Poderi Aldo Conterno

Poderi Aldo Conterno sits in Monforte d'Alba, its holdings concentrated in Bussia. Aldo Conterno founded it in 1969, after buying the Favot property, when he and his brother Giovanni split over how Barolo should be made. Their father Giacomo had handed the family firm to the two of them in 1961; it stayed with Giovanni and still carries the father's name. Giacomo Conterno and Poderi Aldo Conterno are therefore two houses rather than one, and the family's habit of reusing names does not help - Aldo's own son is called Giacomo, and the grandfather who ran the firm before the father was a Giovanni.

Those three sons of Aldo - Franco, Stefano and Giacomo - run the estate now. Its size is usually given as around 25 hectares, but where that land lies depends on who is describing it: Wikipedia puts all of it in Bussia Soprana at about 400 m, while the US importer Massanois has it spread across the Langhe. The producer states neither figure. Alongside the Barolos there are a Barbera d'Alba (Conca Tre Pile), a Chardonnay (Bussiador) and Langhe bottlings.

Three parcels inside Bussia carry the Barolo range - Romirasco, Cicala and Colonnello - each bottled on its own and brought together in the Granbussia Riserva. Romirasco is planted to the Lampia biotype of Nebbiolo on Rupestris du Lot and runs to about 50 to 55 years old, Cicala is the same pairing at 40 to 45, and Colonnello is mostly Michet on 420 A, also 40 to 45. All three are replanted piecemeal over the years, which is why the ages come as approximations. Soil, exposure and altitude the estate leaves unstated. Reports that the vineyards are farmed organically come from third parties rather than from the producer, so it is not a certification to lean on.