The first real Barolo gains +25.6% in 12 months

From Modest Wine Bar to International Success - the Story of Giacomo Monfortino

If the name Giacomo Conterno rings a bell, it is not without reason. Giacomo Conterno is one of the absolute biggest names from Piedmont, Italy and perhaps the most important at all when it comes to Barolo.

However, the brand and house Giacomo Conterno had a more humble origin as a modest wine bar in San Giuseppe in 1908. The wine bar was run by Giacomo's father, Giovanni, who produced wine for the establishment from grapes purchased by local wine farmers.

Giovanni passed the torch to Giacomo, who also included his sons; (another) Giovanni and Aldo, in the family business in 1961. Aldo had an interest in more modern and progressive wine production, which resulted in Giovanni carrying on the family tradition in pursuit of producing Barolo in the absolute highest quality.

Giacomo Conterno, now with the third generation at the helm, continued to buy all grapes from local farmers until 1974. By this time, many of the local farmers had even begun to produce wines in their own name, which could deprive Conterno of the vital supply of grapes. As a result, Giovanni bought the already recognized vineyard Cascina Francia in Serralunga - this became crucial to the house's huge recognition and international success.

Monfortino: The first real Barolo

The Conterno crown jewel, Monfortino, is not only perhaps the greatest Barolo, but also the very first Barolo created in what later became known as the classic Barolo style. In the early 1900s, Barolo was primarily sold in barrels or demijohns*, created to be drunk early. But when Giacomo, returning from the hardships of World War I in 1920, had a vision of creating a Barolo with fabulous aging potential. This wine was called Monfortino.

Since 1978, Cascina Francia has been the only source of grapes for Giacomo Conterno's top wines. In good vintages it is called Cascina Francia, as the vineyard itself. In the very best vintages, the best of the grapes from the vineyard is used for the mighty Monfortino - the first real and perhaps biggest Barolo ever.  

* large glass bottles / balloons

Burgundian ancestry in Piedmont

Piedmont is often compared to Burgundy by many experts and this is not simply due to the status of highly loved wine meccas. The wines are typically made from a single grape variety, the grapes come mainly from single vineyards, and the production is also very limited, from small specialized wineries.

Conterno Monfortino, produced on 100% Nebbiolo, which characterizes the wines of Piedmont in the same way as Burgundy is characterized by Pinot Noir, is no exception. However, there is uncertainty about how much is actually produced each year. The reason for the uncertainty must be, that the large Cascina Francia mark (16 ha) supplies grapes for both the wine of the same name and the flagship wine Monfortino. The better conditions a year has given the grapes, the greater the proportion of grapes reaches the extremely high standard required to be used for the Monfortino. However, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate believes to have disclosed the total amount of 2013 Conterno Monfortino. According to them, only about 20,000 normal bottles, 2,500 magnum bottles and 400 three-liter bottles have been produced, which in particular must characterize Monfortino as a limited production wine.   

The wines from Giacomo Conterno are among the best from Piedmont and it doesn’t really get any better than Monfortino. If you want to translate Italian into French, Conterno Monfortino is in Italian, what Leroy Musigny is in Burgundy. Obviously, the two wines cannot be compared, but it gives a good picture of what Monfortino is in Piedmont. 

A high-scoring Bargain

There is a growing demand for the best Italian wines, which can probably be related to the quality of these wines being better and better. 2013 is the latest Monfortino release, receiving the almost perfect 99 points from Vinous and 98 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate .   

The 2013 vintage comes in the wake of the almost mythical 2010 Monfortino which scored 100 points by both Vinous and Wine Advocate. Today 2010 costs around € 1,250 * per bottle, which is more than +35% compared to 2013 vintage. Having the 2013’s high quality, which does not differ more than it does, from the absolute peaking 2010 vintage in mind, you can hardly justify to talk about a value vintage, but just an exceptionally good deal, if not a bargain!

In fact, the price is not only attractive compared to the 2010, but also compared to the trade price at the release. The price today is approx. 30% lower than just four months ago when the 2013 Monfortino was released. In fact, it is always more expensive to be among the first to secure quantities of newly released top wines. When the first buyers are serviced, the price under normal circumstances temporarily drops a bit, before it begins to rise again. This development is quite normal, whether shopping in Champagne, Burgundy or in this case Italy. In an investment perspective, timing is therefore crucial, and now seems like an obvious time for investment in 2013 Monfortino.  

* Ex. duty, VAT and duty, in perfect condition and whole boxes

Rare Wine Invest’s Opinion

We do not have many investment recommendations on Piedmont wines for various reasons, but with several common features with well-known Burgundy wines, Monfortino possesses what it takes to become a strong Italian investment.

The quality of 2013 Conterno Monfortino places it among the absolute best Italian wines and the price right now seems particularly attractive when compared with the 2010 vintage, which is currently traded at more than 35% higher prices. Now, the 2013, is available at a really strong price.

The production of Monfortino and in general in Piedmont is relatively limited, and this is to a market that seems to have a growing demand for the Italian top wines - traceable in Liv-ex's Piedmont index. In particular, the growing interest can be read in the increasing prices in the past five years by Conterno Monfortinos which has been on the market for a minimum of five years. Those vintages delivered an average annual return of 13.2%.

2013 Conterno Monfortino is the obvious investment case for the wine investor with an Italian romance, who has not yet had the opportunity to buy into a strong Piedmont case. The case is also perfect for the investor who wants to increase his Italian position, or perhaps spread his Italian exposure to both Tuscany and Piedmont.

Whatever, the 2013 Conterno Monfortino caters to every investor, but action must be taken quickly: Rare Wine Invest only has a very limited quantity in offer for investment.

Do you want to learn more?

Read more about why investing in wine is the perfect investment and get wiser on what mechanisms make investing in wine especially attractive right here: Why invest in wine?

If you are not yet a wine investor, you can also benefit from reading more about how to invest right here: How to Invest

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