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+--- Thread: Lunch with Robert Conterno (son of Giovani, grandson of Giacomo) (/thread-7712.html)
- Botafogo - 03-18-2005
I just returned from a three hour lunch at Valentino with the current proprietor of one of the greatest wineries on the planet: Giacomo Conterno of Monfortino d'Alba, Piemonte. We tasted the 2002 Barbera (surprisingly good considering the crappy rep of this vintage, the hail missed them), 1989, 1999 and 2000 Barolo Cascina Francia and 1985, 1990 and 1997 Barolo Riserva Monfortino. The things I have to put up with in this business...
Aside from the wines being amazingly perfumed, complex and wondrous despite the fact that you can see through them in the glass and the alcohol was reasonable, the chance to talk with Roberto was a rare treat. He calmed our fears of modernization by noting that his friends say "Your father was a traditionalist but you are much worse", when asked if he considered himself a vigneron or a winemaker he answered without hesitation that he was a contadino (a peasant farmer) and then he told us that in poor vintages they sell their wine sfuso (in jugs to the locals) thus insuring that it is not only not sold as Conterno Barolo but that it is not sold on anyone else's label as Barolo either (he described this as "a moral decision"!). Bravo Bello!
He roared with laughter when I related how, last summer at the Hollywood Bowl, I had opened a bottle of 1985 Monfortino while the people in the next box over opened some science fiction Barolo that would be Turley Zin bottling from some of his recently famous neighbors and my friend's lovely wife tasted both and asked innocently, "If you COULD make something like this (the Montfortino) why would you WANT to make something like that?".
AND, after the luncheon, he and his importer went BOWLING!!!!!!!!
So nice to see a real down to earth guy from the newest generation of Italian producers.
[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 03-18-2005).]
- Innkeeper - 03-18-2005
Great story Roberto. Thanks.
- winoweenie - 03-19-2005
Yes it's sad what a guys gotta do to make a living eh Roberto? Am sure the food sucked also. Great story. WW