Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva

Barolo DOCG, Italy

Barolo Monfortino Riserva is Italy's most age-worthy wine. Made only in exceptional vintages from the Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga, aged a minimum 7 years in large Slavonian oak — and sometimes released 10+ years after harvest. Monfortino represents Nebbiolo at its most extreme and profound: extraordinary tannin, almost infinite acidity, 50+ year potential in great years. Great vintages: 1958, 1964, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1990, 2010, 2016.

Pairing intelligence

• celebration: Monfortino's legendary power belongs with the finanziera; both are time-intensive expressions of Piemontese tradition
• main: Monfortino's depth and austerity demand a dish of equivalent prestige; beef fillet's lean richness and black truffle's earthy intensity create the complexity this wine requires
• main: Monfortino and white truffle tajarin is the apex of Piedmontese cuisine: two things of unparalleled complexity from the same soil, expressing that soil through different registers
• main: Brasato al Barolo is Piedmont's canonical meat dish. The braising wine should be Barolo; the drinking wine should be Barolo. Monfortino's extreme structure and tannin is softened by the collagen-rich braise; the dish's richness requires the wine's structural assertiveness.
• main: Wild boar's intense gaminess and forest-floor character is the classic match for serious aged Barolo; the polenta's starch softens the tannins and creates a bridge
• main: Braising in Barolo and drinking Barolo is Piedmont's most authentic culinary tradition; Monfortino deserves the finest cut
• main: Monfortino belongs with the greatest veal preparations; braised veal shin with polenta and gremolata at their finest
• cheese: An aged Monfortino at 20+ years develops butterscotch, dried fruit, and earth notes that resonate with aged Grana Padano's crystalline richness