Giacomo Conterno, Barolo Cascina Francia, 2008

A classic, cooler vintage from one of Barolo's benchmark traditional houses. Giacomo Conterno's Cascina Francia is a single 14-hectare clay-limestone vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba, vinified with native yeasts and long maceration, then aged for years in large Slavonian botti. The 2008 is a classically styled vintage with firm structure and bright acidity, the kind of year that rewards patience and ages with grace. Now maturing nicely, it shows the perfume and tension that make traditional Barolo so compelling. Decant and enjoy, or hold a few more years.