1990 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia
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Aldo Conterno’s 1990 Barolo Riserva Granbussia, a wine from the estate’s glory days, more than lives up to its reputation. The Granbussia is darker and noticeably softer than the Monfortino, signs that Aldo Conterno long had a more modernist leaning than his brother, Giovanni Conterno, who made the 1990 at the family’s Giacomo Conterno estate. Both wines are a real pleasure to drink, not just taste. This flight is incredibly instructive, but also hits all the high notes on the pleasure scale.
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The Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 1990 Barolo Riserva Granbussia is a ripe, exotic beauty endowed with plenty of tar, roses, licorice and wild herbs. Still spectacularly rich and intense, this full-bodied, layered Barolo offers superb length and a sweeping finish where the glycerin and sheer weight of the vintage come through in spades.
The 1990 Barolo Riserva Granbussia is a ripe, exotic beauty endowed with plenty of tar, roses, licorice and wild herbs. Still spectacularly rich and intense, this full-bodied, layered Barolo offers superb length and a sweeping finish where the glycerin and sheer weight of the vintage come through in spades. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. These two fabulous Barolos from Aldo Conterno reflect a highly successful period in the estate’s history. The winery, formally known as Poderi Aldo Conterno, traces its history back to 1969 when brothers Aldo and Giovanni Conterno divided their family’s estate in Monforte. Each of the two brothers kept a portion of wines then in bottle, demijohn or cask, which explains the existence of pre-1969 Aldo Conterno bottles. Aldo Conterno has an unusual background for a Piedmontese winemaker of his generation because he lived in the US for a few years in the 1950s. After the passing of his American uncle, Conterno actually spent two years in the US military. Upon his return he most certainly was a changed person. Aldo’s vision had been to make a more accessible style of Barolo than that his family made at the time at their estate (Giacomo Conterno). Aldo’s top Barolo, Granbussia, is a blend of three vineyards; 70% Romirasco, 15% Colonello, 15% Cicala, and is only made in top vintages that present perfect growing conditions in all three sites. The component wines are fermented separately in steel, then aged in cask for three years, prior to being moved into steel for a further two years before bottling. To the best of my knowledge, no other winery leaves their Barolos so long in steel prior to bottling, but Aldo Conterno believes steel helps him keep the wine fresh, much as the demijohn did in a previous era.
The 1990 Barolo Riserva Granbussia is a ripe, exotic beauty endowed with plenty of tar, roses, licorice and wild herbs. Still spectacularly rich and intense, this full-bodied, layered Barolo offers superb length and a sweeping finish where the glycerin and sheer weight of the vintage come through in spades. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate # 187 Feb 2010