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 Conterno family’s vineyards are situated on the hill of Bussia in Monforte d’Alba. The grapes for this wine come from vineyards no more than 20 years old. The grapes from older vineyards are used to produce Conterno’s Barolo.
Vinification
Fermentation occurred in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 26-28°C. Pumping over did not occur, instead horizontal tanks with constantly rotating mechanised paddles were used to achieve good extraction and colour. The must remained on the skins for five days and then it was racked off to finish the fermentation. The wine remained for five to six months in stainless steel vats. It was racked several times and then put into 100% new oak barriques (of Allier, Troncais, Nevers and Vosges oak) where it remained for 18 months. The wine was aged in bottle for another year before release.