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September 30, 2020

Fontanafredda: The Beauty of Langhe Nebbiolo

The history of Fontanafredda (and Langhe Nebbiolo) is a noble one and began in 1858 after the unification of Italy, when the country’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, purchased this beautiful estate in Piedmont’s Langhe region for his mistress. Quite the scandal! Here he started producing wine from local varieties, Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, which later developed into a commercial business under the direction of the King’s son, Count Mirafiori. Fontanafredda released their first Nebbiolo labeled as Barolo with the 1878 vintage.

Since 2008, Fontanafredda has been owned by visionary businessman and Piedmont native, Oscar Farinetti (co-owner of Eataly), who has brought new life to one of Italy’s most heralded properties. They’re doing something right, as Fontanafredda was awarded European Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2017. In 2018, the Fontanafredda vines were certified organic and they are now the largest certified organic company in Piemonte. 

Fontanafredda is a 250-acre property in Serralunga d’Alba, a cru site of Barolo, the single largest contiguous wine estate in the Langhe. They also work with 400 local grower partners in sourcing grapes for their wines. Speaking of wines, let’s get to tasting these Langhe Nebbiolo wines!

I enjoyed these wines as part of a lovely luncheon at Spago Restaurant in Beverly Hills, where we tasted Fontanafredda’s current Barolo releases, as well as a selection of special library gems going back 20+ years. Enjoy!

Langhe Nebbiolo (and other) Tasting Notes

 

Alta Langa DOCG Contessa Rosa Rosé 2012 $57.99

Dry, delicious, and lively describes this Metodo Classico sparkling made of 80% Pinot Nero and 20% Chardonnay. What makes this special is that their 1967 Barolo is the liqueur d’éxpedition.

Alta Langa DOCG Contessa Rosa Rosé 2012

Barolo DOCG Del Comune Di Serralunga d’Alba 2015 $53.99

This was Fontanafredda’s first single-village Barolo ever produced since 1988 and this bottle (and label) is the icon of the estate. I get balsamic and meaty notes and, as expected, prevalent tannins, plus Serralunga trademarks of roses and underbrush.

Barolo DOCG Del Comune Di Serralunga d’Alba 2015

Barolo DOCG Fontanafredda 2013 $107.99

My first impression is that this is a pretty wine, but then it opens up and get sturdier on the nose. Moderate acid, lots of savory/underbrush notes on the palate, and prevalent tannins. 

Langhe Nebbiolo Barolo DOCG Fontanafredda 2013

Barolo DOCG Vigna la Rosa 2011 $124.99

Oh my….come to momma. This wine shows Barolo typicity of tar and roses. Lovely. Reminds me of the elegance of Pino Noir, but distinctly Italian and distinctly Nebbiolo and with no Italian rusticity. 

Barolo DOCG Vigna la Rosa 2011

Barolo DOCG Vigna la Rosa 1996 (n/p)

This wine is showing graceful age, in the same way as Helen Mirren. The fruit is fading beautifully, and I’m ok with it. Quite stunning; showing both savory and tertiary notes. Beautifully subtle aromas and flavors that you’d expect for a 24-year old wine. 

Barolo DOCG Vigna la Rosa 1996

Barolo 2010 Riserva $164.99

The Riserva level gets an additional two more years of aging, while this wine is only made in the best years. The official tasting notes say “a fresh sour note”. I LOVE that descriptor. I have been using “sour” as a tasting note for a while, but I’ve never seen in print!

Barolo 2010 Riserva

Barolo 2000 Riserva (n/p)

This wine was first made in 1964 (hence the year on the label). Deep, dark fruit plus a faint florality with super, duper woody tannins.

Langhe Nebbiolo Barolo 2000 Riserva

For more great Italian content, check out my blog post on Travaglini Gattinara, also a study of Nebbiolo.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you’re looking to Up Your Wine Game and Drink Better, consider booking a private in-person or virtual wine tasting experience.
Brianne Cohen Wine Educator
Brianne Cohen is a certified sommelier, wine educator, consultant, and writer based out of Los Angeles.

Since March 2020, Brianne has educated and entertained over 5,000 people through her “Virtual Vino” online wine tastings.

Brianne holds the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Diploma certificate, one of the most coveted wine certifications in the world. When she’s not helping others Up Their Wine Game, she can be found judging at international wine competitions.

Brianne aims to make wine approachable and conversational, to surprise and delight with unexpected, distinctive wine finds, and to give people knowledge (and confidence) about wine in their everyday lives.

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Sample Policy

As a wine writer, I frequently accept samples for review on my  website and on my social media channels. Please contact me at brianne@briannecohen.com to discuss sending samples for review. I promise to always be honorable with the samples. I will evaluate all wines in good tasting settings and with no distractions.

All reviews are my opinions, and mine only. Because of the volume of samples I receive, I cannot promise that all samples received will be reviewed, but I will do my best.

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