THE WINE
The Barolo Cascina Francia from the Giacomo Conterno winery is one of the flagships of the winery, known by all for its elegance, finesse and complexity, produced with 100% Nebbiolo grapes that grow in the Francia vineyard from which it takes its name. The vineyard is located in the Langhe, one of the most important areas for cultivating grapes in Piedmont, and is also considered a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Pruning
The wine-making begins even before the grape harvest. In fact, during the pruning phase, the winery choice to leave only one bunch per branch. This technique allows the bunch to ripen perfectly, having all the space needed to grow and develop.
THE WINEMAKING
After the manual harvest, the selected grapes go to the cellar for wine-making, which begins with a soft pressing. The must macerates on the skins for a period that varies according to the vintage and sometimes even reaches thirty days. Conversely, fermentation occurs in large non-toasted Austrian wood vats; the wine then ages in French oak barrels of various sizes for at least forty-eight months. After blending and bottling, the wine rests in the cellar before being placed on the market.
THE TASTING
Ruby red with garnet hues. The aroma is elegant and complex, with notes of cherries and berries that alternate with hints of mint to leave room for delicate scents of liquorice and leather. Determined and powerful on the palate, this Cascina Francia Barolo has an almost perfect correspondence between aromas and flavours; very well balanced, with a persistence that never ends.
FOOD PAIRINGS
It goes well with red meat, game but also with hard cheeses. Excellent with grilled meat. Try it with risotto with meat sauce.
Wine is purchased directly from the producer and stored in cold rooms.
The Awards
2011
– 96/100 Robert Parker
– 2 glasses by the Gambero Rosso guide
– 5 grapes by the Bibenda guide
– 4 vines (wine of excellent stylistic and organoleptic profile) by the Italian Sommelier Association