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Red

1978 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino Speciale

Nebbiolo

  • Italy
  • Piedmont
  • Langhe
  • Barolo
(Add Drinking Window)
CT97.4 27 reviews
1978
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Community Tasting Notes 27

  • Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 97 points

    February 2, 2024 - Vinous Monfortino Dinner with Roberto Conterno; 2/1/2024-2/2/2024 (Legacy Records, NYC): The '78 is a wine I have dreamed of tasting, and it did not disappoint, although even so I found myself preferring the more recent vintages. This is such a youthful, vibrant wine that will seemingly be immortal with proper storage. On the nose, I found dark red cherry fruit, iron / blood, roast meats, balsamic spices, and a hint of VA. On the palate, the wine is so youthful, full in body with the tannins having largely integrated by now, creating a perfect mouthfeel. Dark red fruit, leather, balsamic, sweet spices, and iron are among the many notes in this complex wine. As with most of the wines, there is a perfect blend of fruit and savory characteristics and the wine is very vibrant with high acidity.

  • fclarity wrote: 95 points

    May 22, 2023 - Tasted blind, this wine had a deep red center with light red / orange rims. The medium intensity nose put forth cola, black cherry, black spices, and fresh tobacco.

    In the mouth, this wine was rich, balanced, and showed notable rounded tannin. It seem a touch tight even though it had received several hours of air.

    This wine came across like a heavy duty Burgundy until some of the Nebbiolo flavors started to show themselves. It was beautiful and I would expect it to improve over the next 10 years and last many decades.

  • Mentat Likes this wine: 98 points

    February 5, 2022 - 1978 Piedmont Horizontal:

    All bottles opened 12 hours in advance for bottle breath.

    Dark and brooding at first even after 12 hours of bottle breath. Then waves of balsamic-laced fruit hits you head-on, very deep but lifted. Laser focus mid-palate opens to impressive finish that goes on and on. This bottle feels so young and has the stuffing to go on for another 20 years with ease.

    Noble and fascinating.

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • The_Cat Likes this wine: 99 points

    March 24, 2021 - Did need 3 hours decanting but then great overwhelming complex nose lots of different fruits first layers of mushroom and truffle dark chocolate and sweet spices a great wine with a glorious future. Still grippy tannins and endless finish.

  • englishman's claret wrote: 94 points

    October 28, 2019 - Huge nose - super effusive red cherry, cocoa power, and spice, but unfortunately marred by a bit of VA. Good, but not profound.

1 - 5 of 27 More notes

Pro Reviews 13

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Vinous

  • By Antonio Galloni
    La Festa del Barolo 2015 (Apr 2015), 2/1/2015 (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

  • By Antonio Galloni
    Vinous Table: Hurricane Sandy Charity Dinner at The Modern (Jan 2014) (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

View From the Cellar

  • By John Gilman
    May/Jun 2012, Issue #39, Revisiting the 1978 Piemonte Vintage: A Great Set of Wines Really Starts to Stir

    (Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva Speciale - Giacomo Conterno) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

  • By Antonio Galloni
    9th Annual Wine Dinner and Auction to Benefit The Mount Sinai Hospital (Feb 2012) (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Speciale Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

View From the Cellar

  • By John Gilman
    Sep/Oct 2008, Issue #17, Cantine Giacomo Conterno: Piemonte Pillar of Excellence and Tradition

    (Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva Speciale - Giacomo Conterno) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

  • By Antonio Galloni
    A Memorable Evening of Barolo and Barbaresco: 1978 – 1990 (May 2006) (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

  • By Antonio Galloni
    An Unforgettable Winter Dinner: Barolo 1958 – 1998 (May 2006) (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

View From the Cellar

  • By John Gilman
    Jan/Feb 2006, Issue #1, 1978 Barolo: A Legendary Vintage in Full Bloom

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva “Monfortino”) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

  • By Antonio Galloni
    Vintage Retrospective: The 1978 Barolos and Barbarescos (Jan 2006) (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

  • By Antonio Galloni
    Four Decades of Barolo: Wines of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s (Oct 2005) (link)

    (Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

Vintage Tastings

  • By John Kapon
    21 Vintages of Monfortino with Roberto Conterno and the 12 Angry Men, 5/16/2005

    (Robert Conterno Barolo Monfortino) Subscribe to see review text.

View From the Cellar

  • By John Gilman
    Bonus Articles, Barolo “Monfortino”- Giacomo Conterno (April 2004)

    (Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva Speciale- Giacomo Conterno) Subscribe to see review text.

  • By John Gilman
    Bonus Articles, Piemonte (tasted 2002-03)

    (Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva Speciale- Giacomo Conterno) Subscribe to see review text.

Wine Definition

  • Vintage 1978
  • Type Red
  • Producer Giacomo Conterno
  • Varietal Nebbiolo
  • Designation Riserva Monfortino Speciale
  • Vineyard n/a
  • Country Italy
  • Region Piedmont
  • SubRegion Langhe
  • Appellation Barolo

Community Holdings

  • Pending Delivery 12 (3%)
  • In Cellars 338 (72%)
  • Consumed 119 (25%)

Food Pairing

No food pairings available.

Who Likes This Wine

100% Like It  9 votes

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