2PK Barolo, Monforte d'Alba Comparison

This two-pack includes: one bottle of Diego Conterno, Commune di Monforte d'Alba 2017 and one bottle of Costa di Bussia, Bussia 2019.

Out of Barolo’s eleven communes there are the big five: La Morra, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and Monforte d’Alba. The streams, Tallòria dell'Annunziata and Tallòria di Castiglione, split the region into three main zones. To the west of the Tallòria dell'Annunziata is the commune of Barolo and La Morra. To the east of the Tallòria di Castiglione is the commune of Serralunga d'Alba. Separated by a narrow valley to the west is the commune, Monforte d'Alba, located in the Monforte hills, and further upstream north, tucked in a V-shape spur between the streams is the commune of Castiglione Falletto. The east side tends to have greater altitude and slopes with less fertile soils, chalks and sandstones, with higher levels of iron, phosphorus, and calcium carbonate. Essentially, these villages are home to your more structured, denser, and age-worthy Barolo wines. 

This two-pack is an excellent example of the style of Monforte. With famous Crus such as Perno, Ginestra, and Bussia, Monforte produces deeply red-fruited wines that have a core of sweet, iron-like dust and earth. They’re powerful, but they’re sultry, and in a recent flight of fifteen Baroli from seven communes, Monforte shined. 

Diego Conterno, not related to Giacomo Conterno, sold his share of Conterno-Fantino and founded his own winery under his name, with a backbone of vines in the Ginestra Cru. The estate covers an area of 7.5 hectares, and the first vintage was just 2003. The “Commune” bottling is, surprisingly, pure Ginestra fruit, selected from two prestigious plots: Pajana and Ciabot, each vinified separately. Moderate fermentation length in stainless steel is followed by two years of aging in 50HL barrels, followed by resting in cement. Traditional to-the-bone, dark cherry bleeds into leather, warm stony spices, and fiery earth. The second wine, Costa di Bussia, is one of Barolo’s most historical estates, dating back to 1874, also known as Tenuta Arnulfo named after its founder, Luigi Arnulfo. These were some of the first Barolo wines exported to the American market in the 19^th century, and today, remain one of Barolo’s best values. With prime holdings in the grand Bussia Cru, this entry-level classico Barolo is anything but “entry.” It’s a serious wine, and just like Conterno, it’s aged in 50HL casks, but slightly less, at 18 months. It shows off Bussia’s strength with firm, long-legged tannins and big spirals of black cherry fruit. This two-pack offers a unique opportunity to explore the best of Monforte through the lens of two different Crus, from two producers who share the same, crucial philosophy: terroir first. ~Allegra A