Giacomo Conterno Barolo "Cerretta" DOCG 2020
(Piedmont, Italy) - [WA 97] [VM 96]

About the Winery:
The Conterno crown jewel, Monfortino, is not only arguably the greatest Barolo; it was also the very first Barolo made in what has come to be known as the classic style.

At the time that Giovanni Conterno’s father Giacomo served in World War I, Barolo was generally sold in either cask or demijohn, meant for early drinking. But when Giacomo returned from the war, he decided to create a Barolo with immense aging potential. His first wine was a 1920 Barolo Riserva, and he soon adopted the name Monfortino in honor of his home village Monforte d’Alba.

For the next 54 years, Giacomo—and then his son Giovanni—made Barolo in much the same way. Two Barolos were made, always from purchased grapes, the main distinction being fermentation technique and time in cask.

Giovanni left the world many great vintages of Barolo, including 1964, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1990, 1996, 1999 and 2001. But possibly his greatest legacy was to hand over his important work to his gifted son Roberto. A brilliant winemaker in his own right, Roberto not only shares his father’s gifts but is equally determined to uphold his family’s traditions. He could have followed other young Langhe winemakers into modernism, but he never will. In his words, the wines of Giacomo Conterno will always belong to the generations that came before him.

About the Wine: 
2 ha of Nebbiolo from a primarily western-exposed portion of Cerretta. 
Fermented 3-4 weeks in wooden vats with regular breakingup of the caps.
Aged 4 years in large cask.

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
Showing muscle and brawn, the Giacomo Conterno 2020 Barolo Cerretta stands apart thanks to its richer texture. There is more stuffing and volume in this expression from Serralunga d'Alba with layers of dark fruit, rusty nail and bitter orange marmalade (with highlights of sweetness and sourness). In the case of the Cerretta, you get an extra layer of intensity that is delivered alongside beautiful velvety tannins. That feeling reminds me of the soft skin on animal antlers. The 2020 vintage will be remembered for elegance, and 2019 is noted for its heftier structure. Roberto Conterno says that the upcoming 2021 vintage is a mix of both. 2027 - 2055

96 Points - Vinous Media: 
"The 2020 Barolo Cerretta is a potent, packed wine. Today, the tannins are especially imposing and also larger in scale than the other Barolos in this range. Dark red-toned fruit, orange peel, white pepper and crushed rocks all race out of the glass. This is a wine for those with patience.” – Antonio Galloni (Jan 2024)