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Rare Wines

Rare Wines

Rare Wines

Sampling a very rare wine offers a whole new dimension of satisfaction. As you imbibe the rich, opulent mixture, a realization dawns on you – very few people in the world have this privilege. What you’re tasting now has graced the lips of only a select few elite wine connoisseurs, enthusiasts that are willing to go to extreme financial lengths to acquire only the most inaccessible blends. It feels like indulging in forbidden wine, and that makes the wine that much sweeter.

Of course, most of these exceedingly rare blends are also earth-shatteringly satisfying to drink. The flavors are mixed in a way that can make a man religious, as though Dionysus himself participated in the winemaking process. The textures are complex and stimulating, as the wine unfolds in your glass and your mouth, constantly introducing new sensations. No one can drink one of these wines and leave unsatisfied, making them an instant hit at important events – assuming, of course, that you’re even willing to open a bottle this rare.

As one of the world’s finest wine retailers, we have made it our mission to give you access to wines that only the most elite enthusiasts partake in. If you’ve got the budget to afford them, they’re an instant buy for diehard collectors, a treasure to pass onto your descendants and cherish for as long as possible. Let us open a window into the sultry, rich world of these almost forbidden fine wines.
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1961 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Barolo

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

97
JG
As low as $1,999.00
1997 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red
98
RP
As low as $1,499.00
1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

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

97
RP
As low as $1,379.00
1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

The 1999 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is simply epic, as it always has been. A Barolo of statuesque, profound beauty, the 1999 very clearly belongs among the greatest Monfortinos ever made. The 1999 lifts out of the glass with soaring aromatics, sculpted fruit and huge tannins that somehow are not at all intrusive. Hints of rose petal, tar, orange peel and spice round out the phenomenal finish. The 1999 is the sort of Barolo that classicists dream of being able to drink. And on this night, it is truly special.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThe 1999 Barolo Riserva Monfortino takes things to another level, hard as that may be to believe. It is deeply expressive in its aromatics, with breathtaking nuances of roses, menthol, spices and licorice that emerge from the glass, melding seamlessly onto the palate where complex layers of dark ripe fruit captivate the taster in an endless counterpoint of aromas, flavors and sensations that are hard to fully capture with mere words. Boasting much intensity and a more full-bodied structure than the 1998, with building tannins that define the eternal finish, it is wine to taste now and over the next 6-9 months before it begins to shut down. Sampled from both bottle and magnum, it is a remarkable wine in every way, and is sure to take a place among the great Monfortinos of all time. Those fortunate enough to own Monfortinos from the recent string of vintages dating back to 1995 as well as the equally promising 2000 and 2001 will no doubt enjoy debating the merits of these remarkable wines for years and decades to come. The 1999 Monfortino remains one of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2039.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP(Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva Speciale - Giacomo Conterno) In much the same manner as the comparisons between the 2001 and 1999 Cascina Francia, the 1999 Monfortino is much more open for inspection today than its 2001 counterpart. Which vintage will ultimately be the superior wine will be a delicious debate for the next fifty or more years, as both wines are legends in the making. The 1999 Monfortino offers up a brilliant and utterly profound bouquet of black cherries, blood orange, road tar, woodsmoke, fresh herbs, and a kaleidoscopic base of soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and very powerful, with a brilliant core of sappy fruit, stunning purity and focus, perfect balance and a very, very long, palate-staining and ripely tannic finish. Another utterly humbling young vintage of Monfortino. (Drink between 2020-2075).John Gilman | 96 JG

100
VM
As low as $3,449.00
2002 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

Conterno’s 2002 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a legend in the making, or now that it is in bottle, it may be more correct to simply say it is a legend. The late Giovanni Conterno and his son Roberto Conterno created quite a stir when they announced that they would make their Monfortino in 2002, a year in which most of the harvest in Piedmont was severely compromised by a cold summer and devastating hail in early September. But there was more. The Conternos not only announced that they would make their Monfortino in 2002 but no Barolo Cascina Francia for the first time ever in the estate’s history. In a bit of defiance towards the press, the Conternos then announced no one would be allowed to taste the wine from barrel. Over the years, this stance softened. Visitors lucky enough to visit the cellars and sample the wine from cask knew what was in store. Simply put, the 2002 Monfortino is stratospheric. A dark, imposing, but sensual wine, it flows from the glass with a breathtaking array of dried roses, autumn leaves, wild cherries, plums, new leather, espresso, licorice and spices, showing phenomenal depth, richness and balance. The tension between the luxuriousness of the fruit and the austerity of the vintage is truly captivating. I have tasted the 2002 Monfortino multiple times from barrel and bottle. At times it has reminded me of what I imagine the 1971 tasted like upon release, at other times it has seemed more similar to 1978. According to Giovanni Conterno, the 2002 reminded him of the 1971. Either way, the wine is extraordinary. The 2002 Monfortino is the result of the cold vintage that was typical of Piedmont up until the mid 1980s. In many ways, it is a throwback to wines that can’t be made anymore in Piedmont. Roberto Conterno thought so highly of the 2002 Monfortino he gave the wine an extra year in barrrel. And of course, there is one sad footnote. The world lost Giovanni Conterno to cancer in 2004, but he made sure his last Monfortino was at least equal, if not better, than his most monumental wines. There is little doubt the 2002 Monfortino will soon take its place as one of the greatest Monfortinos ever made. It is the most fitting last chapter to the life of one of the world’s greatest winemakers. As always, I suggest readers who have an interest in Monfortino taste the wine as soon as possible, as it will soon head into a period of dormancy, which in this vintage may last several decades. One of my favorite vintages for current drinking is the 1970, which still looks to have another 30 years of fine drinking ahead of it! Anticipated maturity: 2027-2052.Few properties are so closely linked with a single site as Giacomo Conterno. Since 1978 the Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga, a monopole holding, has been the source of all of the estate’s wines, including the Baroli Cascina Francia and Monfortino, rightly considered by most observers as among the most profound wines in the world. Needless to say, it was big news when proprietor Roberto Conterno purchased three hectares in Ceretta, also in Serralunga, in 2008. Would the new wines reflect the same house aesthetic as the wines from Cascina Francia, or would the terroir of Ceretta be the dominant factor? Could Ceretta yield wines of similar importance as those of Cascina Francia? After all, Cascina Francia was a cornfield with a few old vines from a past life when the Conternos purchased it in 1974. These were some of the questions Barolo lovers asked, and now, two years later some answers have begun to emerge. The first, and most obvious, is that the new wines are loaded with the Conterno house style. That said, they are works in progress. Roberto Conterno took over his parcels in Cerretta in mid-2008, after which he had the misfortune of suffering through several hailstorms. When I visited the new vineyards in the summer of 2008 Conterno told me he thought it would take two to three years for the vines to respond to his methods of viticulture. Clearly 2008 is not the optimal vintage by which to measure the ultimate potential of these wines, but there appears to be much to look forward to based on the 2009s I tasted from barrel recently. All of that said, the star among these new releases is without question the 2002 Monfortino, a wine that is destined to carve a place for itself as one of the greatest wines ever made. That it is the product of a vintage that was disastrous for nearly every other producer in Piedmont will only add to the shroud of mystique that has surrounded this wine since its birth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2002 Monfortino is one of the most iconic Conterno wines in recent memory for the reasons described above. Interestingly, the additional year in cask has made the 2002 much more approachable in its youth than most other vintages, so opening a bottle at this stage is not as crazy as it might seem on paper. The 2002 impresses for its depth, concentration and complexity. Tonight, it is superb. Tasted from magnum.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis is incredibly fresh, vibrant and expressive, exhibiting complex aromas of red fruits, tar and licorice, with strawberry, sweet tobacco and mineral flavors. Intense and elegant at once, with finesse and structure, ending with a saline and mineral aftertaste. Try it in five years. Best from 2014 through 2040. 1,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSWhat a wine. In a year where the rainfall was more than two times the norm Giacomo really impresses. This wine is an ever evolving (even in the glass!) experience. On the nose it has fresh mint and licorice then a wave of roses, berries, and cherries. On the palate there is more of the same, tons of berries, licorice and roses. Incredibly full and ultra-velvety. This is a dense wine that does not lack depth and focus. Breathtaking balance and a incredible finish that is measured in minutes not seconds. Harmonious.James Suckling | 97 JS

98
AG
As low as $2,499.00
2004 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

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

100
RP
As low as $3,899.00
2006 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Barolo
98-100
RP
As low as $1,549.00
2008 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

The 2008 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is one of my favorite recent vintages. It is the product of an exceptionally long and cool growing year marked by a highly unusual cold snap at the very end of the season. Those conditions yielded a Monfortino that is pure silkiness and sensuality, with striking aromatic presence and exceptional balance. There is an exoticism to the 2008 that is impossible to miss, while the impression is of tannins that are virtually non-existent. The 2008 was such a complete wine right from the outset that Roberto Conterno decided to bottle it with six years in cask as opposed to the more typical seven.Vinous Media | 99 VMThis is one of the most balanced and harmonious Monfortinos that I ever tasted. Aromas of dried rose petals and oranges. It’s full-bodied yet compacted and tight. Tannins are perfectly managed. It makes you want to drink it now with its balance and finesse. All in harmony. This is from one of the latest harvests ever - started October 29. So fabulous and so perfect now. Why wait? But will age for decades.James Suckling | 99 JSMenthol, earth, underbrush and tobacco flavors lead off in this monolithic red, with submerged sweet fruit. An intense array of mineral details emerge, persisting through the long aftertaste. Fresh and balanced, with a long life ahead. One of the wines of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2035. 650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2008 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is pure excitement. The bouquet alone is alluring, but then the wine begins to open up on the palate, revealing extraordinary depth. An explosion of fruit follows as dark berries, mint, roses, incense and tar flesh out in all directions. Huge, powerful tannins frame an extraordinary finish. This is going to be a thrilling Monfortino to follow over the coming years and decades. Anticipated maturity: 2028-2048.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RP

99
VM
As low as $1,169.00
2010 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cerretta

This shows such power and richness, yet it remains polished and silky. Deep from the beginning, on the nose there are mushrooms, some sweet tobacco, opulent dark fruit, meat, black olives and earth. It’s full-bodied, dense and surrounded by ultra-refined tannins. Goes on for minutes. This is the first Barolo from here and will only be bottled in 2000 magnums. From 20-year-old vines bought in 2008. It’s a beautiful wine to taste now but will be so much better in 2017 and onwards.James Suckling | 100 JSA much more overt, powerful wine, the 2010 Barolo Cerretta races across the palate with explosive fruit and tons of pure, unbridled energy. The Cerretta is an immediate, voluptuous wine with so much fruit that the tannins of the vintage are nearly buried. It will be fascinating to see how Conterno’s 2010s age. The Cerretta is shaping up to be magical. Bottled only in magnums.Vinous Media | 96+ VMSmells of ripe bilberry, blackberry and black currant, with an undertone of violet. Rich and round, this is balanced by lively acidity and refined tannins. Young, but already showing harmony and a long aftertaste of sweet fruit. Fine potential. Best from 2018 through 2035. 140 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

100
JS
As low as $799.00
2013 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

The 2013 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is another huge, tannic wine. Crystalline and so precise, the 2013 is deceptive, as the aromatics are quite inviting, until masses of tannin hit the palate. Tar, rose petal, spice and cedar open with a bit of time in the glass, showing just enough to make the wine pleasurable today. Even so, the best is clearly yet to come. Patience will be rewarded.Vinous Media | 99 VMSubtle aromas of cherry, wild herb and tobacco introduce this sleek, complex version, while cherry, strawberry, loam, iron and tobacco flavors build in intensity to the extended finish. But what truly defines this superb and silky Barolo is the texture and harmony, with a fine weave to the dense tannins. All the components come together on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2050. 1,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSWarm aromas of plums, rose petals and spices with hints of sandalwood. Some tar. Full body, dense center palate with glorious fruit and a fantastic finish. Very, very polished and fine tannins. Vertical and deep. A great Monfortino. Try in 2023.James Suckling | 99 JSI have been tasting this wine from barrel for the past two years and now finally, abracadabra, the 2013 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is safely housed in bottle. The wine was bottled in June of last year and will hit the market this upcoming October. The Barolo Francia was not produced in 2013 because Roberto Conterno diverted all fruit from that vineyard to this wine. Monfortino was not produced in 2011 or 2012, meaning that this 2013 edition follows directly after the absolutely stunning 2010 vintage (which earned a perfect 100-point score). The two vintages (2010 and 2013) are very similar, strikingly so, but the 2013 vintage registers at a slightly lower structural threshold. The tannins are slightly looser, or softer in the case of this wine. With up to six years in botte, the 2010 vintage is still crunchy and super sharp, while this wine is slightly more succulent and earthy. Some 20,000 bottles, 2,500 magnums and 400 three-liter bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPAfter the celebrated 2010, Monfortino is not disappointing in the cool and classic 2013 vintage as it suffers more in the warm vintages than the fresher ones. This Riserva is rich with fresh and savoury aromas of red cassis, cherry and blood orange, full of cinnamon spice and balsamic notes with a minty finish that’s intoxicating in its depth. On the palate it’s velvety with pleasant and ripe tannins and full and consistent structure. Overall, it’s perfectly balanced and will age for decades but is delicious for drinking now.Decanter | 97 DEC

99
VM
As low as $1,179.00
2015 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Italy Red

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way.Vinous Media | 99 VMMonfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means that we might not see his flagship wine for a number of years. The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives us plenty to contemplate in the meantime. First, in terms of winemaking notes, this vintage see 22% Arione fruit in the blend, with the rest from Francia. Roberto Conterno is fond of telling me that "Francia is a Barolo you drink, and Monfortino is a wine you chew." (The exact word in Italian is "masticare.") I think his comment rings especially true in this vintage that arguably shows greater concentration and fruit weight and softer or more integrated tannins overall. There is structure but minus any hard edges or bite.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP

99
VM
As low as $1,369.00

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