Hold up. 44% off CRU Barolo. With a pair of 96 ratings?! Pop your eyes back into their sockets… Your Barolo dreams have been answered.

As Vinous says, “Diego and Stefano Conterno have put their small estate on the map in a relatively short amount of time, these beautifully translucent, traditionally made Barolos have so much to offer.”

All the grandeur and beauty you can hope for at this price - down from $90 all the way to a perfectly round $50??!!

For a Ginestra?!

One taste and you’ll understand the excitement. There’s a reason why a bottle of this Cru usually is priced in the $100-200 range. Only the late Domenico Clerico, Elio Grasso, and select members of the Conterno clan have access to the prized fruit. On the way to the Serralunga side of Monforte d’Alba, these vines are over 40 years in age, yielding structured wines due to the rare concentration of limestone in the soils. It sits high on the list of places most Piemontese winemakers dream of getting fruit from: In the hands of a master, the fruit here becomes transcendent.

Operatives who have been with us over the years may recall our back-to-back sellouts from Conterno-Fantino, which is Diego’s old stomping grounds. In Barolo, the pendulum swings wide, advocates of traditionalism on one side with minimal intervention via a lighter hand, and those on the very opposite, modernists who ripen Nebbiolo to optimal levels, then expose it to 100+ percent new oak to smooth things out over time. While Conterno-Fantino was a textbook modernist, when Diego broke out to own his domain, he reset himself as a traditionalist.

Inky ruby, with a brilliant crimson edge. As it aerates, it opens up with pure red fruit, plum sauce, and spice notes. The mouthfeel is luxurious and layered, like a skyscraper, given a backbone of tall acidity and many colorful facades alternating between berries, spices, herbs, and savory, saline, as well as mineral notes. Almost too much going on as the finish crescendos through the clouds, authoritatively. Did we mention the TWO 96 POINT RATINGS??

This Barolo deserves all the truffles, exotic mushrooms, cream, and egg yolks your budget and health can afford. It’s such a great deal that you can afford to get the good stuff. We scooped up every bottle of it there was, so now is your turn.

96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“For Ginestra, this is held back an additional year of time in bottle, so the 2018 is the current release. The 2018 Barolo Ginestra takes on even more elegance as well as concentration in its notes of incense, rose petal, and raspberry liqueur. Fine on the palate, with an elegant balance of pure apricot, Asian spice, and wild strawberry, it is inviting and ready to drink now or over the next 20 years.”

96 Points – Wine & Spirits

“Flavors of dark cherry and red apple skin surge across the palate, infused with notes of juniper, mint and thyme in this energetic wine. Its dense, powerful tannins intertwine with lively acidity, propelling the flavors toward a long and herb-inflected finish.”