Acclaim

“The 2014 Barolo Ginestra Vigna Sorì Ginestra is an amped up expression of Nebbiolo with excellent structure and lasting intensity. I am told that this vineyard site performs best in the cool vintages such as 2014. The wine plays its best cards in the mouth, thanks to the structure and the grounded firmness on offer here. Fabio Fantino tells me: “You can drive a car in the sunshine, in the rain and in the fog.” I just love this quote because it so perfectly sums up the difficult 2014 vintage. As long as the driver knows where he or she is headed, the outside conditions can be navigated nevertheless.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“The 2014 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris is a generous and expressive wine that puts forth fleshy dark fruit, red rose and dried lavender. In fact, those floral notes are the wine’s lasting signature, as they are very pronounced in this cooler vintage. Spice, leather and campfire ash follow in close proximity. The best part is the finale that offers crunch, snap and sparkle.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“The 2012 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris is a warm-climate Barolo that offers dark fruit, spice, licorice and cherry cola in generous supply. The wine is very generous in terms of mouthfeel, thanks to its volume and the fruity succulence it offers with such abundance in this warm vintage.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“This wine was already in bottle when I tasted it but not yet released. The 2015 Barolo Mosconi Vigna Ped is an extremely exuberant and fruit-forward expression that absorbs the heat and the cheerful nature of this sunny vintage. The finish offers the three S’s in abundant supply: It is smooth, structured and succulent.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“Compared to the 2015 vintage that is totally focused on the primary fruit, the 2014 Barolo Mosconi Vigna Ped is a much drier expression with aromas of garden herb, eucalyptus, dried mint and medicinal herb. The wine shows abundant strength and power at this young age, but I’m not sure where its aging trajectory will take it given the lack of sweet fruit to carry it forward. Those dry tannins lead me to think this wine should be consumed within the next 10-20 years.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“The Conterno Fantino 2012 Barolo Mosconi is a classic expression of Barolo with tight lines, elegantly complex aromas, balanced acidity, firm tannins and long persistence. The wine offers everything you should expect of Barolo in the context of a warm vintage. The mouthfeel is fleshy, succulent and rich.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“The folks at Conterno Fantino do a great job with their high-end wines, like Barolo, but they are equally committed to their lower-end wines, such as this Dolcetto. The 2017 Dolcetto d’Alba Bricco Bastia comes from vines planted at 500 meters above sea level. That high altitude is precisely what balances out the extreme ripeness produced in this very hot and dry vintage. Dolcetto does very well in the hot years, but this expression shows more precision and focus than you get from vines planted at lower elevations. Aromas include black cherry and freshly milled white peppercorn.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“This is the best edition of Ginestrino I have tasted. It is also one of the best Langhe Nebbiolos in recent memory. I recommend you buy the 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo Ginestrino not by the bottle but by the case load. Conterno Fantino does not make a so-called base or village Barolo. Instead, it offers this wine as if it were a Barolo. It is released early (with 40,000 bottles this year) to showcase the delicious primary fruit. The bouquet offers beautiful layering of wild berry, spice, cola, anise seed and rose hip. The tannins are silky and smooth.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“The 2014 Langhe Nebbiolo Ginestrino is an easy and accessible expression that would pair nicely with informal home-cooked foods. The wine is thin in texture and moderate in terms of intensity. However, it does have the natural freshness and structure to cut through lasagna with melted cheese crust.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018

“The 2015 Langhe Rosso Monprà is a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera in equal parts (with fruit from the Ginestra and Bussia crus). This wine was first produced in 1985, although the historic Barbera vines were planted far before that in 1971. The blend is made in stainless steel following fermentation and then aged in 100% new oak for 18 months. Some 13,000 bottles were made. This is a dark and exuberant red wine with bursting aromas of dark fruit, spice, leather, tar and tobacco. Monprà addresses those international taste buds.” – Monica Larner, WIne Advocate, Sept. 30, 2018