Aldo Conterno Il Favot Langhe Nebbiolo 2017  £54.50

Aldo Conterno Il Favot Langhe Nebbiolo

Aldo Conterno is one of the historic names of Italian wine. The Conterno family has been making wine in Monforte since at least the 1700s. Aldo's grandfather, Giovanni Conterno, founded his own winery in 1908 which was then run by his son, Giacomo. After a stint in the USA in the 1950s, Aldo worked with his older brother Giovanni in this winery until he decided to strike out on his own in 1969. Aldo's three sons now make the wine (Stefano) and run the business (Franco and Giacomo). Over the years, production has been deliberately reduced and the family now produces 80,000 bottles rather than the 200,000 produced in 1998.

Conterno uses the youngest Nebbiolo vines (20 years old on average) from their vineyards in Bussia to produce this wine. The result is a wine with fresh and lively fruit character and elegant, lifted aromas with the characteristic robust tannins and acidity.

The 2017 vintage began with a mild winter with only some snowfall. Spring was marked by some rain and above-average temperatures, which accelerated the vine’s vegetative cycle. Towards the end of April there was a sharp drop in temperatures that caused some frost damage. Summer was hot, but the nights were much cooler. Timely rains in early September replenished water reserves and helped the grapes to achieve a good level of ripeness. Harvest began at the end of September.

Fermentation occurred in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 26-28°C. Pumping over did not occur, instead horizontal tanks with constantly rotating mechanised paddles were used to achieve good extraction and colour. The must remained on the skins for 6 to 8 days and then it was racked off to finish the fermentation. The wine remained for five to six months in stainless steel vats. It was racked several times and then put into 100% new oak barriques (of Allier, Troncais, Nevers and Vosges oak) where it remained for 18 months. The wine was aged in bottle for another year before release.

Clear, bright ruby in colour, this wine has a fresh and lively fruit character with elegant, lifted aromas. The palate is clean and vibrant with a fine minerality that continues through to a long finish.