2018 Conterno Fantino Ginestra Vigna Sori Ginestra Barolo, Piedmont

Ginestra is a large and beautiful growing site in Monforte d'Alba that gets the morning light and enjoys panoramic views facing the castle of Serralunga d'Alba. The Conterno Fantino 2018 Barolo Ginestra Vigna Sorì Ginestra is always one of my top picks from this beautiful corner of the appellation. This Barolo is ample and generous, yet it hits the palate with precision and focused sharpness. The bouquet offers wild berry, cassis, rose, menthol, earth and crushed aniseed. This is an impressive and age-worthy wine. 11,784 bottles were released.

96 points Monica Larner robertparker.com Jun 2022 Drink 2024-2045

Super-round, rich and focused with plenty of bright berries, together with spicy and fresh, citrus-rind notes. There’s a silky underlay of loamy mineral that serves as a base for this full-bodied Barolo with fine-grained, well-poised tannins that carry the fruit and spice through the long, long finish. Creamy mineral aftertaste. Nothing overstated, just really intricate and well-defined. Great to taste now, but we will need to wait until at least 2025 for this to show its best.

96 points jamessuckling.com Jan 2022

From the steep, sun drenched slopes of Ginestra in Monforte d’Alba, this Barolo captures the muscular yet refined character that has made the vineyard one of Piedmont’s most celebrated crus. Conterno Fantino has been a driving force in modern Barolo, combining traditional Nebbiolo expression with meticulous vineyard work and precise winemaking. The Sorì Ginestra parcel is prized for its south facing exposure and marl rich soils, delivering wines of great structure, aromatic intensity and long ageing potential. The style here is powerful yet polished, balancing depth with clarity of site.

The colour is a deep garnet with youthful intensity. Aromas are layered and complex, showing rose petal, sour cherry and red plum, followed by licorice, tar, dried herbs and earthy spice. The palate is full bodied and authoritative, with concentrated red fruit, firm, finely grained tannins and a vibrant acid spine that drives exceptional length. There is a deep mineral and savoury core that builds through the finish, marking this as a serious, cellar worthy Barolo. Superb with braised beef, truffle dishes, osso buco, game and aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Built for long term cellaring, it will evolve gracefully over twenty to thirty years, gaining remarkable tertiary complexity and silkiness.