took the win by the smallest of margins.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 1999

This was a wine in quintessential Serralunga style. Huge complexity with nearly endless layers of flavor. Very intense, with notes of campfire smoke and a cascade of dried spices. Still young and fresh — could easily age for another 40 years. A truly magnificent wine with superb balance.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2000

A positive surprise! This wine was elegant and intense, without any trace of heat or over-ripeness. Notes of flowers, tobacco, crushed stones, and a clear mineral drive. It jumped out of the glass with charm and finesse — and definitely held its own.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2001

This wine shined. Constantly evolving in the glass with each breath of air. Tightly wound and in need of decanting, but bursting with notes of anise, tar, mint, rose petals, and damp forest floor. A stunning wine — uplifting acidity and a natural flow that made it my personal favorite of the flight.

Fourth Flight

The excitement was high ahead of the final flight of the evening, featuring Monfortino 2002, 2004, and 2006. The lighter mood was now replaced by a sense of focused anticipation.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2002

The 2002 vintage has a very special story, as it was a disastrous year in Piemonte. Many producers chose not to bottle any Barolo at all.

So when Conterno released Monfortino in 2002, it was nothing short of sensational. Some were stunned, others skeptical…

But his decision proved absolutely right. The 2002 was a brilliant glass, perfectly balanced and almost Burgundian in character. It lacked the typical Monfortino tannin and acidity structure — instead, it was seductive, silky, and almost “Lady in Red” in expression.

Notes of milk chocolate, crushed violets, orange peel, dried roses, and mint. A wine with deep complexity, unique personality, and exceptional charm. Not classic — but utterly captivating.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2004

This was a particularly exciting comparison, since we had tasted Francia 2004 earlier that evening.

And here, Monfortino clearly outclassed Francia — more elegant, more balanced, and vastly more complex. It was obvious this was a selection of the best fruit from Francia.

Licorice root, menthol, cherries, wrapped in a balsamic layer giving it umami depth. This is a broad-shouldered powerhouse. Honestly, it was possibly the greatest wine of the night, with immense ageing potential.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2006

Another fascinating comparison — now with Francia 2006 earlier in mind.

Surprisingly, Monfortino 2006 was more open and accessible than expected — even softer than Francia. Most had assumed this would be a sleeping giant.

Notes of vanilla, black cherries, leather, graphite, and a full cigar ashtray. Complex, deep, and expressive.

Overall, a fantastic flight — and a split decision around the table.

Monfortino 2002 stood out for its openness and seductive charm.

Monfortino 2004 was the beast — immense, structured, and profound.

Monfortino 2006 showed unexpectedly well — wide open and engaging.

As a sidenote, I’d compare Monfortino 2004 to Soldera’s Case Basse: a wine that is both a powerhouse and supremely elegant — with that rare lift and grace few wines achieve.

Conclusion

We talked a lot about which wine was the best, and there was consensus that Monfortino 2002 was the biggest surprise of the night — it really tasted fantastic.

There’s no denying that Monfortino 2004 is probably the greatest wine, but it’s also clear that it’s far too early to drink it now.

Therefore, I’d point to Monfortino 2001 as the best wine of the tasting, based on the drinking experience right here and now.

As mentioned earlier, several others favored Monfortino 1999, and that particular battle was decided by the narrowest of margins.

A magical wine evening — and without a doubt, the Monfortino tasting of my life — had come to an end. A night full of surprises, and most importantly, one where we were lucky enough to feel the Monfortino magic.

Tasting them side by side like this — it’s something I’ll never forget. And I can only recommend: if you have bottles of Giacomo Conterno yourself, and perhaps know other collectors with complementary vintages in their cellars, join forces and experience a vertical together.

Giacomo Conterno Monfortino is a wine I truly hope all wine lovers get the chance to taste at least once. And despite its rarity, bottles are regularly available here on the marketplace.

If you’d like to learn more about the Barolo legend above them all, you can continue your deep dive in our portrait of Giacomo Conterno.

Thank you for reading.