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All tasting notes
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.5 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 32 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 8/20/2018 & rated 95 points: Started tannic and tight, but became great once it opened with air time. Still very young. 95+ (2749 views) | | | Tasted by The Vines That Bind on 5/23/2018 & rated 90 points: G. Conterno v. B. Giacosa (Maialino): Similar to the ‘90 at first: dark, vegetal, unpleasant. Coming back there is some freshness over dark black and red fruit. Still difficult to get a good read on. (3328 views) | | | Tasted by rlove on 4/15/2018 & rated 94 points: Dark ruby. Big, brooding nose of sappy balsamic, iron, and cherry brandy. Big and brooding on the palate too, but balanced, because try as it might, the 1989 Cascina Francia's better angels overcome its darkness. Finishes long and broad with flavors of cherry and iron. Should drink well for another 8-10 years.
(Hail was problematic in 1989 and Conterno did not make a Monfortino.) (2858 views) | | | Tasted by plitton on 6/11/2017 & rated 95 points: Spectacular. Masculine, rich, brooding. Easily has another 10 years of bottle aging. (3412 views) | | | Tasted by ricknat1 on 2/24/2017 & rated 96 points: With Jim, Mannie, Rob, Bill and friends at Charlie Bird. Part of a flight of 9 1989s. they bottled no Monfortino this year and this is a special wine. Very bright and fruit forward like a cross between the two wines so was more ready than some of the others (1755 views) | | | Tasted by cct on 2/24/2017 & rated 96 points: Tucson Nebbiolo Winter Escape 2017
Double decanted in the AM. Drunk over a few hours slowly.
Deep pitched and brooding with dark Serralunga fruit. this is large framed and imposing but terribly well balanced. A towering wine. meaty and balsamic, with some black licorice/ iodine dark undertones, and dark nebbiolo fruit, all delivered with a sense of deft power. This is youthful still, with great promise. I would love to drink this again in 10-15 years. when I suspect will be monumental. Tom and I finished off the bottle as we tried to solve the world's problems until after midnight. Majestic and impressive now and destined for greatness I suspect. 96+ (2296 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 2/24/2017: Deep and dark but not particularly expressive. Not the best bottle (2798 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 12/22/2016 & rated 94 points: A lost Friday afternoon gathering – 96 Oeno, 99 Roumier BM, 13 Ente VV, 95 Rayas, 90 Chap (BlackSalt, Washington DC): Very iron driven nose displaying yellow cherry, cherry brandy, a hint of rust, balsamico, leather, licorice, tar, roasted chestnut, and steely mineral. Fully integrated harmonious palate, lean/steely, slightly rustic, good concentration and a long cherry and iron driven finish. The wine clearly displays the cantina style yet it seems a bit too straightforward. (2620 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 9/28/2016 & rated 94 points: A dense wine but certainly open and accessible at this point. Great soil tones, dry cherry and coal dust. Attractively dirty and barnyardy in the background. Needed one hour after opening to fully emerge. 94+ (1899 views) | | | Tasted by plitton on 6/3/2016 flawed bottle: Baked. Sherry. (1776 views) | | | Tasted by ricknat1 on 6/10/2015 & rated 96 points: Wine of the flight. This is a very big wine. rich, deep and massively dense and totally drinkable right now. This was a year they made no Monfortino but this bottle lives up to the highest standard (2579 views) | | | Tasted by bill00 on 6/9/2015 & rated 94 points: BYO Barolo Dinner (Campagna at the Bedford Post Inn): Black-fruited and loaded with tar. A very dark and dense Barolo. I thought this was excellent though others liked this even more. (2974 views) | | | Tasted by SteveHyde on 10/29/2014 & rated 98 points: Stunning Barolo. Near perfect. (2766 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 1/18/2014 & rated 97 points: The nose was deep, rooted in the earth with iron and minerals, yet dark and imposing as rich black cherry, licorice and dried roses gave contrast to rock dust and black soil tones. You could sense that as much as this wine was willing to give, there was still so much more being held in reserve. On the palate, balsamic notes gave way to dark fruit and inner floral perfumes, yet the wine’s muscle and girth seemed to be working hard (yet in a futile manner) to try and keep it all concealed. The finish was filled with strawberry, tar and tobacco notes in a long, youthful expression. This is a wine that anyone who considers themselves a fan of Barolo must taste at one point in their lives. (4432 views) | | | Tasted by kenv on 1/15/2014 & rated 96 points: 1989 Barolo and Barbaresco Single Blind (I Trulli Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted around 11am.] Big black fruit licorice nose. A big sweet wine in the mouth, with loads of chocolaty tannins, licorice and violets. Quite young, but clearly great. Probably WOTN and with another 2 decades of life ahead. (4111 views) | | | Tasted by kenv on 6/28/2013 & rated 97 points: NK Arrivederla Liz Nicholson (Maialino Restaurant, NYC): [Decanted at 8pm.] Nose is earthy and mature but the palate is youthful. This is a brilliant young wine. A bottle like this might be 100 points in 10 more years, it is that good. Staggering. 97-?? points. (2967 views) | | | Tasted by Matt Neel on 3/20/2013: Dinner at Yann's (Flatiron, NYC): Shockingly deep blood, a touch of brick but I suspect that's just Nebbiolo, not age. A rather snarly nose, grippy, somewhat volatile, and very very very unready; meat and iron. The palate is a little more forgiving than the nose, but not much. Extremely tannic, a ferocious beast 20 years from ready. Savage and massive; colossally structured. Not a thing wrong here, just hold it. This would have benefited from 12-24 hours double-decanting. Spectacular like K2 -- discrete and deadly. (3622 views) | | | Tasted by kenv on 3/8/2013 & rated 96 points: 1989 Barolo (NoMad Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted mid-afternoon. Tasted about 10pm.] Meaty iron ore and cherry nose. Big and quite structured in the mouth. Still lots of tannin, but great red fruit on the finish. One of my top 3 tonight. (4283 views) | | | Tasted by vespa110 on 4/16/2012 & rated 75 points: Color mattone , naso terziario con una nota di liquerizia dolce, bocca ormai al capolinea, non era sgraziato ma la sua giovinezza è passata da molto.
Peccato. (3283 views) | | | Tasted by taiwanreef on 1/3/2012 & rated 96 points: This was the 3. bottle of this afternoon, in the glass the most mature nose, may be a little bit to mature in the first moment, after 20 minutes the nose became better and better, sweet cherries and only few floral old notes, in the mouth more power than Mascarrello Monprivato 90, many different tastes in the mouth, perfekt Barolo, very nice afternoon, perfekt bottles, Barolo pure! (3200 views) | | | Tasted by Jossik on 12/10/2011 & rated 96 points: Colore più scuro ma trasparente, inizialmente chiuso, naso di fragola tenue, radici, tartufo, molto indietro, giovanissimo. Nel tempo poi erbe con rosmarino. Bocca ampia, piena, ricca con tannino fitto e dolce, soprattutto nella chiusura (2896 views) | | | Tasted by Rupert on 9/21/2011 & rated 90 points: Mixed Barolo and Barbaresco 1958-1990 (River Café, Hammersmith, London): Oaky, dense, masses of tannin, not really approachable, but quite fine (3184 views) | | | Tasted by JJL on 4/8/2010 & rated 87 points: Real let-down compared to the last bottle I tried. Tomato, prunes, soy, falls off a cliff and end with a metallic finish (3040 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 3/28/2010 & rated 98 points: Giacomo Conterno, Cascina Francia Barolo tasting 2010 (Maialino, NYC Lexington and 21st): The nose showed dried red fruits, tar, mushroom broth, a bit of black strap molasses and a hint of barnyard. Showed a gorgeous structure on the palate that gives the impression that this wine will last the ages. Still a little tight with a tannic grip but giving none the less with dark red fruit and a mineral core. Finish was long and fine, showing sour cranberry. This was the wine of the night for me. (5344 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 11/18/2009: Showed bright sour cherry, sage and florist shop on the nose. The palate was full and soft with cherries, cedar and tobacco with a long finish. Just coming to age. (2704 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Piedmont’s Glorious 1989 and 1990 Vintages Revisited (Feb 2010)
(Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Giacomo Conterno Vertical Tasting (Jul 2005)
(Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia) Subscribe to see review text. | By Lyle Fass
Rockss and Fruit (5/4/2005)
(Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia) I think I am an '89 Barolo type of guy. This blew my socks off. Incredibly concentrated wine with great density and sweet fruit. Huge in the mouth with some major structure. Nose was incredibly complex and very floral. Lots of those Cascina Francia hot rocks, tar and minerality. Profound wine. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Rockss and Fruit. (manage subscription channels) |
| Giacomo Conterno Producer website
Ken Vastola's fabulous guide to G. Conterno labels
Praelum: “Arguably the King of Barolo. No wine journey is complete without the tasting of one of the great Conternos. ‘Only premium quality can bring prestige to the Langhe.’ Giovanni Conterno taught his two sons Giacomo and Roberto after World War I to ferment and age wines in Bottis with prolonged maceration and ageing. The brothers split in 1969 and Giacomo started investing in his own vineyards since 1974. The wines of Cascina Francia, Monfortino and recently, Ceretta from Serralunga d’Alba are amongst the finest expressions of Nebbiolo that the wine world has ever seen. 4-6 years ageing usually.”NebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerCascina Francia On weinlagen-infoItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
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