2017 Conterno Fantino Vignota Barbera D’ Alba Piedmont

Located in the heart of Barolo country, Conterno Fantino is an Italian powerhouse, and we jump at the chance to drink any of their wines. Vinous’s Antonio Galloni has been a fan of the estate for decades, writing: “This small, family-run estate continues to produce a bevy of fabulous wines that cost a fraction of the flagship Baroli for which they are so well-known.”

At $24 per bottle, this Barbera will be nudging Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo out of the way this season. Conterno’s cherry-red Barbera is quite simply the nuanced, complex epitome of the grape variety bringing red cherry fruit, crushed mineral complexity, and beautiful terroir transparency to the glass at the price we normally expect to pay only when we’re in Italy. The 2017 shows that when Barbera is grown on impeccable terroir, it pays bull market dividends. 

This plush, seductively aromatic 2017 Vignota Barbera is a fantastic bottling—the rare Barbera boasting an alliance of power and elegance that captured and completely held our attention: Assertive yet velvety, spiced, and juicy, it’s a signature expression of the richness of Monforte d’Alba’s celebrated slopes. Focused and rich, endowed with deep aromas of black cherries, spiced plum, and wildflowers, all lined with soft, grippy tannin.

It’s no secret we adore Barolo, but when it comes to Conterno Fantino—the estate Galloni notes “is one of a handful of properties that deliver outstanding quality throughout their entire range”–  we find ourselves reaching for this Barbera again and again. Not only does it deliver Piedmont’s signature flair at less than 1/3rd the price of most Barolo wines, but rivals their complexity when grown on Monforte’s storied soils.

It’s exactly what we want to be drinking this time of year as wild mushrooms and the first roasted dishes of autumn land on our tables.

The Vignota—Fantino’s lone Barbera—is gently sculpted from 40-year-old vines cultivated organically on steep, 35-degree slopes in Monforte. Across the steep hillside, the winds are powerful (keeping the grapes clean, dry, and free of unwanted humidity), the sun is bright (ensuring full, delicious ripeness), and the calcareous marl soils are well-draining (infusing the grapes with aromatic elegance). The result is a Barbera that shows off the grape variety through an imitable Piedmontese lens.

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

• ABV 14.50%
• 15 mins
• Now – 2027
• 100% Barbera
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork