Aldo Conterno

In 1954, Aldo left Italy and joined two uncles who lived in San Francisco with a view to start a winery in Napa Valley.

However, soon after his arrival to the United States he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years in Korea, leaving with an honorable discharge and the rank of Specialist.

[1][11][12] Aldo Conterno has been described as Piemonte's most talented winemaker,[13] and his wines have frequently been ranked among finest of the region, often with the emphasis on the balance.

[12] Explaining why he insisted on the use of large, used botti and never apply French new barriques for oak influence, Conterno stated, "Vanilla, toast, spice and sweet tannins don't belong in Barolo".

[19] Poderi Aldo Conterno owns around 25 hectares (62 acres) of vineyard land in Bussia Soprana, about 400 meters above sea level.

First produced as a test bottling in 1970, the inaugural commercial vintage was made in 1971 and consisted mostly of fruit from the Cicala and Colonnello vineyards.

[23] Around 6 acres (2.4 ha) are owned by the estate, producing around 800 cases per vintage, with Aldo Conterno stating "Cicala contains less sand and more clay than his other vineyards and tends to make more powerful wines".

[20] The difficult 2003 vintage was an exception, with Aldo Conterno deciding to produce no wines with the Barolo designation and declassifying them into the Il Favot label.