Walking into the cooperage at Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte is like stepping back in time, filled with the smell of seasoned wood, an open fire and the same tools that barrel-makers have used for centuries. Few estates have the luxury of an in-house cooper. While producers inevitably work closely with the tonnelleries (barrel-making firms, such as François Frères, Stockinger and more), having an artisan on-site, working alongside the winemaking team to craft casks exclusively for your specific terroir is different. “It’s very important for the precision of the wine,” explains Cellar Master Yann Laudeho.  Florence and Daniel Cathiard, owners of the Pessac-Léognan estate, built a cooperage on-site almost 30 years ago, in 1995, and their current cooper, Yann Dez, has been working here since 2021. The Bordeaux native’s father was a metal worker, and Dez fell into the world of barrel-making entirely by accident – having a friend who was a tonnelier, and a job opening at an opportune moment. Before he knew it, Dez had learnt the trade from some of the best coopers in the country (including one who now makes the barrels at Ch. Margaux), and spending 15 years working under Didier Fesil. Fesil was the Cathiard family’s first cooper back in 1995, who went on to create his own small tonnellerie (Tonnellerie Bordelaise), and has been named the nation’s best “Master Cooper” – twice. Indeed, Fesil is still very involved with the estate, helping choose the wood for barrels and advising on all things oak; and it was Fesil who put Dez forward for the role at Smith Haut Lafitte.  “There are no books,” Dez says, when I ask about the art of barrel-making. “It’s passed on from tonnelier to tonnelier." The first evidence of coopering as a trade dates back to 900BC – with the craft passed down the generations ever since. “I continue the tradition,” Dez says, clearly with a sense of pride in this ancient, artisanal skill. But with the dust, noise and physical labour involved, tonnellerie schools, Dez tells me, are struggling to recruit young people. It’s common for coopers to have issues with their shoulders and ears (from the non-stop hammering) – and Dez himself has broken an elbow.  In theory, the process can be mechanised – but Dez is clear on how important it is to work by hand, and not just to preserve this ancient art. “I hear the nose, I feel the resistance,” he says. Each barrel, he explains, is different – with a slightly different number of staves and slightly different shape, all adapted according to the wood he’s working with. Selecting the right wood is key – “reading” it, he explains, looking at the grain to see where potential weaknesses are, understanding where will take the most pressure and placing each stave accordingly, ensuring not a drop can seep from the finished barrel. “It’s a job that is both physical, and at the same time requires thinking,” says Dez – and this combination is much of its allure for him.  Hearing the way Dez talks about barrels is fascinating; for him, they each have a unique personality. When I ask Dez how he knows he’s made a really good barrel, he shrugs: “On le sent.” (“You feel it.”) As you toast a barrel, he tells me, the scent of the smoke changes, releasing different aromas – something I smell as he works in front of me. Knowing when it’s spent the perfect amount of time over the fire is the secret – and it’s about more than just the smell, it’s a gut instinct that he can’t quite explain.  Smith Haut Lafitte sources oak from a range of forests, and are always trialling wood from different forests, toasts and doing blind tastings, although – after over 25 years – they know what works for their wine, and terroir. Cellar Master Laudeho explains that, for him, Tronçais and Jupilles are the best – “diamonds” that flawlessly complement their site. And that balance is key; the wood works for the wine, not the other way around.  It seems like a lonely job, I comment, hammering away in his tower – but it’s not something that bothers him. “I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” he tells me. Having only himself to depend on, and knowing that he can ensure each barrel meets his exacting standards, suits him. Indeed, he doesn’t even settle for standard tools – making most himself, custom-designed to suit the way he works. He talks me through a specific hammer that he made, and how it allows him to work better and more precisely, the wooden handle almost silken from the hours of use, shaped to his hand.   The lone electronic technology to have earned a place here are noise-cancelling headphones and a Marshall speaker. He’s a musician in his spare time, and an additional perk of working alone is that he gets to spend all day listening to music. “All the barrels I’ve made,” he says, “are made with music.” He avoids anything too modern or electronic, favouring old jazz, with some reggae, ska jazz and funk in the mix, depending on the day. While he doesn’t feel the music he listens to influences his coopering, he suspects his mood does – and music is a big part of that.  Woodwork is much more than a job for Dez. I spy a beautiful chest alongside his speaker, and it’s one that he made. He has a workshop at home too, spending his free time making everything from guitar stands and toys to chandeliers – anything, he says, that isn’t straight, and therefore can’t really be done by a machine.  It’s amazing watching him work – in the same way as coopers have for centuries – with a natural intuition, ease and precision. There’s definitely something musical to it, a craft that has its own rhythm. He makes around 300 barrels a year, and they may not be soloists – but each one contributes their own note to that year’s symphony.  Explore all current listings of Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte or read more about Bordeaux 

Wooden barrels line most of the finest wine cellars around the world – and many are made by hand. Continuing our series taking you behind the scenes in Bordeaux, we ducked into the cooperage at Smith Haut Lafitte to find out more about this special craft

We visited Pessac-Leognan’s Smith Haut Lafitte to talk to the wine estate’s master cooper, Yann Dez – and find out all about the art of barrel-making

Meeting Smith Haut Lafitte’s Master Cooper

Working to the beat: Smith Haut Lafitte’s Master Cooper

As we commented in our 2022 report, vintages in Napa are, it seems increasingly defined by extreme conditions. The 2023 harvest, however, was – as Neil Bernardi MW, COO at Colgin described it – “remarkably unremarkable”.  “It was a calm and collected vintage,” said winemaker Cathy Corison, who has been making wine under her eponymous label since 1987. “There was nothing that forced your hand. It wasn’t too cold, it wasn’t too hot, it wasn’t rainy. We had the luxury of time.” For Corison, it was an exemplary vintage, easily one of her favourites – although she’s not quite ready to declare it the best vintage of her career (yet, at least). Corison is not alone in such praise: throughout the valley, whispers about 2023 have been growing louder, with the vintage felt by many to be one of the best in recent history.   Weather during the year was unusually cool at times, but largely uneventful. Looking back to the months before the growing season kicked off, however, Northern California received historic levels of rainfall. With a classic Mediterranean climate, the winegrowing regions of California experience warm, dry summers, with most rain falling between October and April.  In the drought years of 2020 and 2021, Napa received a scant eight and 10 inches of rain respectively. The 2022 vintage brought welcome relief, with 26 inches of rain measured in Oakville – just about average as measured against the past 10 years. Records were smashed in 2023, however, with an astounding 58 inches of rain measured between the close of the 2022 and start of the 2023 harvest. Local reservoirs were filled to the point of overflowing, and many vineyards in lower-lying areas were under water at points during the winter.   The rain stretched into May, punctuated by heavy fog and, with soaked soils and overcast skies, budburst was delayed by about two weeks. Although most winemakers on the valley floor reported excellent fruit set, resulting in higher-than-average crop loads, this was not the case everywhere. Up on Spring Mountain at Philip Togni Vineyard, winemaker Lisa Togni explained that incoming rainstorms reach this part of Napa first, and heavy cloud cover often lingers at peak level. Humidity and wind can hinder pollination, lowering the number of berries on each cluster. Yields at Togni, while not historically low, were much lighter than average in 2023. In stark comparison, Sam Kaplan, winemaker for Arkenstone and Memento Mori, reported having to thin “aggressively” during the growing season, with higher-than-normal potential yields thanks to large, perfectly formed clusters.   Springtime temperatures were cooler than average, a trend which would continue through the summer. In June and July, temperatures never exceeded 90°F (32°C) – highly unusual compared to every vintage in the past decade, and, while August warmed up slightly, there were zero major heat events. “Bad things can happen in the first week of September,” noted winemaker and viticulturalist Steve Matthiasson. Most Napa winemakers collectively hold their breath around Labour Day weekend, now notorious for heatwaves and wildfires. In 2023, however, extreme weather never materialised. Moderate, slightly lower-than-average temperatures persisted throughout September, and as the weeks ticked by, the fruit remained on the vine, slowly and steadily accumulating sugar and flavours.   For many producers, the biggest challenge of 2023 was being patient. Given the heat spikes in recent years, Togni said she was fully prepared for harvest by 15th August. Twice she scheduled pick dates only to call them off at the last moment when additional sampling showed that the ripeness was still not at the desired level. Finally, harvest began at Togni on 2nd October – a huge difference from 2022, when harvest started on 23rd August.   As the harvest season stretched on and temperatures remained steady, the potential for rain became worrisome. With fruit projected to be hanging in mid-October and even later depending on site, the chance of rainfall increased. This also did not happen. “Everything was just perfect,” said Myriad winemaker Mike Smith, noting that while the vintage conditions were certainly unusual for recent history, in many ways, they were a return to an earlier version of normal. “No one under 40 has probably ever seen a vintage like this. They’re more used to heat and drought,” he explains.  Smith started harvesting for Myriad on 5th October, which is about three weeks later than recent vintages. He wonders, though, if perhaps other winemakers kicked off harvest too early, which is something Kaplan pondered as well, citing a lack of mid-palate density in some of the wines he’s tasted – perhaps a result of looking at the calendar too intently, especially given recent harvest trends in Napa. Picking was still underway in early November at some addresses. At Colgin, Bernardi says that their patience paid off. “When we harvested, we felt like each vine was at the absolute apex of what it could give,” he said. “The alignment of sugars and phenolics was phenomenal.” He added that, at Colgin, the vine leaves started yellowing almost immediately after harvest, confirming their hunch that the fruit was fully developed and the vines ready to go dormant.   There were no concerns over yield – the plentiful water and cooler growing season not reducing crop size, and most brought in an above-average yield, especially on the valley floor. The quality of the fruit once harvested was uniformly reported as healthy, with multiple winemakers citing fresh, natural acidity levels and ample tannins. Smith loves the colour and density of 2023, noting that extraction was quick and easy, and the fermentation smooth. For Kaplan, a challenge was maintaining the body of the wine – handling the ferments in the winery to extract enough fruit to match the structure of the wine.   Many winemakers also praised the aromatics of 2023. In a hotter vintage like 2022, many of the delicate notes can be “baked out” of the wines, explained winemaker Tony Biagi of Patria and Hourglass. In 2023, Biagi said, the combination of red and black fruit, along with floral notes, has created highly perfumed wines. In his view, the 2023s offer “spectacular power and finesse”, with all “the stuffing” to be “a superlative vintage” – producing wines that will age for at least 30 years.  What may set the 2023 wines apart is the high level of “finesse and elegance,” as described by Andy Erickson of Favia. While he believes that 2023 may not be the most Californian vintage — at least by modern standards – the wines have a lithesome quality on the palate, balancing power and grace. This was a sentiment echoed by Bernardi, who praised the “sense of weightlessness” of the wines produced at Colgin, something he says only the greatest vintages can achieve.  Comparing the vintage to any other proves challenging. More than a few, including Matthiasson, said the weather during the growing season was reminiscent of 2011 – that is, without the October rains that ultimately caused a difficult harvest that year. Lisa Togni feels 2023 is more of a classic Napa vintage with moderate conditions, seemingly cool perhaps only because of the severity of the heat in recent years. Kaplan believes that the purity of fruit in 2023 is comparable to 2018, but even more pronounced. “The wines just jump out of the glass,” he said, “They’re so perfumed and aromatic.” For Corison, the very high level of quality of 2023 is reminiscent of 2001, which she said was similarly elegant and continues to evolve gracefully.  But is 2023 the vintage of the century, as the rumours might have it? Overall, the quality in 2023 is very high. After tasting through dozens of barrel samples, it’s clear that 2023 is a vintage where it was likely more challenging to make bad wine than good wine.  While we’re already looking ahead to 2023, more than a few winemakers lamented the quick dismissal of other vintages – perhaps overlooked in a rush of quick generalisations and soundbites. Quintessa’s Wineburg believes 2023 is undeniably a great vintage, however 2022 was also great – each year has its own personality that will appeal to different palates. For Erickson, the nascent 2024 wines (a vintage he’s particularly excited about) are more typically Californian in style with density and power, while 2023 will be defined by its finesse and restraint.  The 2023 vintage is outstanding – and the wines will appeal particularly to those with a classic palate. Given the late and long, cool growing season, many – if not most – of the wines have a distinct Bordelais quality, balancing pure Californian fruit with fresh acidity and elegant, nimble body – with “a sense of weightlessness” as Bernardi put it. The tannins seem poised to integrate well into the finished wines, and there’s a sense of restraint to many of the wines that is reminiscent of older Napa. The quality in 2023 is far more homogenous – in a positive way – than in recent challenging vintages, where site specificity and the ability to make quick decisions widened the field between those that faltered and those that excelled. “We’ve seen so much awfulness,” said Togni, referencing the challenges of 2020 and 2022, “but this was a nice reminder that not every year will be difficult: 2023 was a classic, great vintage – a storybook vintage.”   Napa 2023: the vintage in brief   Heavy rain over winter and through to spring replenished water reserves, with a long, cool growing season and late harvest  Yields were generally higher than average, especially on the valley floor  Quality largely consistent across the region  Cooler season with extended hangtime produced wines of elegance and finesse  Wines combine perfumed aromatics, fresh acidity and fine tannins, with a classic style reminiscent of the Napa of yesteryear  A top vintage – one of, if not the best in recent history  Keep your eye out for the first releases of Napa’s 2023 vintage. In the meantime, read more about California or browse all current Napa 2023 listings 

Since the fruit came into the winery, Napa’s winemakers have been quietly confident about the 2023 vintage – with murmurs of greatness. Now, as the first wines from the year are released, we find out whether the vintage is as good as the rumours suggest 

Is 2023 the vintage of the century in Napa? We talk to Corison, Colgin, Arkenstone, Tony Biagi, Steve Matthiasson and more about the year and its wines 

Discover the wines of the 2023 vintage in Napa, California 

Napa 2023: vintage report   

There’s been no shortage of hype about the 2021 vintage – a year that producers and pundits have been praising as one of the best in modern history, frequently comparing it to 2016 or 2019. But does it meet those very high expectations?  The preceding winter was key – mild and wet, replenishing water reserves in the soils, an essential resource for the vines to draw on later in the season. The growing season didn’t start too early, and although there was a drop in temperatures in early April (a risk to the early-budding Nebbiolo), frost damage was limited. Reports suggest that lower-altitude sites were hit hardest, but losses were only around 10% – and some producers considered it a form of natural green harvest.  After this early threat to the crop, late April and May were cool and wet, but then the weather was largely warm and dry until harvest. Temperatures weren’t excessive, apart from a brief heatwave in early August, but the water reserves were key to allowing the vines to survive in the dry conditions. Vietti winemaker Eugenio Palumbo explained that they received around 400mm rain across the season, versus the 600-700mm of a normal year.  Storms hit the region in early July, with some hail – although this was localised and impacted Roero, Monferrato and a handful of sites in Barolo. The dry conditions meant disease pressure was minimal. Come September, there was a little rain, helping the vines over the finish line, while the temperatures at night dropped – providing a high diurnal range that helped preserve aromatics and freshness while the fruit developed phenolic maturity.  Harvest got underway at the very end of September (Philine Isabelle Dienger was one of the first out on 29th), running through to the middle of October, with all the Nebbiolo in by the third week of the month.  Aldo Vacca of Produttori del Barbaresco and the Gaja team both compared the vintage to 2016 – emphasising its classic style. The long growing season allowed for structured wines with ripe tannins, yet the cool nights in the run-up to harvest preserved tension and aromatics.  Not everyone agrees on its classicism, however; for Dave Fletcher (Fletcher Wines) it is a vintage with amazing structure, depth and density, but it’s far from typical. Valentina Grasso at Ca’ del Baio explained how tight and dark-fruited the wines are in comparison to those of 2016, needing time to reveal their complexity.  Similarly, Nicola Oberto at Trediberri emphasised how – although many Monforte d’Alba producers thought it was a perfect vintage for the commune – the powerful style of the year didn’t necessarily fit them, preferring the purity of a year like 2022.  Philine Isabelle Dienger noted how the warm, dry conditions were a shock to the vines after 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the ferments were tricky to handle, sluggish. Some noted it was a difficult year to use native yeast, and more opted for cultured yeasts to ensure clean ferments. The Philine Isabelle wines were typically low in alcohol, at around 13.5% with their early-picking philosophy, but most tended to be around and above the 14.5% mark in 2021.  For Burlotto’s Fabio Alessandria, the dry, warm conditions provided just the right amount of stress for the plants and he’s very happy with the quality of the 2021 wines – structured with good density and concentration, yet maintaining balance, akin perhaps to 2019 Burgundy. The wines will undoubtedly need time, he says, but the vintage will reward those who wait.  Most critics are yet to offer their full thoughts on the vintage, although Kerin O’Keefe wrote in an early look at the year that, although it was “a difficult vintage”, the best wines are “stunning, age-worthy wines”, combining “the austerity of 2019 with the elegance of 2016”. Echoing Alessandria, she feels the wines will need a decade to drink at their best. Reporting for jancisrobinson.com, Walter Speller was initially cautious of the “enigmatic” year, wondering if it was as good as people suggested, however now feels it is “an excellent vintage”, offering “more heft and depth than the utterly beguiling and readily accessible 2019”.  Antonio Galloni (Vinous) has published his report and – although it doesn’t quite have “the stratospheric peaks of the most exceptional years”, there are “a bevy of outstanding wines”. The 2021s are “finessed, elegant wines that will delight Piedmont fans”, with “open aromatics, pliant fruit and finessed, ripe tannins” – and the best, he says, are “profoundly expressive”.  Keep your eyes peeled for additional reports on the vintage; we’ll add to this feature as and when we have more information. In the meantime, read more about Italy  Browse all current listings of 2021 Barolo 

Ever since the fruit came into the winery, the Piedmont’s producers have been talking about the 2021 vintage in hallowed terms. As the first Barolos from the year are released, we dive into the revered vintage, looking at what both producers and critics are saying about the year

Diving into the 2021 vintage in Piedmont – the growing season and wines from Barolo and Barbaresco according to producers and critics 

Piedmont 2021: vintage focus 

2021 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Louis Auguste, Domaine David Duband  
This wine, named in honour of David’s son, Louis Auguste, comes from higher-altitude sites and some of the domaine’s oldest vines (over 55 years in age). In 2021, it’s spicy and lifted – offering a mouthful of pure, crunchy red fruit. It’s fresh and mouth-watering, building to a savoury, smoky finish. Superb value.  


2021 Gevrey-Chambertin, Charles van Canneyt  
This village bottling is an excellent entry point to Charles van Canneyt’s range – especially if you can’t get your hands on any of his Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat wines. The 2021s may be the best vintage to date of his négociant label, with a line-up of elegant and vibrant wines that offer great value. The village Gevrey-Chambertin is a wine of such finesse – with a lifted, perfumed nose. But behind the aromatics, there’s a more serious palate, with persistent, focused fruit, and vivid acidity driving through the core of the wine. The long finish is scented with delicate florals. 


2021 Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Duroché  
Because yields were so low in 2021 (due to frost and hail in the north of Gevrey), Duroché’s 2021 village Gevrey includes fruit from Le Clos, Champ, En Vosne and what little survived the hail in Premier Cru Champeaux. All Duroché’s vines are old, and for this cuvée, they were all planted between 1930 and 1986. The nose is perfumed and floral, but it’s the palate that really sings – with a tight energy and ripe, round mouth-feel. A gentle toastiness (with 15% new oak) coats the sweet, red cherry fruit. This vibrates with potential – the finish long, saline and mouth-watering. A brilliant introduction to the Duroché style. 


2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Premier Cru, Aux Guettes, Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot  
This vineyard sits just below the forest, with only 30cm top-soil over the hard rock below. The Pavelot plot (a mere 0.35 hectares) shows a totally different side to Savigny – brighter and lighter, with vibrant red fruit and a creaminess (with 25% new oak). The nose is full of raspberry and cranberry, with a welcome, sublime freshness thanks to this more “traditional” vintage. The medium-bodied palate is mineral and elegant, with great tension. The oak is well-integrated, bringing extra weight to the mid-palate, building to a vibrant, long finish. This is a top wine – classic and airy, as Burgundy used to always be. 


2021 Givry, Premier Cru, Clos Marole, Domaine Joblot  
Clos Marole is one of the few survivors from a catastrophic growing season at Domaine Joblot, with yields slashed by 50%. But – even if there’s not very much of it – the wine is superb. You’re instantly struck with vibrant, fresh red fruit, blackberry and crushed strawberry – possibly thanks to the old vines (on average 40 years old). The oak (35% new) needs a little more time to integrate fully, but is well-judged. Relatively light-bodied, the palate is driven by great acidity and silky tannins. The finish is long and suave. Enjoy this delicious wine young, but it has everything to keep for a decade or more.  


2021 Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru, Clos des Ormes, Domaine George Lignier  
Domaine Georges Lignier is the largest owner in Clos des Ormes, with almost two hectares of the Premier Cru, all on calcaire comblanchien. The nose is pretty and perfumed with sweet spice notes courtesy of the oak (around 25% new). The fruit is bright and crunchy, yet there’s a darker, more brooding aspect on show – with a powdery tannic structure adding texture to the pure, long palate. An impressive result in the vintage.  


2021 Coteaux Bourguignons, L’Eclos des Abeilles, Domaine de Bellene  
Nicolas Potel only made 6,000 bottles of this wine in 2021 (instead of 20,000 normally) – yet it’s once again excellent for what is “just” a Coteaux Bourguignons, rivalling some top village appellations. The fruit for this great-value cuvée comes from cooler vineyards on the limits of the Bourgogne appellation in Nantoux (where the vines are 80 years old), Saint-Romain and Nuits-Saint-Georges, classified as Coteaux Bourguignons (an appellation more often associated with reds). The wine is mainly Chardonnay, however there’s a sprinkling of Aligoté adding extra zip.  The nose is honeyed, fresh and mineral, with the palate crisp at first, with clean acidity and superb balance. It rounds out with toasted almond and citrus, building to a long finish that brings a generous dimension of complexity to the wine. It is almost ready to drink now. A superb effort from Potel.  
  
2021 Puligny-Montrachet, La Rue aux Vaches, Alvina Pernot  
This was a particular highlight of our tasting – offering a very different style to Clos des Noyers Brets. Versus the soft purity of Clos des Noyers Brets, this is both more mineral and with a riper core of fruit – juicy white peach and apple, but with a bright, zesty green edge to it, and the very slightest hint of toast. The texture is richer and creamier, offering a pleasingly round yet beautifully elegant mouthful. Long and nuanced finish. This was bottled exclusively in magnum – with just 146 produced.   


2021 Saint-Aubin, Premier Cru, En Remilly, Louis Jadot 
In 2021, there is just one barrel of this Premier Cru – and it’s exclusively available from FINE+RARE. Pithy with flinty, mineral tones that complement an almost orange-zest lift. Behind the citrus and minerals though, there’s a core of fresh, white-peach fruit and toasty, spicy oak that lingers on the finish. The concentrated core is balanced by vibrant acidity, with that creaminess rounding out the lithe palate. Delicious.  


2021 Chablis, Grand Cru, Les Blanchots, Domaine Long-Depaquit  
Domaine Long-Depaquit has 1.66 hectares of this cool Grand Cru. They managed to make just 20% of a normal crop in 2021, the region’s yields drastically reduced by cruel April frosts. This was a particular highlight of our tasting – with an intense, taut, lime-and-lemon profile. Although the fruit verges on lean, there’s a brightness to the wine too. Notes of chalk, oyster shell and Granny smith apple are complemented by a creamy, round character. The finish is long and zesty – classic, pinpoint Chablis. 
 Browse all available Burgundy or read more about the vintage 


The grandest names in the Côte d’Or might be the most desirable – but there’s much more to the region beyond the very top appellations. Here we highlight 10 of the wines that we think offer the best value in 2021 

Discover the 10 best-value wines from our tastings of the Burgundy 2021 vintage so far – from up and down the Cote d’Or

The best-value wines in Burgundy 2021

Burgundy 2021: top-value buys

At this time Barolo was typically sold either by cask and blended by Alba merchants or in demi-john glass containers. On returning from the First World War, Giacomo Conterno had a clear vision that he wanted to produce a top cuvee that showed just how well Nebbiolo could perform if only the finest grapes were selected from top vintages and aged extensively in cask giving the wine more intensity, structure and ageing potential. We look into how the wine has developed over its 100-year existence and explore some of the legendary vintages. Barolo in fine wine terms is a relatively modern phenomenon. Whilst there are records of historic bottles of Barolo being produced as far back as the 1880s, for instance a bottle of Bourgogno Barolo 1886 was sold at an auction in 1972, there were very few producer-named Barolos being bottled at the time and no one making a Riserva style.  For the first 54 years of Monfortino, up to the now legendary 1978 vintage, the wine was
made from entirely purchased grapes. Whilst the winemaking in the family dates back to the early 18th century they did not own any vineyards until 1974. As Barolo’s reputation gained in status, grape prices were increasing and the fruit became less easily available as more and more growers began to bottle their own wine. It was at this point Giovanni (Giacomo's son) knew if they were to stay in business they needed to buy land.  He purchased the 14-hectare plot of Cascina Francia, a west-to-southwest-facing vineyard that ranges from 350 to 440 metres in altitude located on the southern limits of the Barolo region in the Serralunga range of hills. It has the Falletto vineyard (famous for Bruno Giacosa’s single vineyard site) nearby to the north on the Serralunga side. The first vintage of Monfortino produced entirely from the Francia vineyard is the much-celebrated 1978 vintage which was produced from just four-year-old vines. Ever since, all of the Barolo wines from Giacomo Conterno (Barolo “Francia”, Barolo Riserva and Barolo Riserva “Monfortino”) have been produced exclusively from the Francia vineyard.  Giacomo was then joined in the business by his two sons, Giovanni and Aldo, however, their differing ideas about how Barolo should be produced meant that Aldo split from his family to start his own winery, which represents a more modern style of winemaking. The estate is now run by Giacomo’s grandson Roberto, who continues to drive this estate from strength to strength. In 2008 Roberto Conterno bought three hectares of the famed Cru vineyard of Ceretta, producing the first Barolo from the vineyard with the 2010 vintage. Another addition to the
Conterno portfolio came in 2015 with the purchase of 6 hectare plot of which 3.5 hectares are dedicated to Barolo production in the Arione vineyard that neighbours Conterno’s Francia vineyard to the south. Roberto released just three barrels of Barolo Arione from the 2015 vintage. On tasting the two wines Monica Larner states, that if the Francia vineyard produces wines of “elegance” then the Arione vineyard produces “power”. The estate also produces a highly rated Barbera D’Alba. Since the 1978 vintage, just 18 vintages have been made. The wine continues to be made in the same traditional method throughout, ageing the wine in large 200 – 7500 litre oak barrels. The minimum cask ageing for the Monfortino is seven years. Top modern vintages Of the 100-point rated 2010 Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Antonio Galloni writes that this wine is “utterly compelling…nuanced and vivid on the palate, the 2010 Monfortino possesses remarkable finesse and power. Classic Monfortino notes of dried rose petal, leather, licorice and incense develop beautifully in the glass as the wine literally takes hold of all the
senses…. A vivid, thrilling wine, the 2010 will soon take its place among the greatest Monfortinos ever made.”  The quality of the wine produced at this estate is so consistently high, especially of the Monfortinos, that Galloni writes that: “readers will have much fun debating which is the greatest Monfortino of recent years." Could it be the 1996, 1999 or 2002 for their huge structure and classicism? Or, is it 1997 for its opulence? What if the dark horse 1998 and 2000 steal the show? Personally, I adore the 2001 and 2004 for their completeness, but the 2004 is the sexiest of them all.” Some of the best vintages at this estate have been 1978, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010. Monfortino 1961 To celebrate 100 years of Cantina Conterno since the first harvest we cracked open a 1961 Monfortino. Whilst this wine is now seriously developed, its retention in acidity and viscous
richness was quite extraordinary at 60 years old. Tasting through the bottle as it developed in the glass, the wine’s aromatics ebbed and flowed from earthy, savoury ferrous notes to wafts of beautiful floral perfume, sweet tobacco, dry spice and fresh leather. There was plenty going on in the palate too – candied and dried orange rind, bitters, dried cherry, fig, licorice and tamarind notes. This is perhaps more of a museum piece today but the retention in structure at 60 years old is impressive. Read more Editorial 

Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino is the most celebrated and famous Barolo in the world. It is also said to be the first-ever producer-named Barolo made in the Riserva style, the first vintage being made in the 1920s. 

Exploring how Giacomo Conterno's fabled Montfortino Barolo wine has developed over the past 100 years

Monfortino, the world's most celebrated Barolo

Behind the bottle: Monfortino

The Langhe is unspeakably beautiful. You may have seen Allessandro Masnaghetti’s 3D maps – a painstaking project by this now-iconic cartographer to translate these terroirs to paper. Their textured surfaces speak of Barolo and Barbaresco’s complex geology – and yet they don’t fully convey its endless curves and corners, winding roads and intricate jigsaw of villages and vineyards, nestled in amongst each other. This is a landscape carved and sculpted by nature over 15 million years; the vines cling to precipitous slopes, sweeping down toward the valleys. Like the effortless lines of Michaelangelo’s marble, it’s a masterpiece.  We’ve just returned from a trip to Piedmont’s most prestigious vineyards, dipping a toe in the waters of this fascinating area over three days. With the layers of region, village (11 in Barolo, three in Barbaresco), its Crus (officially known as MGAs, Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) and individual vigne or vineyards, Barolo and Barbaresco are often compared to Burgundy. These layers of complexity and nuance are what wine-lovers thrive on, the detail that allows us to indulge new levels of geekery. Add to this the finesse and aromatic perfume of Nebbiolo, and it’s easy to see why Pinot Noir lovers fall for the region.   While wine has long been made in the Langhe (for at least 2,000 years), the first dry Barolo is thought to have been bottled in 1844, with wines before that often sweet or lightly sparkling. It’s only really in the 1960s that the region’s reputation started to be built. Wines were – as in Burgundy – mainly made by négociants until this point, when individual estates started making their own wine. Traditionally wines from across the region were blended to create an expression of Barolo as a whole, but this too started to change. Prunotto and Vietti were the first to identify and vinify individual plots in Barolo, following a trip to Burgundy in the 1950s and ’60s (read more about the birth of Barolo’s Crus here); while in Barbaresco, it was Angelo Gaja who started to make wine exclusively from vineyards the family owned (from 1961) and then bottled the single vineyard Sorì San Lorenzo separately for the first time in 1967.  Traditionally the wines were made with long maceration times (leaving the wine in contact with the skins for 50 or more days) and several years in large oak casks, to extract colour, tannin and flavour from the thin-skinned Nebbiolo. These wines were immensely age-worthy, but their rasping tannins often needed time to become approachable – in some cases the fruit would fade while waiting for the tannins to come round. Winemaking – as elsewhere – was rudimentary, and the late 20th century brought with it modern technology and better hygiene. But the 1980s also saw Barolo divided.  This was the period of Parker and Parkerization, with rich, voluptuous wines with sweet fruit and vanilla tones from new French oak all the rage. Barolo couldn’t be further from this style – and its winemakers were humble farmers, with little recognition (financial or otherwise) for their work. But then a group of producers, led by Elio Altare, embraced the barrique (the traditional 225-litre French oak barrel), looking to put Barolo and its wines on the world map. These modernists, sometimes known as the “Barolo boys”, used new oak, and shorter, more vigorous extractions to craft wines that were fruitier, darker and more immediate – and received instant acclaim. The traditionalists of the region, however, fiercely defended the Langhe’s historical ways, the use of long macerations and large, old botte casks. Bartolo Mascarello famously released a label stating “No Barrique, No Berlusconi” (adorning the 1998 and 1999 vintage), decrying the use of new oak and Berlusconi’s right-wing politics.   Modernisation was essential – and better hygiene, with the arrival of stainless steel, was revolutionary. Today, as more and more producers around the world turn to large oak casks, it’s unsurprising that many in Barolo and Barbaresco are returning to their botti, and new oak has generally fallen from favour (at least in high proportions), yet the barrel certainly lives on, even if still controversial.  “Barrique… it’s an ugly word here in the Langhe,” says Dave Fletcher, the Australian producer who left the Yarra to make wine in Piedmont over a decade ago (under Fletcher Wines and Cantina della Stazione). He avoids new wood, but prefers barrels for the ability to vinify plots separately – something he feels is important for quality. There are also  those who feel that the minimum ageing requirements (18 months in oak for Barbaresco and 24 months in oak for Barolo) are old-fashioned, forcing the production of wood-heavy wines that are removed from current tastes – even suggesting that there’s a movement for these minimum times in oak to be adjusted.  As in Burgundy, whole-bunch has become a divisive topic. Some wines have traditionally been made with whole-bunch fermentation (as with Burlotto’s Monvigliero), but now some producers feel a small percentage can help bring freshness in warmer vintages, while others feel it distracts from the terroir, and doesn’t suit Nebbiolo.  Climate change is seeing a shift in the most prized plots, with some producers now feeling south/southwest-facing sites (historically the most desirable) too warm, and north/northeasterly exposure better for the long term, or finding other ways to manage global warming. Land prices have been rising, and there’s an increasing amount of outside investment, as well an increasing number of producers arriving from beyond Piedmont – although there are still those, such as Vietti’s Eugenio Palumbo, Burlotto’s Alessandria or Gaja’s Gaia Gaja, who were born and bred here, and have been embedded in the industry, and often their family business, their entire lives. We dove into recent vintages, especially the very different yet both excellent 2020 and 2021s, the former open and approachable, the latter closed and needing time. We talked about clones and rootstocks, the persistence and suitability of Chardonnay in the Langhe, the pressure on the region’s biodiversity – and much, much more.  We’ll be publishing more in the coming weeks and months, as well as shining a light on the wines of the region – one that should be part of any collector’s cellar. But, as with the wines here, there is so much to consider. As Nicola Oberto of Trediberri told us, “It doesn’t need to be obvious – it needs to be interesting.” And that, the endless nuance and complexity, is what makes the region’s great Nebbiolo so enchanting.  Keep an eye out for more on Piedmont over the coming months or browse all current listings from the region 

Just returned from a whistlestop tour of Barolo and Barbaresco, Sophie Thorpe mulls the complexity that defines the Langhe, and makes it so endlessly appealing

Just returned from a tour of Barolo and Barbaresco, Sophie Thorpe mulls the complexity that defines the Langhe, and makes it so endlessly appealing

The allure of the Langhe’s Barolo and Barbaresco

The allure of the Langhe

I’m sitting opposite Rino Fontana, an Italian wine collector that Antonio Galloni named his Wine Personality of the Year in 2023. Fontana looks unassuming – like any other septuagenarian that you might find, cigarette in hand, knocking back an espresso in a sunny piazza. Sunglasses hang on a string around his neck, and occasionally he rifles through scraps of paper that seem to operate as a calendar and/or journal. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was perhaps someone a little more, well, suave. Fontana has been collecting wine since the 1980s and is renowned for his cellar, a treasure trove of remarkable vintages from Piedmont’s top producers. Indeed, Galloni has dubbed him “Il Professore” for his extensive knowledge of Italian wine – despite never having worked in the industry. As Fontana scrolls through pictures on his phone, recalling recent dinners, he rolls off names and vintages that would leave any wine-lover speechless. He grew up in the Oltrepò Pavese, where his father was a stonemason, but would buy grapes and make a little wine for the family. Fontana was sent to school in Valenza, a town known for its gold industry – and he started working in a gold factory in his late teens. Aged 24, he and his best friend opened their own jewellery workshop. It was the owner of a local restaurant in nearby Mortara who introduced Fontana to the real pleasures of wine, and a bottle of Conterno’s Monfortino that made him fall head over heels for Nebbiolo – the 1958 vintage, in fact. Since that first taste, he’s opened over 150 bottles (yes, really) of the 1958 Monfortino. It was that wine that prompted Fontana to start visiting producers – an adventure in self-education. At the time, people weren’t buying wine, and Italy’s winemakers were far from fashionable. He became friends with the likes of Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bruno Giacosa and Gianfranco Soldera, rapidly securing significant allocations of their wines when few others were showing interest. Producers, in turn, suggested he had a gift – unique in his ability to understand wines in barrel and foretell their future. Today, he covers around 80,000km a year visiting producers – but the vast majority of that mileage is in Piedmont, for Fontana drinks – and collects – little other than Nebbiolo. This one grape represents around 95% of his consumption, he says, with Barolo and/or Barbaresco on the menu every day. He always has the latest releases on hand in the fridge – even some basic Langhe Nebbiolo, but at least twice a week he’ll uncork something special from the 1960s or ’80s with wine-loving friends or producers. While Nebbiolo is one of many grapes to be declared “the king of wines”, for Fontana it really does reign supreme. When I ask why, marvelling at how he could drink so much of just one variety, he shrugs: “Nebbiolo is Nebbiolo.” When I push him, he says he loves its ageability, structure and elegance – something he feels you can’t find in Pinot Noir. He recalls a recent dinner with Galloni at Il Centro in Priocca, sharing a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s 2004 La Tâche alongside a 1947 Borgogno Barolo and 1989 Vigna Rionda from Giacosa. Both the Barolos, he says, grew over the dinner – while the La Tâche faded slowly. For him, Burgundy (even the world’s most sought-after bottles) is no match for Nebbiolo. That’s a controversial opinion – but Fontana is not a man short of views. He dismisses the wines of Cappellano and Accomasso, while he has firm beliefs on how Nebbiolo should be made, favouring traditional winemaking with old oak – not wanting to feel the wood in the wine. He argues that too many young producers are going to Burgundy and trying to echo that style in their wines, losing their Piedmontese identity. The resulting wines are, he feels, too technical, too clean. “Great wine can’t be perfect,” he says – suggesting that those imperfections are partly what makes wine feel alive. While the most established and famous producers dominate his collection, he also likes the wines from newer names such as Trediberri, Crissante and Cascina Baricchi. Beyond Nebbiolo, he’ll dabble in certain labels of Sangiovese – Soldera, for example will pass muster, as well as SanCarlo (a producer he feels rivals the former). Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte would previously have been a prime choice, but now he’d choose Le Boncie’s Le Trame instead. He likes Valentini and Emidio Pepe, and used to buy Gravner but feels the style changed in 2004 so stopped. He sold his jewellery business in 2000 – dedicating his time entirely to wine – visiting producers, building his collection and selling to select parties (of which FINE+RARE is lucky enough to be one). Fontana has around 9,000 bottles in his collection today. He shows us a video of his cellar – intriguingly with many of the wines stored upright. Anything post 1990 is kept on its side, but older wines stand proud in his cellar – something which he argues is better once they reach a certain age, with the cork and humidity of the cellar more important in their preservation. It’s a remarkable collection, with incredible verticals of many wines. His access seems unparalleled – receiving larger allocations than many importers, given his historical ties. He is the only individual, for example, to receive an allocation of Rinaldi’s Brunate Cru – a wine that is otherwise kept exclusively for the family. Some of his most prized bottles are Giacosa’s 1964 Santo Stefano and magnums of 1970 Monfortino (“amazing” – he says), while he has a soft spot for the youthful 2015 Soldera. Now aged 73, Fontana seems just as enchanted by wine as when he first tasted that 1958 Monfortino. I ask him if there’s a wine he is still desperate to taste, a unicorn that he’s still hunting: the answer is no. He’s been able to try every vintage from the producers he loves. It’s a rare answer for a wine lover – but “Il Professore” isn’t your average wine collector. – Photography of Rino Fontana at Il Centro by Dan Deibel Explore a selection of top verticals from Fontana’s cellar, all Italian listings or read more Editorial

Friends with Vinous founder and critic Antonio Galloni, and with a cellar that will turn you green with envy, Rino Fontana is Italy’s most famous wine collector. We sat down with the man himself to find out more about his journey into wine, incredible collection and obsession with one grape  

Antonio Galloni’s Wine Personality of the Year 2023, Rino Fontana is Italy’s most famous wine collector – we met the man to talk about his cellar

Rino Fontana – the wine collector like no other

Rino Fontana: a collector like no other

Truffles: small, gnarly things. Equally ugly and alluring. Pungently intoxicating. Deliciously rare – and undeniably expensive. Alexandre Dumas described truffle as “the holy of holies”. Rossini called it “the Mozart of mushrooms”. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said just the name “awakens erotic and gastronomic ideas”. There’s something magical about the way these funghi lie just out of sight. The elusive treasures lurk beneath an otherwise unassuming forest floor, found only with the help of a specially trained hound. Once unearthed, however, they become the centrepiece to the world’s most expensive dishes, prized by Michelin-starred chefs and gourmands alike. They aren’t just another ingredient, however, there’s theatre to their presentation: the stage set in the kitchen, then served with a flourish tableside. For Rowan Jacobsen, author of the recently published Truffle Hound, one sniff was enough to keep him on the trail for three years. The Vermont-based writer was in Barolo in 2018 and on his way to the table, when he passed a giant white truffle under a glass cloche. Instinctively he lifted the dome: “I didn’t even make it to the table. Such a crazy smell. I was destroyed at the luncheon – I kept thinking about the truffle,” he tells me. That one flare of the nostrils had him hooked, and he’s been following truffle hunters around Europe ever since. His book follows his adventures – discovering “dreamers, schemers, and some extraordinary dogs” along the way. Piedmont is considered the home of the truffle – with the annual fair in Alba (running from October to December) the epicentre of the trade. White truffles (tuber magnatum), as found in Alba, are the crème de la crème of the truffle world – distinctly seasonal, flourishing in the autumn and winter. This brief window of opportunity is key to their appeal. As Donald Edwards, Head Sommelier at La Trompette, says, “What else can you have where the stopwatch of deliciousness is literally ticking by the table?” Of course, not all truffles are created equal. Black truffles are a third or a quarter of the price of white truffles and offer a very different aroma. Jacobsen describes “more pungent, more overwhelming” and “invigorating” scent of white truffle as “garlic, salami, almost gasoline” versus the “comforting, soothing, round” notes of “cured olives, cocoa and hazelnut” that he associates with black truffles. And while there is only one white truffle, there are two types of black truffle: the black winter truffle (or Périgord, tuber melanosporum, now mostly grown in Spain) and the black summer truffle (tuber aestivum, sometimes known as the Burgundy truffle but found all over northern Europe, including southern England). The latter, more widespread breed is not nearly as intense as its winter sibling, meaning more is needed for the same impact. One reason that white truffles carry such a premium is also that they have – so far – proven impervious to cultivation (although scientists in France have recently claimed to have cracked this). The truffle hunters, or trifulau, in Piedmont are therefore unsurprisingly secretive about where they find their treasure. Often speaking only a local dialect, these foragers roam the woods – often under the cover of darkness in search of “white gold”. Their dog will sniff their way to the right spot, pawing the ground and patiently waiting for their master to dig up their bounty. “It’s a billion-dollar industry totally dependent on dogs’ noses,” Jacobsen says, laughing at the absurdity. While the hunters might avoid the limelight, it’s not the case when it comes to their dogs, Jacobsen tells me. The canine connection is taken to the next level when you also depend on a four-legged friend for your livelihood. While pigs were the original snouts charged with sniffing out truffles, hunters switched to dogs in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lagotto Romagnolo is the “traditional” truffle-hunting breed (and comes with an associated premium, given their potential return), but today almost any dog is used. They simply need to be trained and have the right nose for the job. “Good ones are amazing,” Jacobsen tells me. “They can find a truffle 50 yards away in the forest and they just know it’s there.” Trifulau Luigi Rosso has been – along with his dog Danko (aged seven) – sniffing out the good stuff for 30 years. While it might look easy, he says that it’s incredibly difficult and can be dangerous for both hunters and their dogs, traipsing through forests in the dark. It is, however, all worth it for him. “The tranquillity that is in the air while you go for the truffles. The moon, the silence and only the sound of your footsteps on the damp leaves, then the joy of your dog when it finds one…” he tells me. The unique scent of truffle is what drives connoisseurs to seek them out – bidding on the finest examples for extortionate sums. “I feel like they've evolved to hit some deep pleasure receptors in our brains. When they're good you just want to luxuriate in them,” Edwards says. William Lowe MW – the man behind Cambridge Distillery – set about capturing the elusive flavours of truffle in his quest to create a digestif-style gin. The idea was born when looking at the digestif trolley in a Michelin-starred restaurant – and a sommelier who was scornful at the idea of a gin worthy of joining its ranks of fine Cognac and single malt whisky. “If you look at those rare and mature examples, you’ll see that the oxidative maturation process creates these beautiful earthy aromatic profiles sometimes referred to as ‘forest floor’. We wanted to achieve this profile through distillation rather than maturation, and truffles gave us the perfect route to do so,” Lowe says. “It took me a very, very long time. Because truffles are hard to deal with. They are packed full of volatiles, which is to say that truffles smell more than they taste,” the Master Distiller explains. “If you think it through – every time you open a door to a restaurant that is serving truffles, bang you get it straight away. But if you look at the food they serve truffles on and it’s always almost neutral dishes: creamy pasta, mushroom risotto. It’s never on super flavoursome dishes because if it is, you can’t taste the truffle anymore.” The challenge, however, was capturing something that doesn’t want to be caught, and finding the right level of truffle. “With truffle, chefs will normally do one of two things: either they’ll know you know it’s expensive so they’ll use loads of it so you can’t taste anything else for the rest of the meal – or they’ll do the opposite. They know that you know it’s expensive so they use so little that it’s the Emperor’s new clothes – you sort of have to search for it. It takes a genuinely skilled chef to use truffle well. And using it well is when you get all of that amazing aroma but you can still taste the other things.” This was what Lowe was aiming for – but it wasn’t easy. He spent months refining the distillation technique for truffle, but the flavour was only “ok”. He went back to the drawing board and decided that the problem was the truffle he was using – black wouldn’t cut it. “We went straight to Piemonte – white truffles from Alba. Gram for gram, worth more than gold […] and it came out and tasted a lot better than gold does so that’s an easy trade,” says Lowe. For trifulau Rosso, you need at least 10 grams on a dish (whereas, he says dismissively, restaurants will often only use a measly five) – with homemade tagliarini top of his list, although he also suggests trying it on panna cotta. He considers Pelaverga – a rare red variety that’s native to Piedmont – the classic pairing, but otherwise goes for one of the region’s other reds, Barbera, Barbaresco or Barolo. These are undoubtedly the classic pairings, following the simple rule of what grows together goes together. However, Jacobsen or Edwards don’t agree. “It couldn’t be more wrong. It really requires a white. The tannins clash with the aromatics,” Jacobsen says. The truffle specialist opts for Champagne, white Burgundy or cool-climate Californian Chardonnay – even Beaujolais. As for Edwards, he likes something that plays on the delicacy’s textural quality: “They work so well with buttery, umami-laden cheese sauces that I can't not want really classy Chardonnay. I want bâtonnage, I want really expensive but underplayed oak and I want ripeness with a gimlet-eyed stare of terroir behind. Basically, Burgundy, Mornington or the best of the Santa Rita Hills (I'll accept that other places also make perfect wines for this), plus if I can have a few years in bottle to build that sous bois flavour connection then all the better.” At the time of writing, we’re in the midst of the 2021 truffle season – one that has brought eye-watering prices. The hot, dry summer in Piedmont (unlike the wet conditions experienced in northern Europe) has led to a tiny crop – some say the smallest in history, driving prices up. Bloomberg has declared it “The Great White Truffle Crisis”. The white truffle needs such specific conditions that climate change, and – as Rosso tells me – the warmer autumns in Piedmont, pose a serious threat. While we consider Alba the spiritual home of white truffles, today most come from elsewhere. Both Central Italy and Le Marche, but also Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary are all now hotspots for truffle hunting. Many of these regions are benefiting from the shift in climate, now having the ideal conditions to nurture the rare tuber magnatum. As for black truffles, the summer variety can now be found as far north as Sweden, but drought conditions mean that irrigation is becoming essential for existing orchards. Beyond climate, there are other challenges. In Piedmont, there are fewer forests than there once were, with more profitable vineyards replacing woodland (another reason that hunters are looking elsewhere). Also, the local trifulau are – in general – an ageing group. One truffle hunter, Carlo Marenda, has established a non-profit, Save the Truffle, to try and protect the region’s truffle hunting heritage – both by passing on the tradition to younger people and protecting the forests, nurturing the right environment for truffle growth. “It used to be that these forests were very actively used by farmers, peasants – fallen wood for firewood, leaves for animal bedding etc. So forests didn’t have a lot of undergrowth,” Jacobsen explains. “But then the world changed.” With the forest floor not being cleared, decaying matter acidified the soil – something that truffles hate. Truffles thrive in high pH soils, which is why they’re found on beds of limestone. To ensure the forests provide a welcoming home for the tubers, it’s essential they’re managed correctly. While there are certainly challenges to preserving the truffle’s place in Piedmont, the good news for gastronomes is that these tubers aren’t disappearing – just moving. After three years on the trail, Jacobsen is as enchanted by truffles as when he began. But he’s less keen on the hierarchy that comes with them. There are, he says, plenty more species of truffle beyond those currently on the market – but hunters can’t sell them, so keep them for themselves. He hopes the truffle culture will shift to grassroots foraging, rather than “waiters in tuxedos grating your precious morsel over your pasta”. However it reaches your table, it’s clear that the truffle holds a special allure – and the transience of its elusive scent, fading with the seasons, is what keeps us on the hunt. Truffle Hound is out now. Explore more Editorial 

Love them or loathe them, truffles are undoubtedly some of the most majestic ingredients on the planet. But, with a changing climate and an ageing cohort of specialist truffle hunters, the future of this rare delicacy is uncertain. Sophie Thorpe explores

Truffles are undoubtedly some of the most majestic ingredients on the planet. But the future of this rare delicacy is uncertain. Sophie Thorpe explores

Chasing truffles

Cantine Intorcia 1930

Italy

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Your catalogue items will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Before you request delivery, you can adjust the quantity for each item in your selection below.

*Market price is dynamic and may change. At time of sale a 10% trading fee will be deducted from the final sale price.

Total market price*

The fixed custom price you wish to sell each item for.

Split into {caseSize} individual {bottleSize}cl bottles.

Title

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold.

Available for sale — items stored with {name} eligible to be listed on the marketplace.

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This item is at FINE+RARE, available for storage, transfer or delivery.
 Most UK deliveries can be made within 3-5 working days, with next day delivery for London;
 an exact date will be available when arranging delivery.
 International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

This item is at FINE+RARE HOME Hong Kong, available for delivery or local pickup. Most Hong Kong deliveries can be made within 3 working days, an exact date will be available when arranging delivery. International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

Wines sold en primeur will be released from the producer after bottling, typically 18 months after the so-called campaign ends. Your wine will then be stored by FINE+RARE in a bonded warehouse until you decide to take delivery.

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange expedited shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 2-4 weeks is typical for expedited sourcing.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 6-12 weeks is an average estimate.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

Cantine Intorcia 1930

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