Paolo Conterno
The history of the Paolo Conterno winery dates back to 1886. With the founding of Casa della Ginestra in Monforte d'Alba, Paolo Conterno laid the foundation for a family tradition that is now continued in the fourth generation by Giorgio Conterno. The focus has always been on producing wines that authentically reflect their origin, character and vintage.
Deeply rooted in the hills of the Langhe, the estate is located in the historic Ginestra cru – the place where the family comes from and which remains at the heart of the estate to this day. The vineyards extend over an altitude of 300 to 350 metres, with a predominantly south to south-east exposure. Calcareous clay soils, interspersed with chalk and mineral deposits, characterise the terroir here. Combined with a special microclimate – warm days, cool nights and constant ventilation – this creates ideal conditions for expressive, structured wines.
Red wines from Paolo Conterno
from Paolo Conterno
The family cultivates the classic grape varieties Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. The steep slopes require a great deal of manual labour and experience – both of which have been developed over generations. Modern technology now supports the work in the vineyard and in the cellar, but every step is still characterised by personal care.
Maturation takes place traditionally in 35-hectolitre French oak barrels. The aim is not fashionable opulence, but balance, depth and longevity – in short, the constant pursuit of the idea of the “perfect Barolo”, which has been passed down through the family.
In addition to the renowned Barolo – above all Barolo Ginestra – other DOC and DOCG wines are also produced. Around 50,000 bottles per year bear the signature of a winery that harmoniously combines family history, terroir and forward thinking.
Producer
Domaine Tollot-Beaut / Nathalie Tollot
This fine family domaine has existed since the end of the 19th century. Initially, there were only a few vineyards in the village of Chorey. As time went on, it developed into 24 hectares in the communes of Beaune, Savigny and Aloxe-Corton. The estate is now run by cousins Nathalie, Jean-Paul, and Olivier Tollot.
André Clouet / Jean François Clouet
We didn’t find the low house, dating from the 17th century, straight away, even though the village of Bouzy is not very large. Modest buildings are grouped around a courtyard, behind which a vineyard lies, similar to a clos.
Viñedos Lacalle y Laorden
In 2015 the two families of Zapiain and Lopez de Lacalle launched the Izar-Leku Mahastiak project (today Grupo Artadi) in Zarautz/Basque Country, with the aim of producing a table wine as well as a sparkling wine with Txakoli as the base wine. Today this sparkling wine is part of the "Viñedos Lacalle y Laorden" company - just like the premium single-vineyard wine "Viña El Pisón", though this wine comes from the Álava/Rioja region.