Cantina Giacomo Conterno “Paulée” with Roberto Conterno

Back in May I made the annual trip to see Roberto Conterno and taste the new releases at Cantina Giacomo Conterno along with a few other wines (I love my job) you can read about that trip HERE.

One of the things we discussed with Roberto and his, ever helpful, assistant Stephanie was getting them over to London, this we finalised while we were out there, setting dates for July. They had a very busy time while they were here and I have briefly put notes at the bottom of this post about the wines we showed at a press lunch and a private customer dinner.

One of the main things I wanted to do, with not a hint of self interest you understand (much!), was to get some customers together for a small (we were 12 people) Paulee at 67 Pall Mall. The team there, headed by Gareth, did a great job with endless Zalto Burgundy glasses and lots of pouring.

The team in the kitchen did exactly as asked and came up with a simple and non-clashing menu as below. In the nicest possible way I don't think we even noticed the food much!

Fillet of beef Carpaccio, rocket, capers and sourdough croutons

Somerset organic spelt and girolle risotto

Fillet of beef Wellington with beef dripping roasties

Girolles on toast

People were asked to bring along a magnum or two bottles of a wine of Roberto's. I did a little bit of "steering" on the selections and we came up with a cracking combo.

As the guests assembled we started with some Wiston Blanc de Blancs 2010 which is drinking very well right now, a nice combination of zip and a little toastiness showing, the sort of thing I will regret not tucking a few bottles aside of to see what it is like in 5 years or so.

Flight 1 - "Nobody puts Barbera in the corner"
Ok so that's a naff title for a flight but as Roberto never tires of saying "you are not opening a bottle of Barbera or Barolo of even Monfortino...you are opening a bottle of CONTERNO". The Barberas are given every bit of love and attention that the Barolos are and I would say (well I would wouldn't I) that the Conterno Barberas are the most consistently high quality you will find anywhere. I wanted to use this as a chance to show not only the two sites but two different stages of evolution:

Barbera Cascina Francia 2008 - this is a wine I know very well, moreish and becoming more savoury, good mellow grip and dark but not deep fruit. There is a lot of balance here, pretty seamless. Quite serious as Francia always is.

Barbera Cerretta 2012 - this is, like 2008 above, from a cooler, more classically Nebbiolo vintage. The vibrancy of the violets and dark cherry fruit is superb. If I was to drink any Conterno without food as an "aperitif" it would be Cerretta Barbera. Cool stoney minerality seems to get in there too.

Flight 2 - two by two...
So this is a cracking way to get to know two sites. I was keen to show these as they are two different vintages and then the two sites. The site differences showed very clearly. The vintages did too but a little less so. I think this is often the case with great producers.

Barolo Cerretta 2010 Magnum - this is the first Barolo from the site, 2008 and 2009 both being released as Langhe Nebbiolo (the 2008 is stunning right now!). This has a super-charged feel, rich and fruited and with a big structure, there is density and concentration here, lusciousness even sucrosity. This will be fascinating to follow.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2010 Magnum - my note for this features the word "serious" twice. There is a density but this is a linear wine, with drive and poise. I like this a great deal, it is just as I would want it to be, introvert, saline, tight and proper.

Barolo Cerretta 2011 Magnum - this really typifies Cerretta for me, it is friendly and approachable, begs to be drunk. Sweetness and succulence. There is a very Nebbiolo character but also a warm vintage intensity. If you own this it would be a great shame not to try it in youth.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2011 Magnum - my note just starts "Superb wine". Delicious fruit, good grip and drive that makes this less overt than the Cerretta. Reassuringly savoury and grippy but with fruit that roles over the tannin, great balance to the nose, red, black, soil and salinity. You can really sense the input of what would have been the Monfortino barrel.

It was every bit as good a flight as I hoped, as expected the 2011s are showing more now but the 2010s would appear to have it all.

Flight 2

Flight 3 - One site, four vintages... 

If I was asked to name my favourite vineyard, from a pure drinking perspective it may very well be Cascina Francia. Now planted to 9hectares of Nebbiolo (to give you a perspective Clos de Tart is a little over 7 hectares and La Tache is around 5hectares) and 5hectares of Barbera.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2008 Magnum - I am a massive fan of 2008. I really feel that those who may have bought Barolo in 2004 and 2010 (the most lauded vintages) but not 2006 and 2008 have made a mistake. 2008 is a vintage of sweetness and elegant feminity but with no lack of classicism, 2006 is the older brother to 2008, grip and texture, a wine of sternness and complexity. Roberto was very interesting on the 2008 as a growing season mainly because there was a seven-day spell towards the end of September when the temperature fell to zero...this was about a month ahead of the Nebbiolo harvest. Somehow this seems to have left wines with less obvious tannin but no lack of complexity. This wine is a lovely example of Cascina Francia, fruited but not overly so, red bramble like hints with brine and leather grip in there.

Barolo Cascina Francia 1994 - this was "gone", badly stored I am guessing, like bovril and PX sherry then tobacco leaf. It is a wine I have had before, a few years ago, it is ok but not much more. In Roberto's own words "from 1995 it is pretty difficult to find bad vintages".

Barolo Cascina Francia 1990 - A wine I know pretty well and last had with Roberto when I visited back in May. It is also a wine I have had a few other times over the last 5 years. Saline, soy, degraded darker fruit and some bacon fat are real signatures of this wine. We did while tasting this superb wine get onto talking about 1989 vs 1990 and I remarked that I'd never had the 1989. There was also no Monfortino in 1989 which would seem odd for a vintage that many label as a comfortable 5stars. The reason is that only 4000 bottles of Barolo was made from the Cascina Francia vineyard due to a hailstorm. It remains I wine I crave to try.

Monfortino 1955 - now this is an experience and one I have had a couple of times before. Notably here during a splendid lunch. This was good showing. From 20 years (ok 19) before the Cascina Francia site was bought. Frazzles, bricky, briney nose with richness. There were a couple of funny conversations over this wine but the over-riding memory was that Roberto simply commented how totally ludicrous his predecessors would have found the idea of people in London enjoying this wine nearly 61 years after it was made!

Flight 4 - Mighty Monfortino...for now and for later...
Monfortino is an iconic wine in the correct sense of the word i.e. because it has proved itself to be a beacon for Barolo and not because the estate or someone in marketing department calls it such a thing. Iconic status can be difficult as it comes with expectation. I genuinely believe that the Monfortinos of the last 15 years (01, 02, 04, 05, 06, 08, 10 & 13*) are amongst the greatest. * The 2013 will be just Monfortino (i.e. no Barolo Cascina Francia), a move not seen since 2002. Simply put, the quality is that good.

Monfortino 2004 - one of only about 5 or 6 wines I have given a perfect or near perfect 20 out of 20 to. That was when I tasted it at the estate back in May 2011. It is a wine I have had a few times since and it is profoundly good. Such drive and persistence, grace and at the same time fathomless structure. It has red fruit as well, no deep dark monster just a great wine. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Monfortino 1999 - a slightly volatile example compared to the ones that the note below refers to. The was good, rich and full with a lot of salinity.

Monfortino 1997 Magnum - This is a cracking example of a mature Monfortino. It has soy and a little ginger as well as nicely degraded fruits. Of the Monfortinos from the last 30 years this is the one to drink right now. I think it will age well but why would you?

Monfortino 1995 - This is a leaner vintage for me, not quite the round degraded elements that you can find in the 1997. A little stricter. I have a feeling it will make a good older wine, I have nothing but gut feel to base that on. 

It was a wonderful evening - to get the chance to sit and discuss this many wines with Roberto and hear the passion was incredible. I'll leave you with one comment from Roberto, said in the most heartfelt way imaginable "We do not make wines for other people, it is only in making wines for us that satisfy us, that we can be satisfied, that is what drives us".

All that really remains is, as ever, to thank Roberto (and Stephanie) for the time, energy and wonderful wines...I am looking forward to my next trip to the Langhe already!

A great nights work!

----

Also in the same visit we hosted both a press lunch at the office and a dinner at Sartoria in Mayfair. On both occasions we showed the same four wines, my notes below:

Barbera Cerretta 2013, En Magnum - "Intensity" and "pleasure" are the watch words here. This is a great vintage for Barbera, expressive and rich but with the necessary acidity and focus. More extrovert than the 2012 mentioned above. To my taste this will be in the zone in 2-3 years. Very true to its site. 

Barolo Cascina Francia 2001 - Saline, salty, a zesty texture with bacon fat and soy, mellow fruits, some ginger appearing. This is just shifting from 3rd gear into 4th. Classical - 2001 being a serious vintage of intensity.

Monfortino 1999 - This is a very typical Monfortino for me, a vintage you "Chew", rich but vast, full and focused at the same time. Hard to write a note for actually. I have always liked this wine.

Barolo Cerretta 2011 - More clay here in this site and it shows there is a lusher texture. Notes from all three times (including the above) are very consistent. Vibrant energy.

Piedmont - Conterno & Negri

My favourite producer trip every year will not surprise anyone at all, well anyone who knows me. It is the one where we go to see and taste with Roberto Conterno at Cantina Giacomo Conterno in Piedmont. This year I have managed to do the tasting there twice within a month (another post coming soon) which is a rare treat. Often we arrive and taste before dinner but this time we had dinner first, with Roberto and his assistant Stephanie. But before heading to the restaurant we met at Casa della Saracca in Monforte d'Alba, a spot I have got to know well now. If you are in the region and want somewhere really unique to stay or a great place for an aperitif or relaxed evening then this is a great spot. It also has something of a cult following amongst the producers of the region. 

The view south from the top of Casa della Saracca

We had a bottle of Champagne. Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition NV - I really like this and have had it since, good levels of nutty biscuity-ness but not at the expense of drive and acidity, it really is like, lazy analogy coming, "sparkling Meursault".

We then jumped in the car for a Dinner at La Ciau del Tornavento, in Treiso which I'd never been to before but have since been again - I feel it may be somewhere I return as often as possible. It is a great spot with the biggest and best wine cellar I have ever seen, tens of thousands of bottles with particular strength in Italy (of course), Champagne and Burgundy.

In the cellar it was time for apertivo number 2 - Bollinger RD 2002 - this was not showing all that well, a little flat of flavour and overly evolved, further re-enforces by personal taste for bottle aged champagnes rather than late releases.

With dinner we had two reds. Barbaresco Asili Riserva 1996, Giacosa and Barolo Bricco Boschis Riserva San Giuseppe 2004, Cavallotto. The Giacosa needed lots of time in decanter as well as glass to open out but did so in time to reveal a lovely balance. Initially it had been a little reduced and also a little "high" or farmyardy. The Cavallotto was more immediately open and ready for business but in a cool, red fruited yet mineral way a really lovely wine with a long but focussed future, impressive indeed.

It was a lovely dinner in a lovely spot, brilliant to hear from Roberto about the recent purchase of the Arione vineyard and also the almost completed developments at the winery.

9.30 next morning and there we were at the winery ready to taste. Before going onto the wines I must just say that the attention to detail in every facet of the winemaking and bottling process here is incredible from the in-house treatment of the corks and printing to the new just about to arrive bottling line. And so to the wines:

Barbera Francia 2013 - 40yr old vines now and there is always more minerality and salinity here. The 2013 vintage is a cooler one more like 2010 or 2008. This was delicious if still serious, dark fruit but grit as well.

Barbera Cerretta 2013 - 20yr old vines. Juicier and more open fruit, red as well as crimson, almost damson-like. The expression is superb and the amount of fruit just joyous.

Barolo Francia 2011 - The barrell that would have been Monfortino* was added about a month ago.The wine has lovely red fruit precision but again as with the Barbera there is a saline and stones backbone, this is soft now but will grow and tighten, amazing juice. As with Burgundy just forget about whether vintage are stellar or not, find producers you like and buy the wines!

* I asked Roberto which of the of the recent "Non-Monfortino" years - 2011, 2009 and 2007 - was the closest to being a Monfortino and he said 2011 then 2007 and lastly 2009.

Barolo Cerretta 2011 - The differences between this and the Barolo Francia are like those between the Barberas, and possibly explains "terroir" better than any tasting I know.  This Cerretta has more obvious and slightly darker fruit but a little less tannin as well, this is just such a flattering wine right now. Exciting.

Monfortino from barrel is one of the most exciting tastings anyone can experience in my view. The fact that I get to taste the same wine on 2 or 3 occassions from barrel is just brilliant. The 2008 is quite something. The extraordinary dimension to this wine is quite possibly due to the fact that in 2008 there was a phase in September when the temperatures drpped to almost zero and this Roberto feels has added a cerrtain something by tightening and sweetening things.

Monfortino 2008 - A wine with quite incredible complexity of aroma, at the same time fresh and red fruited but also degraded and sweet in a leathery fashion, very precise and linear, this is bottled now. Exciting and so different from 2006 or 2010. May be more like 2004 in fact.

Monfortino 2010 - A wine that is a legend before bottling, the archetypal Barolo both fine and massive, both feminine in purity and masculine in bredth and power. Sublime. Extreme patience will be required once bottled but from the barrell just fabulous. A simply brilliant end to an always superb tasting.

Having done this brillaint tasting and said our good buys at Giacomo Conterno we drove off to La Morra to see a smaller and stylistically different producer - Giulia Negri - who we have just started working with. There is Barolo here as well as Barbera, Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. Giulia is ambitious, young and a lover of Burgundy as well as Piedmont.

The estate is amongst the Serradenari Cru which is the highest in the whole region. Giulia also has some rented holdings in Brunate. The top Barolo is called Tartufaia (the truffle-hunter, named after the estates enthusiastic dog) and is a blend of both Serradinari and Brunate. This works well together as the 2009 shows. I will do a fuller write up of notes in an upcoming blog but Giulia is one to watch with a real drive and desire to succeed, you'd be brave to bet against serious things happening here.

The steepest part of Serradinari 

Tartufo the dog gets himself on the label and the capsule!

Our inflated wagon! (watch the advert for this - Fiat 500L)

A pre-Piedmont trip warm-up at Zucca...

In a couple of weeks I am delighted to be heading off to Piedmont with the same rather wonderful gang as I was lucky to go to Burgundy with last May, see A very special trip to Burgundy…

The trip promises to be a good one and the lunches, visits and dinners are all booked. The Piedmont region is virgin territory for the vast majority of those going so I thought a warm-up dinner at Zucca would be a good idea. I mentioned this to owner Sam Harris and he suggested that they do a menu that showcased some of the regions most traditional dishes:

Carne Crudo, from brilliant veal with lemon through it and then Parmesan on top.
Vitello Tonnato, my all time favourite.
Russian salad - which I love but always reminds me of large format Sandwich spread.
Agnolotti - magic stuff
and many more...

It worked really well with Megan rustling them all up to perfection. So the wines:

Langhe Chardonnay 2012, Ca del Baio - fresh Chardonnay with a very slight spritz and no oak influence at all, a good palate preparer and a wine that will gain texture and complexity with age.

Barbera d'Alba Cerretta 2008, Giacomo Conterno - fleshy and supple, lovely fruit, mellow structure, I wanted to show this alongside the next wine as a way of showing Barbera alongside Nebbiolo. Same site, same vintage, same producer.

Langhe Nebbiolo Cerretta 2008, Giacomo Conterno - More focussed and linear than the Barbera this showed just the differences I wanted.

Barolo Pie Rupestris 2009, Cappellano - the big surprise of the evening for me, I was the only one that liked it (I had bought my allocation of 2010 that morning), the others I think found it a little too dry and animal, sure Cappellano needs time (though that should never be an excuse) but for me this was complex and promised much for the future. I plan to serve this blind to these guys post trip and see if they have fallen for the old-school Nebbiolo magic by then.

Barolo Tartufaia 2009, G.Negri - we will be visiting Guilia on the trip and so I wanted to show this wine as a counter-point to the Cappellano but also to show a slighlty more modern style, it worked well showing more fruit and lushness but still not too much. 

Barolo Brunate 2004, Marengo - FVDB brought this and the next bottle, the Marengo really showed well, with an openness and rounded fruit that really showed how good 2004 is and how special Brunate is as a site...lovely wine with propper structure but great balance and crucially that sweet fruited nature.

Barolo Bussia Riserva 2000, Pianpolvere Soprano -is a wine and an estate I know nothing about, it combined the warm (sometimes over) ripe nature of 2000 with a regime of more oak. The bottle was probably the heaviest I have come across in a Piedmoint wine (think Gaja +45%). The wine itself has promise if it can outlast the slightly over present new oak texture. Would love to try this again in the future.

Barolo Cannubi 2003, Brezza - there always needs to be on last bottle and this worked out to be a good choice, 2003 is tricky but (many of) the traditonal producers have done well. Brezza we will visit and Cannubi is next to Brunate so it made a good comparison, I really liked it, am pleased to be buying Brezza for my own cellar.

So that, baring a Limoncello for a couple of the team, was the evening done, just two weeks to wait now!!

And on the third day…several Cantina Giacomo Conterno wines...

Following on from the Monfortino Magnum Monday 1970-2006 and then the Dinner at Zucca the morning of day three we had a very special tasting in the office. We showed the wines below, all double decanted that morning:

Barbera Cerretta 2008

Roberto only took over the vineyard in June 2008 so there this wasn’t fully under his control. Has a nice acidity (that a few people have told me they aren’t mad on) that gives it a precision and nervousness. The fruit is good in a cherry way.

Barbera Cascina Francia 2008

A darker fruit than Cerretta as always. Has the saline “Cascina Francia cool vintage” feel to it. A serious Barbera.

Barbera Cascina Francia 2007

Another bottle from the dinner the night before and a great counterpoint to the 2008, warmer darker more intense with more opulence so less acidity showing.

Barbera Cascina Francia 2011

In many ways a young 2007 but to my mind there will always be an amazing ripeness to this wine and a cleaner less funky note as well. Very good. I’d love to own this and drink a bottle a year for 12 years!

Then to Barolo:

Barolo Cascina Francia 2009

Another fine showing exactly as the previous evening but possibly even better in the morning as you just get the purity. An “insider’s wine” and one I’ll keep track of. (A friend, I respect greatly, who knows Barolo "inside-out" has suggested that Cascina Francia is the very best 2009 Barolo.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2008

I love the 2008 as I see it as the sister to the 2006 (often across the whole region but especially in Cascina Francia). There is a classical earthy, minerality to the fine but with fine features and a poise. I think it may be a modern day 1982. Never a showy wine this will give a lot of pleasure if given the time it deserves.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2007

Like 2009 a warm vintage in which there is no Monfortino. I think this is a wine that has more ripeness than the 2009 and is an excellent example of Roberto knowing when to use a lightness of touch. It is delicious now. The warmer vintages are best served cooler as it accentuates freshness and tightens up a wine that could be too loose. The fruit is starting to degrade a touch which is nice. The strtucture is pretty easy. It will age but to a degree why wait, if you own it I would look to drink half of what you have by the age of 10. Impressive.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2006

Love this, tannin and masculine structure to chew on, very proper. The wine is best left 4-6 years as the strength of this wine will be in its meatiness and savoury aspect. A real treat for the future.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2005

I have always liked the 2005 but find it hard to pin a persona on the wine. The saline side to this is lovely and you get a cool vintage feel. It is a slightly shy and retiring person with intellect. A good performance for a tricky and slightly erratic vintage.  I would leave 2-3 years and then drink. There is good fruit purity here even if it is slightly reticent at the moment.

Barolo Cascina Francia 1990

Really, really lovely, bruised dark fruit and an easy structure, I have had this a few times now and love it’s easiness. I often wonder if my perception of most 1990’s being easy and opulent clouds my judgement but I think not. I think this is perfect now.

Barolo Cascina Francia 1982

A decent if not great bottle of this wine. A little oxidated and frazzle-like but with vibrancy of sweet leather. I like it but you have to like earth the acidity for this bottle of this wine.

Barolo Monfortino 2004

So so elegant, I’ve pinned my colours to the mast of this being perfect and the freshness of red fruit combined with elegant but firm structure give me no reason to change that.

A fascinating tasting.

NB - Since then I have had the Barbaresco 1971 from Conterno…a wine very rarely made and it was lovely, amazingly fine grained sediment that you couldn’t get rid of gave this a chalky “bricky” texture which I like. The colour was holding up well as was the acidity…fascinating wine. I’d love to know where it was sourced from. The winemaking must have been as for Barolo as this did taste like "Conterno".

A German and three Italians or one 2007 and three 2008's...

This was a cracking little sunday selection with a couple of friends (and former colleagues) a few weeks back. I've been meaning to write them up for a good while but just not got round to it:

Bernkastler Badstube Kabinet 2008, J.J.Prum - I have had several bottles of this now and whilst I wish I could be more patient this is just delicious now. I am a big fan of decanting young Riesling as it just opens out so much, in texture as much as anything. This has a little bit of what I like to call Prum-Stink. The white, slightly floral, fruit is in perfect balance with the acidity, it is just the sort of thing to wake up the taste buds and refresh the mind.

Barolo Cannubio 2007, F.Rinaldi - I decided to show this as I want to see how it compared to the Brunate 2007 from the same producer that had so impressed me a few weeks ago. This was also splendid and poised, slightly redder fruit than the Brunate. I first started buying the F.Rinaldi's after having a few older (1971 & 1979) bottles and then loving the 2006's. The 2007's are going to develop nicely but will certainly get drunk before the 2006's & 2008's.

Percarlo 2008, San Giusto a Rentannano - Having had a Vertical tasting of Percarlo a year or so ago this was a first re-visit in a purely drinking capacity. The wine is impressive, has grown an extra savoury component. I would say it is best left now, this was enjoyable but in 5-6 years will be even more so. The magnum I have will stay tucked away for well over a decade. The estate seems to be going from strength to strength and is on of my favourites in Tuscany.

Barbera Cerretta 2008, Giacomo Conterno - Anyone reading this blog regularly will not be at all surprised by this appearing, it is in a lovely place at the moment, the rich but red/purple fruit balancing the acidity and the grainy tannins perfectly. To think that this wine has got better every year since Roberto took it over in June 2008 is very exciting.

And that is that - it was great as ever to catch up with old friends and realise that nothing changes, well except for their cool new addition "Henry"! Lots more blogs to write so better get to it!

Tasting and dinner with Roberto Conterno of Cantina Giacomo Conterno...

For the last three years it has been a real privilege to travel out to Piedmont and taste with Roberto Conterno of Cantina Giacomo Conterno, in many ways my favourite estate in the world of wine, not that one needs to have a favourite. I look forward to it like a child does Christmas. The fact that some of the wines see large neutral botti for 4 to 7 years means you often get to taste the same wine again and compare notes. The wines below in italics are those that are next to hit the market, the others will follow in the next year or two.
So the Barbera's first:
Barbera Cerretta 2012 (barrel), the age of the Barbera vines in Cerretta is approximately 20 years, this is the vineyard that Roberto took over part-way through the 2008 growing season. Crimson with saturated colour then purple and black fruits on the nose, expressive. Almost blackcurrant meets damson. Purity and clarity of flavour, not overly "big"with a little gentle spice and good medium weight. 17/20.
Barbera Cascina Francia 2012 (barrel) the Barbera in Cascina Francia was planted in 1974 with a little more in 2001 when the Cantina decided to stop production of Dolcetto and Freisa. This always has a darker colour and darker more intense fruit type than Cerretta. More blackcurrant but less sweet, more savoury as always. There is a lovely creamy texture but at the same time a far more tannic structure than Cerretta. A very good, drier but long, finish with a little saline edge, again medium in weight. 17.5/20
Barbera Cerretta 2011 Deep colour, strong and persistent to the rim, inky but fresh, excitingly lifted, full on but not at all over the top, very ripe tannins, the fruit I would say in 70% black and 30% red. The very best Cerretta Barbera yet, feminine, fresh and forceful. 18/20. 2014-2019
Barbera Cascina Francia 2011 A mighty wine and simply put the best young Barbera I have ever tasted. Arterial and full of colour, fruit almost prune like, juicy fresh prunes with acidity (if they exist), blackcurrant and mineral, hot stones, and a definite saline edge so typical of Cascina Francia. Serious, structured and with a potentially massive drinking window. Stunning. 18.5/20. 2015-2021++
The two 2011's are incredible wines, some of the reasoning is that the flowering in the growing season had been early and then mid-August was very hot so the harvest was early. Roberto likened them to 2007 but with more acidity.


It was now time to move from Barbera to Nebbiolo:
Barolo Cerretta 2011 (barrel) My notebook starts - Strawberry, strawberry then raspberry on the nose - there is such amazing precision. A little like Volnay on steroids. Tannins are evident and will soften before bottling next year. Needs time, very promising. 17-18/20. 2020-2030.
Barolo Cascina Francia 2011 (barrel) Fresh and redder than Cascina often is but still deeper and darker than Cerretta, lots of fruit, showing big tannins that are persistent but ripe and ease their way off the palate. Proper. 18-18+/20. 2021-2032.
Barolo Cascina Francia 2009 There is no Monfortino in 2009 and the barrel that would have been Monfortino was blended into this wine about 4 months ago, with bottling been done very recently. The decision not to release Monfortino was purely because the barrel, whilst the best, was not different enough in character and quality. As Roberto puts it, you drink the Barolo but chew Monfortino. The wine itself is mightily impressive. Pale almost auburn in colour, beautiful soft red fruits on the nose, such finesse and elegance, a little savoury edge to the palate, structured and very fine. 18.5/20. 2019-2031+.
Barolo Cascina Francia 2010 (barrel) Deeper than the 2009 in colour, a little spice on the attack almost pepper. A difficult wine to describe but incredibly complete. Both red and black fruit that had weight but is currently under the tannin. Incredible potential. 18.5-19/20. 2019-2033+.
Barolo Cerretta 2010 (barrel) Sweet red fruits coat the mouth, red cherry and strawberry, very promising and you can plainly see Roberto is very very excited about the developments in Cerretta.18/20. 2018-2030+.
Monfortino 2008 (barrel) Roberto is so excited about this wine. He describes it as unique, the reason being that in September 2008 there was a sudden drop in temperature to nearly zero and the vines seemed to stop and then things got going again. The picking was then a week later. Roberto may well give this Monfortino six years in barrel rather than the normal seven. The nose is profoundly complex, bovril and beef stock with masses of red fruit, all of which is a little degraded, in an good way. Leather, menthol and even a little liquorice. A fascinating wine all round. 18.5-19/20. 2017-2040.
Monfortino 2006 Lovely red dashed mahogany in colour. Iodine and fresh red fruit as well as prunes and bruised fruit, so much complexity, savoury but so so lively and fresh, stunning. The wine manages to be refreshing and light-footed as well as deep and profound. 19.5-20/20. 2016-2040.

The tasting lasted nearly two hours without feeling much more than 45 minutes, always a good sign, so it was time to drop bags off at the hotel and then dinner. Roberto kindly picked us up and we went of to Trattoria della Posta of Massolino Gianfranco in Monforte d'Alba for a delicious dinner with many of the local treats; Carne Crudo, Vitello Tonnato and many more. Almost every topic under the sun seemed to get covered including, surprisingly, cricket. We started with a bottle we took along, Corton-Charlemagne 2009, Bonneau du Martray, which was showing well, a little reductive but with lovely ripe fruit and very subservient use of oak. The two Barolo's were Barolo Bussia Riserva 1978, A.Prunotto which Roberto picked off the list and Monfortino 1987. The former was mature but from a cracking vintage, meaty and savoury but not overly old, very good. The Monfortino was from a most difficult vintage when few great wines were made but Monfortino was all in and picked before the rain came. The wine was lovely now, bruised, brown fruit with sweetness, medium weight, refined and complex, good acidity and perfect now!
It was a simply brilliant day which left me even more obsessed with Piedmont than I was before, if that is possible.