Antinori's flagship Bolgheri Superiore from Tenuta Guado al Tasso: a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in new French oak. Dense blackcurrant, tobacco, liquorice; a 10-year cellar red drinkers return to.
Giacomo Conterno's Barbera comes from the Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba, the limestone-rich, salty site behind Monfortino. About 20 months in large casks build a deep Barbera of dark cherry, violet and licorice over bright acidity.
Best price
£58.43
2021 · 75cl · checked 27 Oct · Delivery charged at checkout
8winesBest price2021 · 75cl · checked 27 Oct · Delivery charged at checkoutCode NEWCUST8J: Enter NEWCUST8J to get £8 off with the minimum wine order of £88. Valid only for new customers, until 31 Dec 2027
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
No current retailer offer matches that combination.
Unavailable (7)
Corney & BarrowBest price2017 · Case of 12 · £627.24 for the case · checked 27 Oct · Free delivery
Out of stock
£52.27a bottle · £69.69/L
Out of stock
Corney & BarrowBest price2014 · Case of 12 · £711.48 for the case · checked 27 Oct · Free delivery
Out of stock
£59.29a bottle · £79.05/L
Out of stock
Corney & BarrowBest price2013 · 75cl · checked 27 Oct · Delivery £12.50, free on 3 bottles
Out of stock
£63.86£85.15/L
Out of stock
XtraWineBest price2023 · 75cl · checked 28 Oct · Delivery charge shown at checkout
Out of stock
£65.00£86.67/L
Out of stock
Vino.comBest price2023 · 75cl · checked 27 Oct · Delivery usually £16.90, free on 2 bottlesCode WINE6R8T: £17 off your first wine order with £180 minimum spend, until 13 Jan 2028
Out of stock
£76.50£102.00/L
Out of stock
Hedonism WinesBest price2012 · 75cl · checked 27 Oct · Delivery from £8.95, free on 3 bottles
Out of stock
£90.00£120.00/L
Out of stock
Corney & BarrowBest price2015 · Case of 6 × Magnum 150cl · £653.28 for the case · checked 27 Oct · Free delivery
Out of stock
£108.88a bottle · £72.59/L
Out of stock
Stock status is read from each retailer’s page once a day and may lag. Case and magnum listings show a per-bottle or per-litre equivalent and sit outside the best-price figure.
Tasting Notes
How Giacomo Conterno's Francia Barbera tastes
Dark blackberry and plum, red cherry, violet and licorice, with a leathery, stony edge from the limestone-rich Cascina Francia soils and around 20 months in large oak. A wine drinkers like, year after year.
Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
11 June 2026
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Typical of Barbera
BodyLight / Full
TanninsSmooth / Grippy
SweetnessDry / Sweet
AciditySoft / Crisp
Nose
Violet and dried lavender open over dark blackberry and plum. Red cherry sits behind. Time in large Serralunga oak casks adds liquorice, sweet spice and an ethereal, balsamic lift, with an oaky, earthy side beneath it.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Plum
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
Liquorice
Palate
This is full and bold for Barbera. The grape's high acidity and fine, soft tannins carry it. Blackberry and plum meet leather, tobacco and a salty, stony streak straight from the limestone-rich Francia soils. There is real depth and grip.
Finish
The finish is long and savoury, closing on stony saltiness, liquorice and a dried-cherry tang that keeps it fresh.
Overall
This is one of Barbera's benchmark wines, from the same Cascina Francia vineyard as Conterno's Monfortino, and drinkers like it, year after year. It is built to drink now with rich meat or to cellar a decade.
Drink nowBest by 2036
Live UK pricing
Buying Barbera d'Alba Francia: vintages and prices
Six active listings here span the 2018 to 2022 vintages across two UK merchants, from around 62 pounds a bottle for current releases to case-only older years. All are standard 750 ml.
Per-litre (75cl · 2021 basis)£77.91Lowest current 75cl · 2021 offer
Last checked27 Oct 2026Refreshed once every 24 hours
Other vintages and formats: 12 price lines
75cl · 2015:
£120.00,
1 UK retailer
Case of 6 · 2018:
£56.43 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 6 · 2019:
£59.13 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 6 · 2020:
£58.98 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 6 · 2021:
£75.50 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 6 · 2022:
£75.50 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 12 · 2006:
£74.28 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 12 · 2007:
£58.59 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 12 · 2010:
£88.98 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 12 · 2012:
£69.59 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Case of 12 · 2016:
£64.75 per bottle,
1 UK retailer
Magnum 150cl · 2006:
£210.00,
1 UK retailer
Wine fit score
Italian Wine Fit Score for the Francia Barbera
Scored as a structured, age-worthy Barbera from a top Serralunga vineyard: a strong food and occasion wine, less of an everyday pour at this price.
Best with food9.2/10
High-acid, medium-tannin Barbera is among the most food-flexible Italian reds, cutting fat and matching savoury meat and cheese.
Best for an occasion8.8/10
A benchmark wine from a legendary estate and the Monfortino vineyard, ideal for a serious occasion or a gift.
Best for cellar8.6/10
Around 20 months in large casks and firm Serralunga structure give 10 to 15 years of cellar potential, rare for Barbera.
Best intro to this style5.2/10
A classic indigenous Barbera, but a structured, high-alcohol, premium single-vineyard bottling rather than an easy first taste of the grape.
Best value4.0/10
At about 62 pounds the lowest live price sits well above the Barbera d'Alba category norm, justified by the cru and producer but scoring low on pure value.
Best everyday bottle2.4/10
Age-worthy and priced above 60 pounds, this is a special-bottle Barbera rather than a midweek pour.
A compact view of what the Barbera d'Alba denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Allowed grapes
2 varieties listed
This bottle: Barbera.
Minimum ageing
No statutory minimum
Producers release on their own schedule; 4 to 6 months in steel is typical.
Region / area
Hillside vineyards on both banks of the Tanaro around Alba: 41 communes in full and parts of 13 more, all in Cuneo province, up to 650 metres on clay, limestone and siliceous soils; valley floors and north-facing slopes excluded.
Giacomo Conterno's Barbera shifts with the Serralunga growing season: the warm, dry 2022 reaches about 15.5% abv and ripe concentration, while cooler years like 2021 stay fresher and more classic.
2023Sold through
Best price
not listed
Retailers
0 in stock
2022Previous release
Best price
£75.50a bottle, by the case of 6
Retailers
1 in stock
ABV
15.5%
Window
Drink now
through 2037
A warm, dry Serralunga vintage that pushed the Francia to about 15.5% abv, giving a ripe, concentrated Barbera with dark fruit and firm structure for the cellar.
2021Previous release
Best price
£58.43
Retailers
2 in stock
Window
Drink now
through 2036
A cooler, more classic year on the Francia cru: fresher acidity and a tighter, savoury frame that rewards a few years in bottle. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.3.
2020Previous release
Best price
£58.98a bottle, by the case of 6
Retailers
1 in stock
Window
Drink now
through 2035
A balanced, approachable vintage. Vivino's crowd rates the 2020 Francia 4.4, its strongest recent year, with supple dark fruit already drinking well.
2020Previous release
Best price
£58.98a bottle, by the case of 6
Retailers
1 in stock
Window
Drink now
through 2035
A balanced, approachable vintage. Vivino's crowd rates the 2020 Francia 4.4, its strongest recent year, with supple dark fruit already drinking well.
2021Previous release
Best price
£58.43
Retailers
2 in stock
Window
Drink now
through 2036
A cooler, more classic year on the Francia cru: fresher acidity and a tighter, savoury frame that rewards a few years in bottle. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.3.
2022Previous release
Best price
£75.50a bottle, by the case of 6
Retailers
1 in stock
ABV
15.5%
Window
Drink now
through 2037
A warm, dry Serralunga vintage that pushed the Francia to about 15.5% abv, giving a ripe, concentrated Barbera with dark fruit and firm structure for the cellar.
2023Sold through
Best price
not listed
Retailers
0 in stock
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
The disciplinare, the place, the label
Why Giacomo Conterno's Francia is a benchmark Barbera
Cascina Francia is the Serralunga cru Giacomo Conterno bought in 1974 and farms for both this Barbera and Monfortino. The same limestone-rich, salty soils and large-cask ageing put it far above everyday Barbera.
01
DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Barbera d'Alba is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
02
The denomination rules, in detail
Allowed grapes. 2 varieties listed in the disciplinare
Yield ceiling. 10.0 tonnes per hectare
Minimum ABV. 12.0% vol
Minimum ageing. No statutory minimum - producers release on their own schedule
Tasting panel. No mandatory pre-release tasting
03
Region and area context
Barbera d'Alba falls within
Piedmont, covering Hillside vineyards on both banks of the Tanaro around Alba: 41 communes in full and parts of 13 more, all in Cuneo province, up to 650 metres on clay, limestone and siliceous soils; valley floors and north-facing slopes excluded..
The denomination is further divided into 1 sub-zone.
Barbera d'Alba DOCGeographic indication and quality tier
2023Vintage (year of harvest)
75 clBottle size
Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05
What sits behind the price of Barbera d'Alba Francia Giacomo Conterno
Tracked from
£58.43
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
5 up / 1 down
Main factor
Cascina Francia vineyard fruit, the Serralunga site behind Monfortino
01
Cascina Francia vineyard fruit, the Serralunga site behind Monfortino
Cost up
100% Barbera from Conterno's owned 14 ha Serralunga cru, the source of Monfortino, commands single-vineyard pricing far above the roughly 15 pound Barbera d'Alba norm.
02
Around 20 months ageing in large oak casks
Cost up
Roughly 20 months in large casks ties up cellar space and capital for nearly two years before release, well beyond entry-level Barbera.
03
Hand harvest and small ~18,000-bottle production
Cost up
Hand-picked fruit and a small production of about 18,000 bottles keep volumes low and per-bottle costs high.
04
Giacomo Conterno name and global allocation demand
Cost up
One of the Langhe's most sought-after estates; scarcity and collector demand lift the 62 pound-plus UK shelf price.
05
UK alcohol duty and VAT on a still wine
Cost up
UK still-wine duty (2.67 pounds per bottle at or below 15% abv, 2026 rates) plus 20% VAT add roughly 15 pounds to a 62 pound bottle before merchant margin.
06
Barbera, not Nebbiolo, as the base grape
Cost down
As a Barbera rather than a Barolo, it sits below Conterno's Nebbiolo wines, holding it under 80 pounds while the estate's Barolo runs to several hundred.
01
Cascina Francia vineyard fruit, the Serralunga site behind Monfortino
Cost up
100% Barbera from Conterno's owned 14 ha Serralunga cru, the source of Monfortino, commands single-vineyard pricing far above the roughly 15 pound Barbera d'Alba norm.
02
Around 20 months ageing in large oak casks
Cost up
Roughly 20 months in large casks ties up cellar space and capital for nearly two years before release, well beyond entry-level Barbera.
03
Hand harvest and small ~18,000-bottle production
Cost up
Hand-picked fruit and a small production of about 18,000 bottles keep volumes low and per-bottle costs high.
04
Giacomo Conterno name and global allocation demand
Cost up
One of the Langhe's most sought-after estates; scarcity and collector demand lift the 62 pound-plus UK shelf price.
05
UK alcohol duty and VAT on a still wine
Cost up
UK still-wine duty (2.67 pounds per bottle at or below 15% abv, 2026 rates) plus 20% VAT add roughly 15 pounds to a 62 pound bottle before merchant margin.
06
Barbera, not Nebbiolo, as the base grape
Cost down
As a Barbera rather than a Barolo, it sits below Conterno's Nebbiolo wines, holding it under 80 pounds while the estate's Barolo runs to several hundred.
Barbera acidity, Langhe structure: dishes for the Francia
High acidity and a savoury, stony core make this Barbera a foil for rich Piedmontese cooking. The producer points to red meat, aged cheeses and seasoned salumi.
Acidity matchingStrong match
Tomato-rich Piedmontese and Italian pasta
Barbera's high acidity slices through tomato and rich, fatty ragu, refreshing the palate between bites. Its savoury, stony core echoes slow-cooked meat sauces.
Try with: Tajarin al ragu · Agnolotti del plin · Lasagne · Pappardelle al cinghiale · Pasta al forno · More pairings →
Fat cuttingStrong match
Braised and roasted red meat
High acidity and fine tannin cut the fat of Piedmontese braises and roasts, while the wine's depth matches their richness. The 14.5 to 15.5% structure stands up to long-cooked beef.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Roast beef · Stinco di maiale · Grilled lamb · Beef short ribs · More pairings →
Body matchingGood match
Aged Alpine and hard cheeses
The wine's body and acidity balance the salt and fat of aged cheese, a pairing the producer itself recommends. Stony length keeps heavier cheeses from cloying.
Try with: Castelmagno · Aged Parmigiano · Pecorino stagionato · Toma piemontese · Grana · More pairings →
Tannin softeningGood match
Cured salumi and charcuterie
Salt and fat in cured meats soften the wine's tannin and lift its red-fruit, a match the producer lists among its classics. Acidity resets the palate between slices.
Try with: Salame · Bresaola · Prosciutto · Coppa · Speck · More pairings →
Aromatic bridgeGood match
Mushroom and truffle dishes
The Francia's earthy, leathery, stony notes bridge to the umami of mushrooms and Alba truffle. Bright acidity keeps creamy, earthy plates from feeling heavy.
Try with: Tajarin al tartufo · Risotto ai funghi · Polenta e funghi · Mushroom ragu · More pairings →
AvoidClash
Fiery chilli heat and delicate raw seafood
High chilli heat magnifies the wine's tannin and 15% alcohol, turning it harsh and hot. Delicate raw seafood is flattened by its structure and savoury depth.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Sichuan hot pot · Aguachile · Oysters · Sushi · Pairing guide →
Drinking + cellar
Cellaring Giacomo Conterno's Barbera d'Alba Francia
Unusually for Barbera, the Francia rewards patience: structured vintages hold and gain leather and dried-fruit complexity for 10 to 15 years. The 2019 and 2020 are the strongest recent years.
Decanting
30 minutes
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Serving temperature
16-18°C
Aim for the cooler end on a warm day; warmer end opens up more aromatics.
Cellar potential
High
Around 20 months in large casks and firm Serralunga structure give 10 to 15 years of cellar potential, rare for Barbera.
Buy now or wait?
Buy now
£58.43 for a 75cl bottle of the 2021, at 8wines, is the best price we track, and we have no signal of further discounting.
Sources & trust
Sources behind this Barbera d'Alba Francia page
Prices & stock
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day.
Last refresh: 27 Oct 2026, 07:26 BST.
We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · High
Tasting notes
Drawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic. Drinkers score it 4.3 out of 5 from 9,248 ratings on Vivino.
Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing
From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs
Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential
Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
It comes from the Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba, the 14-hectare vineyard Giacomo Conterno bought in 1974 and also uses for its Monfortino Barolo. The limestone-rich, salty soils give the Barbera unusual depth and stony character.
Yes. It is made entirely from Barbera grown on the Francia vineyard, hand-harvested and aged around 20 months in large oak casks before release.
Expect dark blackberry and plum with red cherry, violet and licorice, plus a savoury, leathery, stony edge from time in large oak. Bright Barbera acidity keeps it fresh and the finish is long and salty.
Its acidity and structure suit rich Piedmontese and Italian meat cooking: brasato al Barolo, tajarin with ragu, agnolotti del plin, aged cheeses such as Castelmagno, and seasoned salumi.
This is one of Barbera's most age-worthy wines. Recent vintages drink well from release but hold and improve for 10 to 15 years from harvest, gaining leather and dried-fruit complexity.
Listings here span the 2018 to 2022 vintages. The 2022 is a warm, ripe year at about 15.5% abv, while cooler years like 2021 lean fresher and more classic.
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Prices and stock are read from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Outbound buy links carry rel="nofollow sponsored noopener". The list is sorted by price; we do not accept payment for placement.
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Large bottle image
Piedmont > Barbera d'Alba Barbera d'Alba Francia Giacomo Conterno
DOC
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