2016 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Arione

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 95.3 points

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  4/23/2023 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 95 Points

  The ‘16 Arione is promising, but appears to have shut down considerably since 2020 and is in need of a long time in the cellar.
  
  The aromatics were already quite expressive, especially with air and on day 2. By Conterno standards, this is a red fruited, floral and ‘pretty’ wine aromatically. I found dark red raspberry and plum fruits, fresh red roses, tar, and mint, with a beautiful sweetness to the fruit. On the palate, it was a different story entirely, with the wine showing well texturally but very closed off. It is medium to full in body with fine grained but significant tannin and medium to high acidity, very intense at this stage. Dark red plum fruit, red roses, and tar emerge with reluctance. It’s super concentrated, so the aging potential is clearly there. As I recall thinking in 2020, the 2016 Conterno wines are great, but in terms of relative quality, it is lower in this vintage than the surrounding vintages of 2015/2017 - where I believe Conterno made the best wine within the region in both vintages.

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  3/9/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points

  Handily one of the best young Barolos I've ever had. The purity and brightness of the 2016 vintage comes through so well here. The perfume on the nose is extraordinarily intense and intoxicating -- the rose aroma is intense, as well as sweet raspberries and red cherries. On the palate, this is silky in texture with no sharp edges until the finish where the tannins pop out a little bit, which isn't unexpected given that this is young nebbiolo, after all. From what I remember from barrel-tasting the 2015 version, I would give the edge to the 2016. -- it's lighter and more elegant.

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  9/10/2021 - Klugi Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points

  Absolutely captivating Barolo from Conterno. The wine evolves constantly over time (2-4 hours). The bouquet starts right away with cherries, violets and fennel seed, with time the site characteristics and minerality, bacon and iron take over. This wine is an absolute powerhouse with tons of tannins, but they are so fine and smooth. I know this was somehow infanticide, but like most of the 2016 Barolo’s, they are quite approachable when young.
  An hour Later the tannins where more pronounced and additional cherry pit and almond notes evolved.

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  9/8/2021 - vvWine.ch Likes this wine: 94 Points

  2016, Barolo Arione, Giacomo Conterno, Monforte d’Alba, Piemont, Italien (100% Nebbiolo von Kalk- und Sandsteinböden. Südliche Ausrichtung. 21 Tage Mazeration bei 32°, Ausbau während 44 Monaten in grossen Holzfässern aus slawonischer Eiche. 15% Alkohol, 5.35g/l Säure, 30.6g/l Trockenextrakt). In der Nase etwas verhaltener als Cerretta, braucht etwas Zeit, sich zu entwickeln, zeigt dann viele Kirschen, subtile florale Töne, Himbeeren und Süssholz, Hagebutte. Im Gaumen rund und mit einer gewissen Opulenz ausgestattet, jedoch ohne jegliche Schwerfälligkeit, ungemein saftig und knackig in der Frucht, feine, wohl dosierte Tannine, die Säure wirkt stimmig, macht sich am mittleren Gaumen erfrischend bemerkbar und trägt die reife, rote Frucht in einen warm anmutenden, langen Abgang. Für mich nicht ganz auf dem Niveau von Cerretta, doch das ist Kritik auf sehr, sehr hohem Niveau. 2022-2045, 94/100 vvPunkte. vvWine.ch

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  10/28/2020 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 95 Points

  The '16 Arione makes a strong first impression with gorgeous aromatics. I found beautifully sweet, dark red raspberry and red cherry fruit, intense red floral aromas, lavender and other fresh herbs, and pine. The aromatics were cool in tone while showing a soaring expression of sweet red fruit, roses, and herbal tones. On the palate, I found concentrated sweet red fruit and inner floral tones, leading into fresh herbs and then intense minerality on the long finish. The wine showed classic, powerful tannins and is clearly a Serralunga Barolo, but was a bit more elegant than the Francia and featured redder fruit and floral tones, vs. the dark, savory flavor profile of the Francia. It's a gorgeous wine - let's say 95+.

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