Producer
Aldo Conterno is one of the historic names of Italian wine. The Conterno family has been making wine in Monforte since at least the 1700s. Aldo’s grandfather, Giovanni Conterno, founded his own winery in 1908 which was then run by his son, Giacomo. After a stint in the USA in the 1950s, Aldo worked with his older brother Giovanni in this winery until he decided to strike out on his own in 1969. Aldo’s three sons now make the wine (Stefano) and run the business (Franco and Giacomo). Over the years, production has been deliberately reduced and the family now produces 80,000 bottles rather than the 200,000 produced in 1998.
Vineyards
The Cicala vineyard faces south south-west and is approximately 50 years old. It is 100% owned by the Conterno family. Its soils are predominantly clay and calcareous, rich in chalk and iron. The vineyard is planted with Nebbiolo, primarily with its principal sub-variety, Lampia on the Rupestris du Lot rootstock.
Vinification
Fermentation was started in stainless steel vats with temperatures not exceeding 28°C and finished in oak. Maceration lasted five to six weeks. After three to five months in stainless steel, the wine was transferred to big Slavonian oak casks, where it was aged for 32 months before bottling. Stefano uses 25 hectolitre casks because he feels these offer the right balance between oak and wine. The casks are scraped clean every two years to ensure hygiene and slow micro-oxidation and are used for eight years at the most.