Giacomo Conterno Cerretta Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy 2022

For 45 years, until his death in 2004, Giovanni Conterno forged a reputation as perhaps the greatest of all Barolo producers, irrespective of style. The wines he made were the quintessence of “traditional” Barolo: rich, powerful, massively structured, and capable of long development in bottle. 

Giovanni left the world many great vintages of Barolo, including 1964, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1990, 1996, 1999 and 2001. But possibly his greatest legacy was to hand over his important work to his gifted son Roberto. A brilliant winemaker in his own right, Roberto not only shares his father’s gifts but is equally determined to uphold his family’s traditions. He could have followed other young Langhe winemakers into modernism, but he never will. In his words, the wines of Giacomo Conterno will always belong to the generations that came before him.

Serious Barbera from an iconic producer, full of tension and complexity. Wild berry fruit, minty herbs, tobacco and minerals are interlaced. The intense acidity found in Conterno wines make for great pairings for richer foods.

"The 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Cerretta is superb. Dark, ample and expressive, the 2022 is irresistible. Succulent black cherry, lavender, menthol, licorice, hard candy and new leather fill out the layers. This really blossoms nicely in the glass, showing the best this tricky vintage had to offer."  Vinous 94