Loading lot details…
The January 2023 Auction: Part 3
Swipe left for previous · Swipe right for next
1 / 2Lot 511
Estimate: $90
Scuffed, marked, and lightly torn label.
Sold:
This auction has ended. Bidding is closed.
Collection name
Reviews
95AG
"Utterly magnificent in the glass, 2013 Barbera d’Alba Francia presents a rich, almost demi-glace like texture that envelops the palate. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, hard candy, rose petal and wild flowers all flesh out effortlessly. The 2013 has the energy of a cool, late-ripening vintage, but with striking inner sweetness and depth. Elegant, restrained and sophisticated, the 2013 is another real gem from Roberto Conterno. This is just about as majestic as Barbera gets. Roberto Conterno's new releases are simply stunning. Over the last 7-8 years, Conterno has made significant investments in what is a total obsession with quality. In 2008, Conterno bought a parcel in Cerretta, the first investment his family had made in vineyard land since 1974, when his parents bought Francia. Earlier this year, Conterno purchased Arione, the property that lies adjacent to Francia on the southern edge of the property. A new destemmer, professional cork testing equipment, new casks and a gleaming, Ferrari-like state of the art bottling line are all sitting in the striking, newly renovated winery. I can't think of a single producer in Piedmont who has put so much on the line and who has made investments of this importance over the last decade. For that, and for the wines that emerge from this cellar, Conterno deserves all of the praise his wines command today. "This can't happen anymore," a visibly angered Roberto Conterno told me last year in front of an off magnum of 1996 Monfortino. Unlike so many producers who know to say the right things, Conterno backs up his words with action. Prices have gone up considerably, reflecting what appears to be a new normal for Piedmont's top estates, but I can't fault a producer who is so clearly investing for the future. Take it from someone who spends six months each year visiting wineries all over the US and Europe, Giacomo Conterno is as world-class as world-class gets."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"Utterly magnificent in the glass, 2013 Barbera d’Alba Francia presents a rich, almost demi-glace like texture that envelops the palate. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, hard candy, rose petal and wild flowers all flesh out effortlessly. The 2013 has the energy of a cool, late-ripening vintage, but with striking inner sweetness and depth. Elegant, restrained and sophisticated, the 2013 is another real gem from Roberto Conterno. This is just about as majestic as Barbera gets. Roberto Conterno's new releases are simply stunning. Over the last 7-8 years, Conterno has made significant investments in what is a total obsession with quality. In 2008, Conterno bought a parcel in Cerretta, the first investment his family had made in vineyard land since 1974, when his parents bought Francia. Earlier this year, Conterno purchased Arione, the property that lies adjacent to Francia on the southern edge of the property. A new destemmer, professional cork testing equipment, new casks and a gleaming, Ferrari-like state of the art bottling line are all sitting in the striking, newly renovated winery. I can't think of a single producer in Piedmont who has put so much on the line and who has made investments of this importance over the last decade. For that, and for the wines that emerge from this cellar, Conterno deserves all of the praise his wines command today. "This can't happen anymore," a visibly angered Roberto Conterno told me last year in front of an off magnum of 1996 Monfortino. Unlike so many producers who know to say the right things, Conterno backs up his words with action. Prices have gone up considerably, reflecting what appears to be a new normal for Piedmont's top estates, but I can't fault a producer who is so clearly investing for the future. Take it from someone who spends six months each year visiting wineries all over the US and Europe, Giacomo Conterno is as world-class as world-class gets."
Have questions?
Italy grows more indigenous grape varieties than any other country and produces wine in all 20 of its regions. From Piedmont's Nebbiolo to Tuscany's Sangiovese, its finest wines pair structure and bright acidity with a strong sense of place.
In Italy's northwest, Piedmont is home to Nebbiolo, the grape behind the powerful, perfumed and long-lived reds of Barolo and Barbaresco. Fog-shrouded hills and calcareous soils define its greatest wines.