2014 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello Piedmont Italy

The Elegant Side of Single-Vineyard Barolo

The single-vineyard, 95-point 2014 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello is proof that this generations-old producer is one of the best in Piedmont. Wine Spectator praised it as “powerful and complex,” specifically calling out its “darker fruit flavors of black cherry and plum,” while Decanter loved its “charming, floral red fruit aromas [that] are followed by a fresh but concentrated attack on the palate.”

We have it here for $135, an unheard-of price for a wine of this pedigree.

The 2014 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello offers a crystal clear view into the heart of the land in which it grows. It has all of the structure and longevity that you’d expect from Bussia, but also a sense of detail and elegance that typically takes far longer to emerge. Hand-picked grapes undergo a strict selection in the vineyard, are vinified in stainless steel, and gently aged in oak casks. Everything is done, from the growing season to the bottling, to preserve the inimitable character of the Colonnello vineyard.

Colonnello, after all, is one of the most venerated vineyards in the top cru of Bussia, which itself regularly produces wines that can age for decades. The almost half-century-old Colonnello vineyard is replanted at intervals to maintain a balance between the concentration and character of old vines and the freshness and vibrancy of younger ones. Sandy calcareous soils there lend the wines a haunting sense of aromatic lift, and they often hit their peak a bit sooner than many of Bussia’s other top single vineyards.

It’s proof, as Sur noted when he first tasted it, that seeking out the best producers, as opposed to specific vintages, is often the key to discovering the most exciting wines.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.50%
• 2 hours
• Now – 2037
• 100% Nebbiolo
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork