Jay Kline

9.6

Conterno’s “Monfortino” Barolo Riserva (early vintages like this one were labeled as “Stravecchia” and “Extra Barolo”) practically defined the Riserva style. In many ways, one could make the arguement that it blazed the trail for Barolo’s reputation as being the age-worthy wine it is today. Back in the early days, Monfortino was a blend of purchased fruit. Control of Cascina Francia, in Serralunga d’Alba, did not come until the late 1970’s. I can’t be sure but I believe the fruit used to be sourced from Monforte d’Alba and specifically from Le Coste, Bussia and possibly others.

This bottle was opened several hours prior to service. The 1941 Monfortino pours a pale garnet/rust color with significant rim variation and a translucent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears and light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of Maraschino cherry, menthol, Tootsie Roll, espresso macchiato, walnut, and truffle. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (fully integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Sublime. Getting to experience an 80+ year old wine is always a special treat. Getting to experience a Barolo from World War II, during one of the darkest periods in Italy’s past, is extraordinary. Getting to experience early Monfortino (pre-estate) made by Giacomo himself…well, it is drinking history. I nearly got emotional. While it’s clearly is showing its age, the 1941 shows its class and has some impressive moves. We delighted as it danced across the palate, proving that it still has stories to tell. Drink now if you ever see a bottle. — 5 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Com federico cerretto — 7 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Con barbara sandrone en la cava de federico cerretto en doble magnum — 7 months ago

Antra Stabler

9.8

Solid flavour. — 7 months ago

Victor Rauch

9.6

A great wine in a great place. — 8 months ago

Adam Kincaid

9.3

Honestly, I forgot I had this and was worried I was 10 years too late with it. But I tell you what… there is life left in this bottle! Dark fruit, mostly gone but still there. Chocolate and leather too. Then come raisins. Bone dry, smooth but not silky, still some black tea tannins and big structure. Yes, it’s past prime (at 28 years old, I was out of my prime too!) but wisdom replaces energy. — 8 months ago

Kristen Bolter

9.1

Age around the rim; black cherry; a little peppery — 10 months ago

with Hal

Pierre Costa

9.3

Classic Barolo — 8 years ago

Richard Lin

9.1

Excellent! Modernist or not, this drinks well to my palate. Balanced and great flavors. Aging well. — 10 years ago

Petra Thieriot

Owner/Importer Dee Vine Wines

10

Wishing you were somehow here again... We miss you, Ceri! — 13 years ago

with Dade and biondivino

Adam Baker

9.2

Very good with Christmas Eve buffet. — 5 months ago

with Elissa

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep garnet , just a hint of ruby and a wide garnet , terracotta rim. Touches of chestnut , dark fruits , earthy liquorice , dry spice and black tea . On the palate this is very classically styled , with dark liquorice tinged blackberry, raspberry , spiced black tea and menthol tinged good long length finish . Balanced acaidity and quite high , grippy tannins. With time this is beginning to show quite well , but will not doubt improve over the next 5 perhaps 10 years and last well a further 10 . Really quite classic and imposing in style , but detailed and complex. — 6 months ago

Jamie Lauder

9.2

2016 vintage.
From 2 plots in Castiglione Falletto and 5 plots in Serralunga d’Alba. Vines are 50 years old.
Cherries, black licorice and smoke on the nose.
Wild cherries, laurel leaf, dried flowers, mineral and savoury.
The purity of fruit is incredible.
Smooth and round tannins with a juiciness on the finish. — 7 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Piazza Duomo acker — 7 months ago

Eric L.

9.8

Among some wonderful 2008 Barolos, this Cicala was a standout. Excellent length and complexity. — 7 months ago

Mike Miller

9.3

Smooth. Perfect barolo. Sorry but it was wonderful — 8 months ago

Garen Staglin

9.5

Perfect representation of mature Barolo. Plenty of fruit left. — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Ruby/ brick in color with medium intensity.

Beautiful nose with blue and red fruits, caramel, light oak, cooked cherries, red currants and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, raspberries, spices, light oak, earth, chocolates, tobacco, espresso and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 10 year old Barolo is still fresh and vibrant. Delicious and easy drinking with a great mouthfeel. Complex and well balanced. Tangy and interesting.

Already drinking beautifully, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years and beyond.

Gorgeous, elegant and robust. A great sipping wine to share with friends and talk about.

100% Nebbiolo grapes were aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for 6 years.

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — a year ago

Frank Kuo

9.6

Color of light red mixed with black tea and brown sugar. Dark yellow on the rim. A bit hazy. Nose of condensed dried cherry, black pepper, a bit balsamic vinegar, salty bacons, and some wet earthy note. Taste of nice black tea flavor, mix of cherry and strawberry note, intense oak and cedar wood, firm tannins, balsamic acid, tobacco leaf, and some spice note like clove. The taste is a mirage of different nice and saturated Barolo signatures and surpass the nose for sure. Aftertaste is lingering flavors of aforementioned flavors and still powerful tannins. Overall very good Barolo to enjoy now or shelf for several more years to come. — 9 years ago

Brennan Anderson

9.6

Day 2 of Santo Stefano...still plenty of tannin, but coming around so nicely! Santo Stefano is incredible... — 13 years ago

Nagib Nasr

9.2

I brought this wine to the 33rd Naples wine luncheon. Amazing wine. — 5 months ago

William Lauder

9.5

In Magnum. Truly Sublime. — 6 months ago

Mark Rosse

9.5

Wine of the night! — 6 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Piazza Duomo acker — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

A continuation of sharing my early impressions of the 2021 vintage in Barolo; Cavallotto is one of those benchmark producers for me, inextricably connected to Bricco Boschis, which they have farmed for nearly 100 years. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2021 Bricco Boschis pours a brilliant garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of Morello cherry, dehydrated orange, cumin, tar, roses, talcum powder, fresh sage and fresh mint, and dried gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with structure like that of Helm’s Deep; the tannins are absolutely rippin’ and acid at medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is extremely long, savory and drying, to the point that you feel it in your gums several minutes. A brilliant Barolo that has a very long life ahead. Drink now with plenty of air and patience through 2071. Pairs well with hearty lasagna and baseball. — 7 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium light ruby , garnet wide light garnet rim . On opening this was very fruit forward , strawberry, orange rind, raspberry and with some floral, liquorice and spice hints . On the palate again fruit forward , sweet strawberry , raspberry and some red cherry . Just balanced alcohol with fresh acidity . Tannins were quite rounded and sweet , it seemed to lack a little structure . Coming back to this a day later there is much more tannin which is ripe but gritty and more structure noticable . Bizarre how this happens quite often with young Barolo, they appear lighter and more fruit forward than they actually are on opening . A bit more serious too, showing more nuances . Herbal hints , with lightly smoky darker cherry , liquorice and stony, mineral hints on the medium length finish. You could drink this now (if you do what I did last night and just pop and pour), but will be better in 5 years or so and last well a further 5-10. — 7 months ago

romo

9.3

Gained youth with air. Do not dismiss a deep power from the ethereal visual and textural cues. Crys for sugo in 2030. — 10 months ago

Caleb Kneip

9.0

Opened too young; lovely and exceptionally made wine. Brickish red/brown. I let decant for a loooong time. Lots of cranberry and red fruit, some herbs, clay, faint cedar and tobacco. The acidity was med-high, but the tannins really softened out with aeration. I'd say this is still developing flavors and will be 95+ in a decade. — a year ago

Brad Pejcic

9.2

Day 1 was tight as a fish's arse. Tannin, acid and more tannin. There were some pretty floral aromatics but it was really austere in the mouth and not all that enjoyable. I drank half of it anyway.
Day 2 is a different wine. The pretty florals have gone and are now richer strawberry and chocolate aromas, menthol and some faint spice. Then darker fruits, terracotta, spicy cedar. Finishes long, puckering and quite moreish. Acid sticks out a little but the potential is clear. This needs a real good decant or at least another 5 years. — 9 years ago

Mike Mentesana

9.9

One of the best vintage I've ever had, mushroom and great fruit. — 11 years ago