2021 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia, Piedmont, Italy (750ml)

Poderi Aldo Conterno is a Piedmont producer known for its wines from the best parcels of the Bussia vineyard in Monforte d'Alba. Aldo Conterno, who died in 2012, was regarded by many as the greatest of all Barolo winemakers. Poderi Aldo Conterno farms prime parcels in Bussia Soprana, the historic heart of the Bussia cru in Monforte d’Alba, working with mature vines (generally 20–40+ years) and practicing sustainable viticulture with meticulous bunch selection to favor concentration and balance. In the cellar, Barolo Bussia is made from 100% Nebbiolo using classic fermentation in stainless steel and aged roughly 26–28 months in large Slavonian oak botti, a traditional élevage that reflects the estate’s philosophy of framing, rather than flavoring, Nebbiolo so that the limestone-and-sandstone slopes of Bussia speak clearly through a wine of elegance, structure, and long-lived complexity.

Poderi Aldo Conterno farms its Bussia Soprana vineyards using organic methods, having converted the estate to wholly organic cultivation in the early 2000s and eliminating synthetic herbicides and systemic pesticides in favor of practices that prioritize soil health and balance in the vines. Multiple sources describe the vineyards as organically and even biodynamically cultivated (though not certified), with very low yields achieved through rigorous green harvesting—often up to five passes per season—to concentrate flavor and ensure optimal ripeness in the Nebbiolo used for Barolo Bussia.

The 2021 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia is a poised, classically structured Nebbiolo with lifted aromas of dried cherry, strawberry, rose petal, citrus peel, licorice, and sweet violet, layered with hints of camphor and balsamic complexity. The palate is taut but finely woven, offering precise red-cherry and berry fruit over chalk-dust tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, linear finish that lingers with cherry-stone, anise, tea-leaf, and mineral notes, suggesting excellent cellar potential while already showing impressive grace in its youth.