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A comparison of two 1961s from Giacomo Conterno is next. Conterno’s 1961 Barolo Riserva Speciale Monfortino is, not surprisingly, deeper and more intense in all of its dimensions. Iron, smoke, graphite, leather and sweet tobacco wrap around a core of dark fruit in a Barolo that packs a serious punch, especially considering its age. This is a superb bottle.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 1961 Barolo Riserva Monfortino was especially beautiful and fresh. It offered a similar flavor profile as the 1958 with greater harmony and balance, if not quite as much sheer power.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

(Barbaresco “Asili di Barbaresco” Riserva- Bruno Giacosa) I would never dream of opening one of my bottles of 1996 Asili Riserva from Bruno Giacosa right now, as the wine is still a good decade or two away from really blossoming, but when a friend generously served one, I was very, very happy to check in on the wine and see how it is progressing! The bouquet has started to stir nicely and now offers up a pure and complex blend of cherries, licorice, road tar, a gorgeous base of Asili’s inimitable terroir, red curry, a touch of fennel seed and a gentle topnote of fresh oregano. On the palate the wine is very deep, full-bodied and tangy, with unmistakable profundity in its future. The core here is bottomless, the tannins are ripe and seamlessly integrated, and the focus and grip on the very, very long, perfectly balanced finish are haunting. This has been a legend in the making since it was released, and though it is still at least a dozen years away from really starting to drink with a bit of generosity, its inherent beauty is already very easy to read. Just be patient, as it will probably be a perfect wine when it is truly ready to drink! (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 98 JGThe utterly perfect, dense ruby/purple-colored 1996 Barbaresco Asili (Red Label Riserva) is a heroic offering brilliantly displaying both power and elegance. The bouquet develops incrementally, offering up aromas of black raspberries, cherries, cigar box, licorice, and leather. The wine impresses with its nuances as well as its extraordinarily rich, dense mid-palate, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. There is huge tannin, but equally massive concentration, extract, and overall harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.Robert Parker | 98 RPGiacosa’s 1996 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a total stunner. Fresh, perfumed and inviting, the 1996 is a real treat to taste and drink at this adolescent stage in its life. The tannins have now softened, releasing an extraordinary amount of Nebbiolo fireworks that captivate all the senses. The 1996 Asili is still as memorable as it was the first time I tasted it. My only regret is not owning more than a handful of bottles. What a wine!.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGLots of raspberry, mushroom and black cherry, with a hint of vanilla. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, fruity finish. Still a little reserved, but shows lovely fruit. A gorgeous wine. Goes on and on.--1996 Piedmont retrospective. Best after 2008. 1,190 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 1998 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a monumental effort. A deep dark red, it opens with a huge nose of licorice, roses and cocoa, then flows onto the palate with masses of sweet, concentrated dark fruit that go on forever. Notes of mineral and leather gradually develop in the glass, adding further complexity as this great wine begins to reveal its expansive and profound personality. The 1998 is unusually open right now. As was the case with the 1997 at this stage, it should offer a brief drinking window over the next 6 months or so before shutting down for what is likely to be an extended period prior to awakening in the glorious prime of its life. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 1998 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a monumental effort. A deep dark red, it opens with a huge nose of licorice, roses and cocoa, then flows onto the palate with masses of sweet concentrated dark fruit that go on forever. Notes of mineral and leather gradually develop in the glass, adding further complexity as this great wine begins to reveal its expansive and profound personality. The 1998 is unusually open right now. As was the case with the 1997 at this stage, it should offer a brief drinking window over the next 6 months or so before shutting down for what is likely to be an extended period prior to awakening in the glorious prime of its life.Vinous Media | 97 VMDecadent and ripe, with wonderfully seductive aromas of white truffle, plum and leather. Full-bodied, with supersoft tannins and amazing fruit and Christmas cake character. All in finesse and beauty. All in place.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva Speciale - Giacomo Conterno) The 1998 Monfortino is a superb bottle in the making, which comes as no surprise as any time the Conternos decide to put a Monfortino label on a new release, it is a guarantee of quality. The 1998 offers up a very deep and typically black fruity nose of black cherries, dark berries, licorice, camphor, road tar, woodsmoke and a fine base of soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and laser-like in its focus, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm, well-integrated tannins, and outstanding length and grip on the very youthful and tangy finish. This will need every bit of twelve or fifteen years of bottle age to begin to blossom, and should prove to be an especially long-lived vintage of Monfortino. (Drink between 2020-2075).John Gilman | 94 JG

Conterno’s 2001 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a towering, gigantic wine. Layers of sweet perfumed fruit flow across the palate in this gracious, refined yet powerful Monfortino. Hints of sweet red berries, roses, licorice and spices wrap around the deeply resonant finish. This is another wine that begs for patience. Today it is an infant. Anticipated maturity: 2021-2041.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2001 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a wine that appears to be going through an adolescent, unsettled phase. Several recent bottles have been quite stubborn, but this magnum is a bit better. Elegant and silky in feel, the 2001 gives the impression that it will mature earlier than some of the surrounding vintages. I know that will surprises more than a few Vinous readers – it surprises me too – but that’s just the way things look right now.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2001 Monfortino will be a magical wine, but it is very, very young today and still very shut down and in need of several more years of cellaring before it is even open enough for proper inspection. What struck me most poignantly about this vintage of Monfortino is how pure and red fruity it is out of the blocks, which is fairly rare for this normally quite black fruity interpretation of Barolo greatness. The bouquet is deep, hauntingly pure and transparent, as it soars from the glass in a very primary mélange of red cherries, orange zest, woodsmoke, herbs, coffee, a great base of soil and plenty of roses in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and absolutely rock solid at the core, with brisk acids, ripe, well-integrated and substantial tannins, brilliant focus and balance and stunning length and grip on the very young, refined finish. A great Monfortino in the works. (Drink between 2020 - 2075)John Gilman | 96+ JGOffers sweet plum and sultana aromas, with hints of citrus fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, with soft, sweet tannins and cedar, cappuccino and sweet fruit flavors. Long and gorgeous. Hard not to drink now. Best after 2012. 855 cases made, 170 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Dense garnet in colour, this vintage of Masseto is restrained with a lavish elegance on the nose, displaying mint, milk, wild fennel (typical along the roads in Bolgheri), leather and white truffle. It is vibrant and mineral on the big palate, creamy at first then velvety on the mid-palate and super-ripe on the finish, woven with refreshing acidity and cassis meatiness. One of the greatest Masseto ever, and one of the best wines produced in Bolgheri (alongside Ornellaia 1998 and Sassicaia 1985). Simply, perfect! Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 100 DECThis is clearly a perfect wine and just now starting to open and show you its sheer beauty. It's balanced with fascinating rosemary and dark fruit character that turns to plums and light chocolate. The undertones on the nose remind me of walking through the Masseto vineyard during a cool summer's morning. It finally softens at the finish and shows a stunning fruit and acid tension. Finally softening and showing it true greatness. Decant four hours before.James Suckling | 100 JSEven better than the highly acclaimed 2001 vintage, this Merlot from a tiny, clay soil vineyard in Bolgheri is just about everything you've ever dreamed of tasting. Gorgeous, generous, voluptuous, cheerful, succulent and intense: Masseto is all those things. The aromas are seamless and capture the essence of chocolate fudge, sweet cherry, blackberry, spice and vanilla. It boasts thick, dense extraction, excellent structure and amazing persistence.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEOffers a terrific bouquet of ripe, mellowing cherry and berry, accented by leather and incense hints. Shows fine tension between the firm, vibrant structure and ripe fruit, with grace notes of Mediterranean herbs, cigar box and mineral. Velvety and long, with a fabulous, fresh aftertaste. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Drink now through 2038. 2,670 cases made, 520 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe 2001 Masseto is one of the all-time great wines here. Vertical and soaring in its intensity, the 2001 occupies all dimensions, especially texturally, where it is so rich, so heady and so compelling. Next to other wines, or other vintages, the 2001 just has more of everything. I imagine well-stored bottles will drink well for another 15-20 years. The 2001’s reputation as an iconic wine is clearly justified. This magical vintage was marked by cooling temperatures in September that resulted in a drawn out harvest that took four weeks to complete. Note: The bottle in the Nashville tasting was not perfect, so this note corresponds to a more recent and more representative example. I have seen more bottle variation with the 2001 than other vintages.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe massive 2001 Masseto forms with Le Macchiole’s Messorio and Tua Rita’s Redigaffi a trio of world class Merlots in a ten square mile area where the variety virtually did not exist 15 years ago. The volume, richness, and sumptuousness are almost beyond description, as are the length and density of the flow and finish, but there is an underlying vein of purity and freshness which help maintain an impeccable balance. Drink: 2006-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

The 2004 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is drop-dead gorgeous. I have tasted the wine multiple times from barrel and three times from bottle and never been anything less than blown away. The 2004 is a subtle, layered Monfortino that captures the sheer elegance and finesse of this great vintage. It is sweet, perfumed, silky and utterly mind-blowing. From barrel it has always been a 100 point wine, but it has just been bottled and naturally a bit closed in on itself. Still, with some time in the glass its silky, perfumed fruit and dazzling class come to life. The 2004 is remarkably harmonious for such a young wine. 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 the 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. Sadly, 2004 is also the year Giovanni Conterno passed away, but one can’t escape the feeling his spirit lives in this wine. Kudos to Roberto Conterno and his team for this magnificent, thrilling Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2044.The drive from Barolo to Monforte was a little different this year. Peering across the valley over the hillside where the Conterno winery sits, the observant eye will notice a number of large barrels outside the main building. Roberto Conterno had no choice but to replace a number of his casks this year as the staves had begun to bend from many years of use, and Conterno was understandably afraid of the unthinkable, that the casks could finally yield to old age full of wine. Still, he was clearly upset by having to replace barrels that he personally moved into the new winery with his father during the summer of 1985. Just to think of the wines that were racked during that move. The 1978, 1979 and 1982 Monfortini were still in cask. To be honest, seeing the empty space in the winery as the new casks were about to arrive was quite a shock. The wines, however, were not. I tasted all of the wines currently in cask plus the new releases from bottle. My high expectations were easily surpassed. Conterno fans have a lot to look forward to. Roberto Conterno has decided to give his new Nebbiolo from the Cerretta vineyard another year in barrel. At the moment Conterno is leaning towards releasing the 2009 as a Langhe Nebbiolo rather than Barolo, although that could always change. Readers who want to learn more about the 2011 harvest at Conterno may want to take a look at my video interview with Roberto Conterno.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2004 Barolo Riserva Monfortino confirms its place as one of the finest Monfortinos ever made. From magnum, it is so special. The long growing season produced a Monfortino of unusual silkiness, perfume and elegance. In many ways, the 2004 is the first modern Monfortino – the first vintage that was gorgeous right out of the gate, qualities it shares with the 2008 and 2014, also wines from later-ripening vintages. Soaring aromatics and silky tannins give the 2004 so much sheer appeal that recall the 1982. The 2004 has long been one of my favorites, as it is again on this night.Vinous Media | 100 VM

Displays beautiful aromas of ripe fruit, with currant, plum and blackberry. This complex and full-bodied Tuscan red has soft, polished tannins and a long, long finish. Shows a deft hand in the winemaking. Best after 2012. 11,660 cases made, 2,440 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSStill very young. Shows complex aromas of ripe fruit, blackberries, plums and currants. Polished, with soft tannins, a full body and a very long finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2005 Ornellaia opens with striking, compelling aromatics that draw the taster in. Still deep, rich and intense throughout, the 2005 has held up beautifully. Sweet herbs, tobacco, spices, sage and plums add shades of dimension to a core of super-ripe, exotic fruit that is one of the vestiges of a late-ripening vintage in which the fruit was allowed to hang until the very end. The 2005 remains an infant. It should drink well for another 15+ years.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe medium-bodied 2005 Ornellaia shows plenty of delineation in its dark cherries, blueberries, spices, minerals and crushed rocks. The 2005 doesn’t have the detail of the 2004 or the richness of the 2006, but it does offer notable finesse and clarity in an understated style for this wine. My impression is that this will be a relatively early-maturing vintage of Ornellaia, which is not a bad thing, considering the age-worthiness of the two vintages which surround it. In 2005 Ornellaia is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. It is a big success in this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

This is a Masseto that is its own now with balance and harmony. It shows delicate chocolate and berry character with hints of hazelnut. Medium to full body. Long silky finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSTasted next to the 2002, the 2005 Masseto is perhaps a bit edgier, with an extra kick of tannic intensity that gives the wine its sense of direction and a good kick of energy too. I very much admire the tension in the 2005, a wine built on freshness, aromatic depth and mid-weight structure. Cool, rainy weather towards the end of the season resulted in a late harvest that took place between September 14 and 30.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGFruit was picked later than normal and the Masseto Merlot does indeed show mature aromas of black cherry, ripe blackberry, earthy iron and polished stone. The intensity and purity are amazing and the wine is sophisticated, soft and very rich on the finish. It is already showing beautiful evolution in the glass.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2005 Masseto (Merlot) is simply gorgeous. A wine of extraordinary class and personality, it remains very primary in its dark fruit, licorice, cassis and toasted oak. It offers notable concentration and well-integrated tannins, all of which convey an impression of awesome harmony, finesse and balance. The tricky growing season seems to have been less of an issue for the Merlot, particularly in the old-vine Masseto Centrale vineyard. The 2005 Masseto has been superb every time I have tasted it thus far. As is often the case, the wine requires at least a few years of bottle age before it becomes approachable. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAn exotic bouquet reveals floral, spice, cherry compote and truffle elements. A Masseto that’s all about elegance, with a silky texture, wild berry fruit, firm tannins and bright acidity. This still has some tannins to give, but is delicious now. Fine length. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Drink now through 2033. 2,660 cases made, 550 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2006 Sassicaia may very well go down as one of the all-time great recent vintages for this Tuscan thoroughbred. The year started off very warm but by August evening temperatures had moderated, leaving the fruit with a stunning combination of ripeness, perfume, acidity and tannin. The wine is simply glorious, that’s all there is to it. Layers of dark fruit meld into smoke, leather, violets, menthol, earthiness and tar as this profound wine opens up in the glass. The creamy, silky finish lasts an eternity, as waves of fruit caress the tannins with breathtaking elegance. Everything is in the right place in this magical Sassicaia. This is one for the ages. In a word: Awesome.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe Tenuta San Guido 2006 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a timeless classic. This might just be the vintage to photograph in an encyclopedia entry for Sassicaia. This is especially true at this exact moment in its long and promising drinking window. The wine shows less volume compared to some of the more opulent vintages, but it absolutely excels in terms of length and finish. It offers amazing drive and momentum that are fueled by the extremely fine nature of the wine’s texture and the seamless unity of its flavors. It treads in light and delicate footsteps that will carry it far into the future. As they say in Italian: "Piano piano si va lontano" (slowly slowly you go far).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bolgheri, Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy, Red) The 2006 Sassicaia still has a dark garnet colour while nose has an impression of smoke and crushed dried flowers and some subtle, charred toast notes of oak. On the palate there is a lovely, soft, velvety texture together with dark, bramble fruit flavours. The fruit feels cooler in nature with leafy blackberry notes and again a thrilling spine of acidity. For Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta and the Tenuta San Guido team the 2006 was ’a rather fresher vintage … an elegant wine with good structure, the classic Sassicaia style with notes of juniper, myrtle, and Mediterranean forest, characteristic of this wine and the terroir where it is produced.’ (Drink between 2022-2033)Decanter | 96 DECSweet tobacco and berry with hints of currants. Full, soft and silky. Lots of fruit and a long finish. It’s subtle, dense and sophisticated. Please give this another five years to really show what it has.James Suckling | 95 JSDisplays sweet tobacco, plum and berry aromas, with a jammy undertone, turning to licorice on the palate. Full-bodied and balanced, with silky tannins, a lovely texture and plenty of fruit. Outstanding Sassicaia, with structure and finesse. 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 percent Cabernet Franc. Best after 2013. 20,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis landmark wine (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc) shows herbal notes of chopped mint, wild berry, licorice, bramble and forest floor. Tasted young, Sassicaia never has the same impact it will 10 or 15 years from now when all those luscious aromas become more penetrating and warm. Built to age, the wine boasts drying tannins, good acidity and firm structure.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WENo written review provided. | 92 W&S

The 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a massive, towering wine of majestic proportions. Everything comes together in the glass; expressive aromatics, striking fruit, powerful yet silky tannins and a long, impeccable finish. This complex, kaleidoscopic Barbaresco is a wine for the ages. The Riserva Asili is a surprisingly powerful wine from this vineyard. Readers will have to wait until 2011, when the wine is released, to taste this utterly profound Barbaresco. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2037.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPGiacosa’s 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is flamboyant, exotically ripe and stunning in its absolute beauty. Bright red cherry fruit, rose petal, violet and mint abound in a spellbinding, utterly thrilling Barbaresco. I have always adored the 2007. Once again, it is pure magic.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis will be in the market in 2012. This is full and rich with irresistible silky tannins. This brings more substance and richness than the white label. Lay this down until 2016. 10,000 bottles.James Suckling | 98 JSBursting with sweet cherry, floral, licorice and spice flavors, this ripe red is expressive, supple, balanced and dense, showing the structure to age and a finish of fig and tobacco notes. Best from 2016 through 2030. 170 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2007 Sassicaia (Cabernet Sauvignon) explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression. The 2007 is more than a worthy follow-up to the profound 2006. While it may lack that wine’s freshness, structure and potential longevity, the 2007 is immensely appealing today, and should drink beautifully pretty much out of the gate. That said, Sassicaia is always the most restrained of Bolgheri’s heavy hitters. This is a superb effort from Tenuta San Guido.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis iconic Italian wine from Bolgheri’s landmark Sassicaia vineyard (characterized by little rocks, or “sassi”) offers an elegant bouquet comprised in equal measure by mineral, fruit and spice nuances. The wine consists of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc and the finish is long, smooth and very fine. This is an ageworthy wine that should not be opened before 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEHere’s a wine of power, determination and confidence—as far as first impressions go. The 2007 Bolgheri Sassicaia leaves little hidden behind the curtain. It presents a frank and straightforward array of bold fruit, spice, leather and tobacco-like aromas that emerge from the bouquet with energy and force. The aromas are complete and genuine. The palate, however, offers more space for interpretation and review. It is finessed and nuanced, thus requiring more time to fully comprehend and appreciate. Silky tannins are followed by fine textural smoothness and a long finish. The outgoing nature of the aromas make for a fascinating contrast against the inward and reticent nature of the mouthfeel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPVery enticing aromas of spices, meat and berries. Full-bodied and juicy, soft and velvety, with a long, succulent finish. Best after 2011. 20,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is classy on the nose with subtle currant, sweet tobacco, cigar box and dried flowers. Cassis too. Full body, with refined tannins and a solid core of fruit. Polished and very pretty. Long and delicious already. But you have to wait on this. It has so much more to give. Try after 2015.James Suckling | 93 JSThere’s tension in this vintage of Sassicaia, its rich, generous fruit held within a tight, lean structure. Fresh scents of flowers and herbs come up from under the ripe fruit, tamped down again by a meaty smokiness that hints at Brett. Youthful and inaccessible, this gains clarity with air, as it will in the cellar. One of Italy’s most sought-after collectibles, this is suited to aging ten years or more. Kobrand, Purchase, NYWine & Spirits | 92 W&SA splash of sweet strawberry purée just slightly indicating the age of this wine, and it is a vintage that is already drinking well. Beautiful, dancing acidity and some attractive red fruits. But it doesn’t have the full complexity of the 2008 vintage. It has a complex array of tertiary aromatics and flavours, with full leather and soft black truffle. Gentle, with softly lingering flavours.Decanter | 91 DEC