Giacomo Conterno, Barolo, Cascina Francia 2004 Pinot Noir thanks to vines that are

thanks to vines that are more than a century old

a bit of honey

then shows ripe strawberries in a surprising break from that fruit-backwardness

but the large crop in 2018 and 2019 served to soften the tannins

Giacomo Conterno, Barolo, Cascina Francia 2004 Pinot Noir thanks to vines that are98 points Vinous The 2004 Barolo Cascina Francia boasts staggering depth and explosive intensity from the very first taste. One of the most brooding, backward 2004s, the Cascina Francia is one of the only wines in this vintage that I am slightly disappointed to have opened, as it is so intensely backward. Hints of sage, tobacco, menthol, rose petal and graphite open up in the glass, recalling just how mesmerizing the 2004 was in cask. At once silky,