Barolo Francia 2016

The wine in this vintage

A textbook vintage for Nebbiolo, 2016 combined a long, even season with a late harvest in optimal conditions, yielding Barolos of extraordinary aromatic finesse and structure. In the 2016 Barolo Francia everything is in place: a clear nose of cherry, violet, rose and spice, dense, silky tannins, lively acidity and a very long, pure finish. It is an expression of Serralunga that marries power with transparency, already seductive in its harmony yet with a reserve of energy that suggests decades of development. It can be enjoyed now, in the knowledge that the best is still to come.

The producer · Giacomo Conterno

Few names embody classic Barolo as completely as Giacomo Conterno. The story begins in Monforte d'Alba in the early twentieth century: Giacomo founded the business, his son Giovanni bottled the first Barolos, and his grandson, another Giacomo, created Monfortino in the 1920s, a long-aged selection that would become Italy's most legendary wine. In 1974 the family bought Cascina Francia in Serralunga d'Alba, a limestone amphitheatre that has supplied both the Barolo Francia and Monfortino ever since. Roberto Conterno, who joined in 1988 and now runs the estate, has added Cerretta and, in 2015, Arione, the cru bordering Francia, as well as the Nervi estate in Gattinara. The approach is uncompromisingly traditional: low yields, native yeasts, long macerations and ageing in large oak casks. The results are austere, profound Barolos built to last for decades, crafted with a near-obsessive precision that has made the house an absolute reference for collectors and Nebbiolo lovers worldwide.

Critics' scores

• 97 Antonio Galloni
• 96+ Robert Parker
• 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Giacomo Conterno

Region

Piemonte

Country

Italia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2016

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

96.5/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0560216