2021 Poderi Aldo Conterno, Barolo DOCG “Bussia” Piemonte, Italy.
I’ve tasted this wine a few times now, and it is finally beginning to emerge from a powerful, backward phase that is just about allowing a view of its potential, but it is still a young beast of a Barolo with bold ripe dark fruits, gripping tannins, acidic tension and a raw earthy character that was more common in the 1990s rather than modern times. It might be best to give this 2021 Bussia a quiet, dark place in the cellar, but everything looks there for a rewarding experience in 5 to 10 years when it fully evolves. That said, if you do open one, decant it and have with meaty and robust cuisine, where the classic Nebbiolo layers of dusty cherry, damson plum, red currant and balsamic dipped strawberry fruit would be revealed, along with its hints of liqueur, tarry black licorice, leathery earthiness, incense, resiny cedar and herbs. This chewy, dark ruby and brick hued Barolo by the famous Aldo Conterno, saw a long 30 day maceration and fermentation in stainless steel vats before getting a few rankings in tank and then put into barrel, where it aged two plus years. After which the wine is rested another year in bottle at least before release, with this 2021 Bussia being just introduced to the States now.
The Poderi Aldo Conterno winery’s legendary status, as mentioned here in prior reviews, comes from, Aldo Conterno, who was an Italian winemaker of his eponymous wines in the Piemonte region, in the district of Langhe, most notably producing powerful and age worthy Barolo wines. The winery is located in Monforte d’Alba, in the famous Bussia Barolo vineyard and Conterno is widely acclaimed and is one of the greatest among Piemonte’s foremost producers, which extends into modern times. It is well known, that Aldo Conterno was the youngest son of Giacomo Conterno from Monforte, who at the end of the 1960s wanted to set up his own business, so he managed to buy the Il Favot country house and founded Poderi Aldo Conterno. Raising the bar for Barolo over the next few decades, and today, his sons Franco, Stefano (winemaker) and Giacomo run the family business, continuing to put out some of Italy’s finest wines, like this Romirasco Barolo. It should be noted that Aldo Conterno embraces ripeness and fullness of flavors, with many of their Barolo offerings, like this one come in at between 14.5 and 15% natural alcohol, though that said, they are wonderfully elegant and profound wines. It is a bit interesting that this wine, a bit shy and awkward, is less ready than the higher end Romirasco, but then again the older, the bottle, the better here at Aldo Conterno!
($105 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive