Barolista: Long Overdue Notes - Two Visits To Aldo Conterno

Friday, 1 March 2019

Long Overdue Notes - Two Visits To Aldo Conterno - April & November 2018

The highlight of any trip to Piedmont is a visit to Poderi Aldo Conterno and getting together with Giacomo. The Barolo Boys visited Giacomo twice last year (as in 2017!), in April and November. Here are some notes from those visits. Links to earlier visits are at the bottom of this post.

April
Last time we visited, in December of 2017, we tasted all the 2014 Baroli and the 2015 wasn´t ready for tasting, so Giacomo poured an interesting set of wines.

2005 Bussiador
A big, brawny nose with notes of toasted nuts, band aid, grilled lemons and hint of popcorn. Fully mature. Somewhat heavy-handed.
The taste is mature and round with notes of Brazil nuts, dried flowers, almond paste and dried flowers. Long and warm. The acidity is a tad low.
86p (tasted 2018/04)

2008 Bussiador
The 08 is a beauty, with a cool, refines nose with notes of tangerines, lemon cream, vanilla fudge and some dried apricots. Very deep and fine.
The taste is racy and refined with notes of orange peel, butter cookies, minerals and summer flowers. A long finish with a fine acidity. Really fine. No hurry to drink.
93p (tasted 2018/04)

2007 Bussiador
A restrained, somewtaht mature nose with notes of melon, yellow ski wax, grey pears and a hint of saffron. Delicate and fine.
The taste is structured and fine with notes of dry caramel, grilled lemons, minerals and earth. A medium long finish with a fine dry twist. Fully mature.
90p (tasted 2018/04)

2007 Barbera d´Alba Conca Tre Pile
An absolutely gorgeous, multi layered nose with notes of corinthians, raspberry licorice, blood pudding, spices and hint of dark chocolate. Very deep and intriguing.
The taste is structured and fine with notes of scorched earth, raspberry licorice, sweet minerals and iron. Very long and juicy. A lovely wine now and surely for the coming 10 years.
92p (tasted 2018/04)

1998 Barolo Riserva Granbussia
Granbussia always delivers the goods. This 20 year old bottle shows extremely well, with a fantastic deep, hauntingly beautiful nose, with notes of a perfect autumn walk in a forest, dried cherries, dry licorice, fine tobacco and dried ceps. Just entering maturity. Marvellous.
The taste is aristocratic and taut with notes of hard cherry candy, mushrooms, autumn leaves, tobacco leaves, rosehips and forest floor. The finish goes on for minutes. There is still some perky tannins at the end. 5+ years.
97p (tasted 2018/04)

2005 Barolo Romirasco
05 isn´t the greatest year in the 00-serie, being eclipsed by 01, 04, 06 and 08, but you can bet that Giacomo has fashioned a stunning Romirasco. The nose is handsome and elegant with notes of ripe red cherries, iron, forest floor and rosemary. Very deep. A hint of maturity but this has places to go.
The taste is tight and refined with notes of sour/sweet cherries, dry licorice, fresh mushrooms, rosehips and forest floor. Pure and racy. Long, long, long. 6+ years.
95p (tasted 2018/04)

2012 Barolo Riserva Granbussia
A very deep, intense, tight nose with notes of sweet/sour cherries, Finnish licorice, dark oranges, rosehips and minerals. Very floral after some time in the glass. Lovely.
The taste is young, seedy and focused with notes of cherry pips, warm sand, dried flowers, salt licorice and a touch of menthol. Very, very long. 8+ years.
95p (tasted 2018/04)

After the tasting we drove with Giacomo up to Alta Langhe and a new restaurant for us - Trattoria del Bivio. We were treated to a fantastic dinner and on top of that got to see how the chef worked the kitchen!

Giaocomo has a penchant for Ruinart and I´m not complaining!

The 2007 Lynch Bages was yummy!

Intestines! I love it!

November
Back in Piedmont again! And we were really looking forward to meet up with Giacomo. And tasting the 2015 Baroli! :-)

2016 Bussiador
But first the new vintage of Bussiador. The 16 seems like a blend of the outgoing 15 and the more restrained 14, with a deep, buttery nose with notes of spices, dry caramel, white summer flowers, hand cream and minerals. Very fine.
The taste is open and generous with a very cleansing acidity and notes of allspice, lemon cream, yellow apples and salted lemons. Creamy and lovely.
93p (tasted 2018/04)

2016 Barbera d´Alba Conca Tre Pile
This is just a stunning Barbera, probably the best I have ever had (the 16 Ciaböt del Fi from Brovia is a contender). The nose is deep and spicy with notes of bay leaves, raspberry licorice, rain wet earth, a hint of the finest vanilla and a dark perfumed aroma. Beautiful.
The taste is juicy, fresh and focused with notes of ripe forest raspberries, licorice, Christmas spices and warm rocks. The finish is long and detailed with a lovely acidity. Great now and the coming 10 years.
95p (tasted 2018/04)

2015 Barolo Bussia
The straight Bussia, 15.000 bottles, displays a high, cool nose with notes of fir wood, spicy cherries, Finnish licorice and after some time in the glass, a yummy scent of dried up strawberry lemonade.
The taste is young and tight with notes of dry licorice, ripe red cherries, iron, earth and some toasted bread. Very long. Very, very good. 5+ years.
92p (tasted 2018/04)

2015 Barolo Colonello
The nose of the 15 Colonello is that of a lightness of being, with captivating aromas of hard cherry candy, mushrooms, pomegranate and floral scents. Very complex. Old school style.
The taste is taut and steady with notes of ripe lingonberries, sand, dried strawberries and furniture polish. Very long with frisky tannins. Needs 7+ years.
95p (tasted 2018/04)

2015 Barolo Cicala
The Cicala is a beauty. The nose is very deep and multi layered with notes of ripe cherries, clay, expensive soap, hard cherry candy and the imaginary scent of a Tarte Tatin made out of tomatoes. There is plenty to love here.
The taste is vigorous and concentrated with notes of ripe red cherries, rosehips, dried rose petals, tar and leather. Everything in place. Just needs 8+ years in the cellar. Great wine.
98p (tasted 2018/04)

2015 Barolo Romirasco
The Romirasco takes the backseat to the Cicala? Well, there is a first for everything. A stunning depth, and ethereal quality, masses of ripe red fruits and gorgeous notes of herbs, ceps, earth and strawberry icecream melting in the sun. Just lovely.
The taste is very tight, structured and backwards with notes of ripe lingonberries and cherries, dry licorice, lots of chrushed rocks, violets, rosehips and some tobacco notes. The finish lingers of for minutes. 10+ years.
97p (tasted 2018/04)

Hard at work...

2010 Barolo Riserva Granbussia
Perfection is hard to describe. Why is this two or three points better then the Cicala or Romirasco? It just is. Believe me, wine doesn´t become better than this. I have written down a lot of adjectives (paired with profanity) but in this case, the sheer perfection of this wine is impossible to put into words. This comes at a high prize, I know, but given the joy it gives, it is a bargain.
100p (tasted 2018/04)

Could this day get any better? Well, how about a restaurant visit with Giacomo and Elisa Scavino?
Ok then...
We went up in the L´Alta Langa to Filippo, a very intimate restaurant with a very hands on, intense and passionate chef.