One taste of Conterno's Monfortino makes a couple of things blatantly clear - it's one of the most profound wine experiences around, and it's a distance runner.

The wine simply stops you dead in your tracks.

In 1920, when Giacomo Conterno first made Monfortino, no one was trying to make a "great" wine from Barolo. But that's exactly what he set out to do, especially with his flagship Monfortino. We're talking selecting only the most pristine fruit from top-tier vineyards - back in the day (before 78) it was from purchased fruit from multiple sources; today it's all from their own Cascina Francia vineyard.

The intention with Monfortino has always been to stand on tiptoes and reach for the top. The results have been epic. It's easy to make the case that Monfortino is THE benchmark Barolo. It's emphatically Barolo and yet, reaches such heights that it often seems to transcend the category and enter the elite space shared by the greatest wines in the world.

The 2008 vintage in Piedmont is ultra-classic, pure and precise. It combines an incredible level of complexity and refinement. Very few vintages deliver such completeness, such harmony. Galloni captures all this wonderfully when he writes: "The 2008s are highly transparent to site... this is a super-classic vintage that will thrill readers who like vibrant, refined Baroli."

The 2008 Monfortino takes these qualities to the extreme. It's a vintage of Monfortino that has a breathtaking finesse, an unrelenting drive, and painstaking detail. In short, the greatness of Monfortino is on bold display.

I'm happy to be able to offer the 2008 Monfortino, but I should warn you that quantities are extremely limited. This is a vintage of Monfortino that I love.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits