Aldo Conterno is one of my favorite winemakers. If I had only one bottle of wine to drink for rest of my life, a Conterno Barolo would unquestionably be among the contenders. Not only are his wines of the highest caliber, but they are also a result of a quest to create newer styles of Barolo than previously known.
The Conterno family has a long and distinguished history in this Piedmontese subzone. While the late family patriarch, Giacomo Conterno, and later under his son Giovanni, set the benchmark for traditional Barolo, it was brother Aldo who decided to take a different approach all together. More interested in modern winemaking techniques and exploiting the unique characteristics of single vineyard sites, Aldo Conterno split from his brother and established his own estate. Based in Monforte d’Alba, the Aldo Conterno estate sits along the Bussia Soprana vineyard, a source for his base level Barolo. He also produces wines from three neighboring vineyards: Cicala, Colonnello, and Romirasco. Aged in a combination of stainless steel and Slavonian oak barrels, the resulting wines are powerfully structured, concentrated, and some of the most beloved Barolos in all of Piedmont. What I love about them is their fruit – always beautifully layered and perfumed with dark cherries and raspberries. Unlike most traditional Barolos, Aldo’s tend to come around a little bit sooner. But don’t let the approachability fool you, these wines age with the best of them!
We are lucky to have Aldo Conterno’s terrific Barolo normale along with his single vineyard Barolos from two of best vintages in Barolo’s lengthy history.
Aldo Conterno 2004 Barolo, $74
Aldo Conterno 2004 Barolo ‘Colonnello’, $108
Aldo Conterno 2004 Barolo ‘Romirasco’, $140
Aldo Conterno 2001 Barolo ‘Cicala’, $110
New York Vintners 
lovely wines, indeed