Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino 1967

This was my final Bottle of the 67 Monfortino and with the marketplace the way it is today it may very well be my last. That is of course a shame. I had expected this bottle to at peak if not on the downslope based on prior bottles but this turned out to be the best bottle yet. The nose was tight and reticent apon opening with sandy mineral notes and hints of beef blood, bookbinders glue, sweet fennel, and dark slightly confected fruits. In the mouth this remained very linear, tight and quite tannic with amarena cherry, a touch of mushroom, sandlewood, and hints of juniper, violet, and camphor all blossoming read more...on the finish. By the time this was served the nose had blossomed revealing a rich sweet nose packed with moist earth tones, mint, dried spices, dried cherry fruit, truffle, floral tones, in short complete and vibrantly intact. In the mouth this starts very matte and muscular with a lovely sweetness to the layers of dried fruit in the mouth. This remains tannic and very youthful with excellent acidity, all the components are in place for 10-20 years of continued positive development for this bottle but still it offered so much pleasure this evening with it's long, spicy, brooding finish reminiscent of roast peaches and cherries. Lovely and my WOTF 97pts    (hide)

September 2008

1/2005 almost top shoulder fill, very moldy and damp cork yet still very tight in the neck - apon opening - pale gold tinged with a lovely red core, still vibrant and healthy - lovely nose right off the bat, warm and inviting with a dark frutti di bosco pudding quality, nettles in spades suggesting of sage, some fruity gum notes, nice background spiciness over a subtle base of beef boullion and porcini dust, wow what an awesome nose - sweet entry with good acidity, softening tannins lovely fruitiness in the mouth with an initial note of sour apple followed my melon and finally raspberry, turns decidedly read more...leathery in the finish with a caramel note and suggestion of parmeggiano fruitiness before ending with a lingering impression of blood orange



with about 90 minutes of airing in the open bottle - showing more saturated and redder than the regular bottling - fleshy nose is peppery with a whiff of caramel, amarena cherries, strong nettle, bresoala, leathery, old bookbinders glue, red apple skins, VA, roses and lilac florality, prosciutto, macerating cherries, a whiff of rhonish oliviness - in the mouth the entry is bright and round with more glycerin than the regular bottling, lightly spicy baked apricot and cherry fruit with a hint of hazelnut, long taut finish, shows a slight terpene note, beginning to fall apart with a bit of sherry on the finale, perhaps due to the seepage but my guess is it’s time to drink this up. Certainly at peak but will hold for 3-5 years. With the pasta became more acidic but showed nice, spicy raspberry fruit. 96pts.    (hide)

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October 2008

This was my final Bottle of the 67 Monfortino and with the marketplace the way it is today it may very well be my last. That is of course a shame. I had expected this bottle to at peak if not on the downslope based on prior bottles but this turned out to be the best bottle yet. The nose was tight and reticent apon opening with sandy mineral notes and hints of beef blood, bookbinders glue, sweet fennel, and dark slightly confected fruits. In the mouth this remained very linear, tight and quite tannic with amarena cherry, a touch of mushroom, sandlewood, and hints of juniper, violet, and camphor all blossoming read more...on the finish. By the time this was served the nose had blossomed revealing a rich sweet nose packed with moist earth tones, mint, dried spices, dried cherry fruit, truffle, floral tones, in short complete and vibrantly intact. In the mouth this starts very matte and muscular with a lovely sweetness to the layers of dried fruit in the mouth. This remains tannic and very youthful with excellent acidity, all the components are in place for 10-20 years of continued positive development for this bottle but still it offered so much pleasure this evening with it's long, spicy, brooding finish reminiscent of roast peaches and cherries. Lovely and my WOTF    (hide)

February 2008