{"product_id":"giacomo-conterno-riserva-monfortino-barolo-2002-dbmg-3-l","title":"Giacomo Conterno Riserva Monfortino Barolo 2002 DBMG","description":"\u003cp\u003eGiacomo Conterno Riserva Monfortino Barolo 2002 in double magnum (3 L) is one of those rare wines that already carries legendary status while still on its long evolutionary journey. Drawn exclusively from the Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, it is a profound, traditional Barolo crafted only in vintages the estate deems truly exceptional. In 2002—a year widely written off in Piedmont—Giacomo and Roberto Conterno defied expectations by choosing to bottle Monfortino and forgoing their regular Barolo, creating one of the most talked‑about wines in modern Barolo history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the glass, the 2002 Monfortino is deep garnet with a dark, almost brooding core and a slowly developing brick rim, reflecting both its age and immense concentration. The nose is intensely complex and evolving: dried roses, autumn leaves and tar mingle with wild cherries, black plums, licorice, espresso, leather and a myriad of warming spices. Subtle notes of tobacco, underbrush and iron add a distinctly Serralunga minerality and savory edge.\n\nOn the palate, this is a monumental, structured Barolo that balances power with sensuality. Dense, ripe Nebbiolo fruit—maraschino cherry, blood orange, plum—unfolds over layers of fine but formidable tannins and vibrant acidity. The wine shows phenomenal depth, great inner sweetness of fruit, and a striking tension between the richness of the palate and the cool, austere character of the vintage. The finish is extraordinarily long, with echoes of dried flowers, dark cocoa, licorice and earthy minerality that linger for minutes. Still very youthful in this large format, it has a long life ahead; the drinking window is measured in decades, with peak maturity expected from around 2027 onwards and the potential to age gracefully well past 2050, especially in double magnum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSourced from the fabled Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, the 2002 Monfortino reflects a cool, traditional Piedmontese vintage that recalls the classic years before the mid‑1980s. The site’s steep, limestone- and clay-rich marne soils and high-altitude, south- and southwest-facing exposures yield Nebbiolo of exceptional structure and minerality. Yields are naturally low, and grapes are harvested by hand with fanatical selection—especially crucial in a challenging year like 2002, when hail and a cool summer devastated much of the region. Only the very best clusters made it into Monfortino, with no Barolo Cascina Francia bottled that year. In the cellar, the must undergoes a long, traditional maceration and spontaneous fermentation before extended aging in large, old Slavonian oak botti. Roberto Conterno prized the 2002 Monfortino so highly that he left it in cask for an extra year, allowing its formidable structure to knit and its profound complexity to evolve slowly before bottling in formats including this rare 3 L double magnum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood \u0026amp; Serving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a meditative Barolo best reserved for the finest occasions and the most deeply flavored dishes of Piedmontese and classic European cuisine. Think braised beef or veal shank (ossobuco), long-simmered brasato al Barolo, game birds, roasted lamb, truffle-laden tajarin or risotto, and aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or mature Castelmagno. Serve at 16–18 °C (60–64 °F) in large Burgundy or Barolo glasses to allow the bouquet to fully unfurl. In this double magnum format, decanting is strongly recommended: plan for at least 3–4 hours of slow aeration for a younger-feeling bottle, and even longer if opened on the early side of its drinking window. This is a wine to savor slowly over an evening, watching it evolve in the glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProducer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Giacomo Conterno estate, founded in the early 20th century, is one of the undisputed benchmarks of traditional Barolo. From their home in Monforte d’Alba and the legendary Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga, the Conterno family has shaped the identity of classic, ageworthy Barolo through an unwavering commitment to low yields, long macerations, and extended aging in large Slavonian botti. The flagship Monfortino, first produced in the 1920s, is bottled only in vintages the family deems truly great and is regarded as one of Italy’s—and the world’s—most iconic red wines. The 2002 Riserva Monfortino, the last vintage overseen by the late Giovanni Conterno and carried forward by his son Roberto, has already entered the pantheon of great Monfortinos, a powerful and moving testament to the estate’s exacting standards and its singular role in Piedmontese wine history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Giacomo Conterno","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54252144197969,"sku":"PS-7730876448968","price":6948.58,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0874\/0614\/9969\/files\/RiservaMonfortinoBarolo_866a51b1-050f-4ae1-9d03-7ffa9adfb557.png?v=1783443415","url":"https:\/\/bottlehero.com\/products\/giacomo-conterno-riserva-monfortino-barolo-2002-dbmg-3-l","provider":"Bottle Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}