Tasting Notes: The Diego Conterno Barolo is an elegant Nebbiolo-based wine sourced from three separate vineyards in Monforte. ‘San Giovanni,’ not far from the Barolo commune, contributes suave fruit; ‘Bricco San Pietro’ provides freshness; and ‘Ginestra’ the wine’s heady structure. Aged for two years in traditional oak cask, called “botti.” The resulting wine is taut with red-berry fruit, citrus, and menthol notes. It gracefully unwinds with time in the glass, showing broader fruit notes of red currant and fresh tobacco along with a vibrant energy from the balance of acidity and tannins.
Estate History: A rising star in the southern reaches of the Barolo zone, Diego Conterno and his son, Stefano, craft elegant, lively Nebbiolo wines in Monforte d’Alba.
Trained by Piedmont legend Beppe Colla years ago at Prunotto, Diego with his cousins helped establish Conterno-Fantino in 1982. After nearly two decades of crafting bold wines at this modern Barolo estate, Diego felt it was time for him to explore a more natural expression of Nebbiolo.
He left the family project to start his own in 2000, bringing with him from his family’s holdings a nearly five-acre plot in ‘Ginestra,’ unquestionably Monforte’s top cru. In 2010, his son Stefano joined the estate, adding a new energy and focus to its already growing reputation for quality in Monforte.
Crucially, Diego Conterno wines “blend the energy and brawn of Monforte with the translucence of traditionally inspired winemaking,” says Antonio Galloni. Rich and potent yet utterly suave in perfume and flavor, wines across the board are made naturally, fermented on indigenous yeasts in neutral cement tanks and aged in traditional large oak cask (botti). All vines are cared for organically.
