2020 Giacomo Conterno "Monfortino" Barolo Riserva (1.5L)

Professional Reviews

Notes

The 2020 Giacomo Conterno "Monfortino" Barolo Riserva (1.5L Magnum) is a legendary, upcoming release that marks a seductive, hedonistic departure from the strict, chiseled structure of the 2019 vintage. Roberto Conterno’s crown jewel—sourced primarily from the core of the Francia vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba with a 15% component of Arione—is slated for its official release in October 2026. True to its origins, this warm-vintage Monfortino Trades its usual severe, impenetrable youth for a striking sense of immediate elegance, inner perfume, and plushness. In the glass, it displays a bright, translucent garnet color. The nose is extraordinarily fragrant and lifted, offering an aromatic profile of ripe wild strawberries, blood orange, and watermelon rind, seamlessly bound to complex undertones of fresh mint, lavender, sage, and potpourri over a deep base of damp earth and embers. On the palate, the wine delivers immense, full-bodied density and volume, yet it feels entirely weightless and graceful. A tense, vibrant spine of vertical acidity cuts effortlessly through the sweet, resonant red fruit core, while the tannins are remarkably silky, polished, and fine-grained. It finishes with aristocratic persistence, leaving a savory, mouth-watering echo of chalk, dried flowers, and iron.