The ultimate and purest expression of Barolo can be found in bottles bearing the Giacomo Conterno name. In fact, they represent the ideal of traditional Barolo: rich, powerful, massively structured, and capable of long aging in bottle
These majestic wines descend from a colossal legacy, spanning three generations of Conternos: Giacomo, Giovanni, and Roberto—in each case, the torch passing from father to son. Both Giovanni, who forged a reputation as the greatest of all Barolo producers, and now his gifted son, Roberto, have continued the important work of patriarch Giacomo
96 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2007 Barolo Cascina Francia is an unusual version of this benchmark wine. In 2007 Conterno decided against bottling his Monfortino. Conterno believes Nebbiolo can handle rain and humidity (hence his decision to make Monfortino in rainy years such as 1987 and 2002), but not drought. The result is a Cascina Francia that is unusually dark, rich and powerful. The floral, herbal notes that are typical in young Cascina Francia have been replaced by deeper notes of tar, smoke and licorice to match the layers of intense dark fruit. The 2007 is powerful and imposing from start to finish. It is going to be a fascinating Barolo to follow over the coming years and decades.