Poderi Aldo Conterno ‘Cicala’ Cru Barolo 2016

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The vineyard “Cicala” [meaning: balm-cricket] is about 40-45 years old and the vines are replanted from time to time. The main variety of Nebbiolo is Lampia and its rootstock is Rupestris du Lot.

Back in 2005, during my first trip to Italy, I spotted a bottle of Aldo Conterno on the list of fine restaurant in Turin, just to the north of Barolo. As the cork was pulled an insane aroma released that was easily sensed across the table.

From that point I was hooked. Over the following years I’ve devoured bottles across decades. The elegance and finesse of these wines is spectacular. When you see comments of flavours lingering for minutes, they are no exaggeration!

Poderi Aldo Conterno is one of the great estates.

“Like tasting young Romanée-Conti” James Suckling on the 2005 Granbussia (available in magnum)

About Aldo Conterno

Poderi Aldo Conterno is steeped in the history of Barolo. Giacomo Conterno, producer of the famed Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, and, Barolo Cascina Francia, was run by Giacomo’s son’s, Giovani and Aldo, until 1969 when Aldo went his own way, founding Poderi Aldo Conterno.Whilst having differing winemaking philosophies was at the root of the move. They share a commonality, in the desire to make wines that are a great expression of the vineyard, without the interference of small new oak. Aldo Conterno stated, “Vanilla, toast, spice and sweet tannins don’t belong in Barolo”.

The two brothers, Barolista to the core, have undoubtedly gone on to build to of the greatest estates in Barolo.

Aldo Conterno’s wines balance, age in large old oak, Botti, and, stainless to bring poised wines to lovers of great Barolo.

Aldo’s son, Giacomo, speaks to their continued drive to raise the bar. The estate has gone from 200,000 bottles in the 1980’s to around 80,000 today from the same, 25 hectares of vineyard. Combined with this skin contact has increased to 5-6 weeks. This for me is a sign that the depth of fruit has increased, enabling or perhaps requiring the extended skin contact to tame it and further enhance the mouthfeel of the tannins. Romirasco perhaps the most ageable in Giacomo’s opinion.

Technique aside, Aldo Conterno’s wines are truly wines of incredible beauty.

SPECIES OF VINE: Nebbiolo, Michet and Lampia varieties.
HARVEST: manual, with grapes selection in the vineyard.
TIME OF HARVEST: mid-October.
VINIFICATION: red, with skin contact inside stainless steel vats.
VINIFICATION TIME: the must stays on contact with the skins for 4-5 weeks: during this time the alcoholic fermentation gets fully complete.
VINIFICATION TEMPERATURES: changeable, with highest peaks of 32 degrees centigrades.
CELLAR REFINING: The new wine is decanted several times before transfer to oak casks where it is aged and refined.

In Giacomo’s opinion, his Romirasco perhaps the most ageable in Giacomo’s opinion.

It is these three Cru’s that are bottle separately. The name Granbussia was created by Aldo for his Riserva, a blend of the best parcels of his three Cru’s. It’s typically a blend of 70% Romirasco, 15% Cicala and 15% Colenello.

Around 600 cases of Granbussia are produced, and, only in years deemed to be of outstanding quality.

The 2016 Vintage in Barolo

2016 has come at just the right time. We have a number of winemakers with incredible experience and wine wisdom. The vineyards in Barolo are in the best condition they’ve been in with incredible detail going into their care.

Combined we have a situation where vignerons are in the best possible position to make the most of the great fruit yielded by the 2016 harvest!

When you compare the 2015 & 2016 vintages you see the difference between a warmer vintage with a shorter ripening period and a cooler one with the longest ripening period in memory.

Nebbiolo responds beautifully to a cooler longer ripening. Once it reaches sugar level high enough to make a wine around 14-14.5% alcohol the sugar levels stop increasing, it tends to hold its acid and the tannins so important to the insane mouthfeel of Nebbiolo ripen and increase in depth.

Such vintages tend to offer wines with more perfume, energy, and, vitality.

Where in the World is Poderi Aldo Conterno?

Aldo Conterno’s holdings rest in Bussia, a vein that runs vertically up the centre of the Barolo commune Monforte d’Alba.

His three great vineyards, Cicala, Colonello and Romirasco (sometimes referred to as Rominasco) are clustered together in the very north of Monforte.

Clockwise from left: Romirasco, Colonello, Cicala

If you have a Barolo MGA 360º subscription check out Bussia in exceptional detail.

This 3D flyover is Epic covering each of the communes you can see just how varied and extreme the aspect of each vineyard is and how in the space of a few metres just how dramatically the change.