Conterno-Fantino Barolo Vigna Sori Ginestra
| Vintage: | 2020 |
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| Description: | I first fell in love with this family operation, now well over a decade ago, while visiting the Fantinos' sleek winery perched high above the town of Monforte d'Alba for a group tasting event. Conterno-Fantino were part of the Langa-In group of progressive, forward-looking growers and producers that had banded together to promote their inspired vision of organic farming, artisanal production methods and protecting local family traditions to the world. It was at this small tasting, which also included the likes of the late Domenico Clerico, Chiara Boschis, Giorgio Rivetti and others, where I first had the chance to sit down with winemaker (and striker on the Barolo Boys football team!) Fabio Fantino and his sister Elisa to taste through their production of amazing Barolos, all coming from the famed Ginestra cru of Monforte. As a group, these wines showed both the power and breed of this very special vineyard with great energy and great style. They were very, very good, and as Elisa vowed, only getting better. Fast forward to the spring of 2022 when I had another chance to sit down with Elisa at the cantina and, true to her word, the entire lineup had moved to a whole other level- shockingly so! It took a while, but Fabio has truly found his stride in the Conterno-Fantino cellar- gradually scaling back on the French oak and lessening extraction, all the better to focus on the wonderful purity of the fruit they work with. The 2020s are truly brilliant, in a style that melds beautifully with this sort of classic- as opposed to hot- harvest. A lot of this is, of course, because the property itself represents one of the best exposures in the entire Barolo region and, with certified organically-farmed vines dating from as far back as 1971, the raw material is second to none. The family produces three different Barolo bottlings from Ginestra and the ‘ Sori ' or ‘dead-south' exposure represents their flagship, really, I think, their best foot forward. Ginestra, as a whole, is probably the consummate Monforte vineyard, with Barolo's southeastern ancient, almost infertile soils underlying the younger soils that came from the other side of the valley. This incredible heterogeneity lends impressive structure and complexity to the wines from this vineyard and, if you've ever had an old Barolo Ginestra from the likes of Elio Grasso, Clerico or Paolo Conterno, you know how remarkable they can be and how effortlessly they can age. While this effort from Conterno-Fantino has all the power one expects from the site, there is a level of polish and elegance one rarely sees from Ginestra- an almost Burgundian sense of understatement where the cedar, dry earth, cinnamon and anise flavors reveal themselves with rather more restraint and understatement. They form a background to fruit that just pops out from the frame. With the frame of a gymnast, it's built for both power and grace. ‘Ravishing' was just one of my descriptors! And it's a wonderful drink even now! But, true to its Ginestra roots, we're betting the 2020 Conterno-Fantino Barolo Vigna Sori Ginestra is going to be a very long term proposition indeed! Very highly recommended and one of the consummate 2020s!. |
| Price: | $ 109.99 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Prima Vini
| Address: |
1520 North Main Street Walnut Creek, CA 94596 United States |
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| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-707-7462 |
| Fax: | 925-935-0519 |
First added to 1000 Corks on June 19, 2024.
