Barolo DOCG Cascina Francia Giacomo Conterno 1993

Lot presentation

Barolo DOCG Cascina Francia Giacomo Conterno 1993

The wine

Roberto Giacomo produces this wine by leaving the Nebbiolo grape to undergo its alcoholic fermentation in old wooden vats. The subsequent long élevage (4 years) has left the wine with very good potential for keeping. It would benefit very well from a few years' laying down to bring out its full structure and silkiness, enhanced with mineral notes.

Today, it is regarded as one of Italy’s most prestigious estates. The story begins in the early 20th century, when Giacomo Conterno founded the cellar in Monforte d’Alba. Each successive generation added its own contribution, gradually shaping the estate’s identity. Giacomo himself inherited a long winemaking tradition before bottling his own wine, which he initially sold in bulk, as was customary at the time in what is now an illustrious appellation. Later, his son Giovanni elevated the estate’s reputation by deciding to bottle wines made from grapes purchased from neighbouring growers. Around this time, Giovanni and his brother Aldo parted ways, Giovanni choosing to uphold a firmly traditional approach.
Today, and since the late 1980s, Roberto Conterno is at the helm of this prestigious estate. Under his stewardship, the Nebbiolo and Barbera vines located in some of the region’s finest vineyards – Francia, Cerreta, Monfortino – are nurtured with great care following organic principles. In the winery, the approach remains resolutely traditional: the grapes are crushed before fermenting for 20 to 30 days with native yeasts, with regular pump-overs. The wines are aged in old foudres (large wooden tuns) that impart character without excessive oak influence.
The collection exclusively comprises Barolo and Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont wines with exceptional ageing potential.