Perched above the village of Monforte d'Alba is the cantina and tasting room of Conterno Fantino; the result of a collaboration that began in 1982 between Guido Fantino and Claudio Conterno and which has since becoem one of the great addresses of the "commune". In total the estate covers 25 hectares with the main Barolo crus coming from the Ginestra vineyard with the exception of Mosconi which sits opposite and at slightly higher altitude. In style the two men were early devotees of the emerging modern style of Baroli being made by the likes of Sandrone and Altare and have always favoured this method of working for their own wines; short fermentations in rotofermenters and maturation in small French oak being the order of the day. Having said that, like many like-minded producers new oak is being wound back and some Barolo now spends time on large Slavonian wood.
These days, Son-of-Guido, Fabio, is the main force behind the wines and it would be fair to argue that he is a more than worthy replacement for his father and uncle. His passion for wine (not just his own) is infectious and the intellectual rigour he brings to both the vineyards and the cellar have only increased the already high quality of the wines.
All the wines have their own distinctive characteristics; Sori Ginestra is more brooding and perhaps the most serious,Vigna del Gris' higher sand content gives a more fragrant nose and the most recent addition, Mosconi is a gorgeous mix of mineral, dried herb and dark fruits. PWS
