Monpra Langhe Rosso - Conterno Fantino - 2019

75 cl

Robert Parker: 94 points

Alcohol content: 14% vol.

Grape varieties: 50% Nebbiolo, 50% Barbera

Vinification:

Monpra is a blend of the two Piedmontese grape varieties Nebbiolo and Barbera. It undergoes alcoholic fermentation for 6-8 days and matures in barriques for 18 months. After a further 6 months of ageing in the bottle, the wine is released for sale.

Tasting note:

The Conterno Fantino 2019 Langhe Rosso Monprà, made from equal parts Barbera and Nebbiolo, is a beautiful wine that is a flavourful alternative to the classic wines of Piedmont, produced as a pure expression of one of these two powerful indigenous grape varieties. The wine is velvety and richly concentrated with dark fruits, crushed blackberries, earthy tones and some leather or spicy tobacco due to the oak ageing. This wine (of which 11,694 bottles were produced) really hits all the right notes.

The renowned Piedmontese winery Conterno Fantino is one of the leading producers in Monforte d’Alba. It combines a philosophy centred on clearly defined vineyard plots with a modern yet terroir-driven style of wine.

Founder: Founded 1982 by Claudio Conterno (in charge of the vineyards) and Guido Fantino (Cellar Master).

Next generation: The founders’ children – Fabio and Elisa Fantino and Noemi and Matteo Conterno – are now actively running the family estate as the second generation.

The estate farms around 27 hectares A vineyard that is fully certified organic. The four outstanding single-vineyard Barolos are all located in the municipality of Monforte d’Alba:

Ginestra Vigna Sorì Ginestra: The estate’s prime plot, situated on calcareous clay-marl. The pure south-facing aspect produces extremely powerful, dense and long-lived Barolos with typical notes of dark berries, mint and eucalyptus.

Ginestra Vigna del Gris: It is also situated within the Ginestra cru, but due to different soil conditions, it tends to produce Barolos that are somewhat more feminine, floral and delicate, and which are often ready to drink a little earlier.

Mosconi Vigna Ped: From this prominent site comes a complex, very lively and fruit-forward Barolo (notably cherry and rose) with silky tannins.

Castelletto Vigna Pressenda: A vineyard site renowned for its distinctive structure, mineral freshness and outstanding ageing potential.

Modern Soul: Conterno Fantino is historically regarded as a representative of the modern Barolo style. This involves precise temperature control during fermentation (using rotary fermenters) and ageing in French Barriques.

The evolution of style: Whilst the use of wood was very noticeable in the early years (late 1980s/1990s), the style has evolved towards a perfect balance developed. Today, modern cellar techniques are combined with gentle extraction, and large wooden barrels are also used to ensure the fruit flavours are not masked.

Fruit intensity & density: Unlike traditional Barolos, which are often rather heavy-going at first, the wines from Conterno Fantino are characterised by a enormous fruit concentration . They display charming primary fruit notes (cherries, berries) early on. 

Tannin structure: It has a dense yet fine-grained texture and a well-integrated tanning framework.

Durability: Despite their modern, full-bodied style, the Barolos possess a lively acidity and tremendous depth, which makes them top-quality wines that can be laid down for decades does.