Product information

Cascina Fontana Barolo ‘Commune di Castiglione Falletto’ 2016

Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy, Castiglione Falletto, Barolo

$208

$198ea in any 3+
$188ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork
This is an impressive beverage!

Description

There are things happening here that are very good. The textural elements: dusty, even long tannins, that are just a little bolder than the 2015 and will benefit from 3-5 years before you crack a bottle. The fading flowers are more prominent than in the classico and red fruit more dominant with excellent length and delicacy. It has wonderful development, layered complexity that you need not pick apart. Simply enjoy a wine full of personality.


A consistent recipient of the highest accolade from Gambero Rosso’s ‘Tre Bicchiere’ & Vitae’s ‘Quattro Viti’.

In stock

Check out all of the wines by Cascina Fontana

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

“Barolo from the commune of Castiglione Falletto is dedicated to the memory of the Fontana family.

When I was 17 years old, I left school to work with my parents and in particular with my grandfather Saverio. Even at that age I felt an intense attraction to everything that revolved around the world of wine: the vineyards, the cellar, even the tractors. I loved to listen to the older country folk who I often met in the vineyards, winegrowers and workers from neighbouring farms or from our own family vineyards. They often regaled me with their tales of lives dedicated simply to caring for their vines, for little monetary reward yet with the greatest wealth of spirit, heart and honesty. It was in such moments and through such encounters that I learned, absolutely and unconditionally, to love this territory, the land, the very earth of Castiglione Falletto.

I dedicate this wine to all the Fontana family who for 6 generations have continued to believe in this territory, above all to my grandfather Saverio, my maestro in wine and in life.

Grazie.

Mario Fontana”

About Cascina Fontana

Cascina Fontana is located in the heart of the Barolo wine zone in the small hamlet of Perno, near Monforte d’Alba and about 15 km from Alba. Here the Fontana family continue cultivating grapes and making wine as they have done for the past six generations.

Today winemaker Mario Fontana continues this tradition, overseeing the entire cycle of production, from the tending of the vineyards to the making of the wines, taking the greatest and most meticulous care at every stage of the process.

Mario and Luisa Fontana are the proprietors of 5 hectares (about 12.5 acres) of estate vineyards dedicated exclusively to the cultivation of the classic grape varieties of Le Langhe: dolcetto, barbera and nebbiolo. The vineyards are located in the best zones of production in the commune of Castiglione Falletto (vigna Valletti,cru Mariondino, vigna Villero/cru Villero e vigna del Pozzo); La Morra (vigna Gallinotto/cru Giachini); and Sinio (vigna del Castello).

Cascina Fontana is wholly traditional wine estate that respects and follows the culture, traditions and history of Le Langhe.

“My ancestors cultivated these lands before me, and thanks to their efforts, today it is my privilege to be able to produce great wines.” Mario Fontana

In the Winery

Mario’s approach to winemaking is essentially rooted in his grandfather Saverio’s methods, even if the equipment used today is modern. Once the grapes arrive in the cantina, they are de-stemmed and lightly crushed to break the skin in order to allow the juice to run out. The crushed grapes are then pumped into stainless steel vats where fermentation begins spontaneously, as the natural yeast present on the skin of the grapes begins to feed on sugar.

The length of fermentation depends on the grape variety. Generally speaking, for wines that are destined to undergo more lengthy maturation, the fermentation is both longer and slower, which allows for a greater extract of tannin and other natural components that are necessary for ageing in both botte (large cask) and eventually bottle. Dolcetto, the grape variety that is always harvested earliest, undergoes a fermentation of just six to seven days and is ready to drink in the summer after the harvest. The fermentation of barbera grapes usually lasts from ten to twelve days.

Nebbiolo for the production of Langhe Nebbiolo ferments for upwards of fifteen days, while fermentation of nebbiolo for the production of Barolo can sometimes last as long as forty days. Once the fermentation is complete, the wines are assembled then aged for two years in 25-27hl botte – large traditional casks made from Slavonian oak.

After this period, the wines then undergo further ageing in cement vats for a further year before bottling. The wine is not filtered. Cascina Fontana Barolo, produced from three cru vineyards, further undergoes a minimum of 6 months ageing in bottle prior to release.

“My philosophy to winemaking is the same as my philosophy to life. I believe that good things come from hard work. We live closely in touch with the land and follow the rhythms of the seasons. We must be patient, try to do things well, and always look to improve. Everything needs to be kept in equilibrium, in balance. I seek this in the vines, in my wines, and in my life.”

Mario Fontana

For me, Barolo is not just a wine. It is part of my culture and my identity – it defines who I am and where I come from. When I drink Barolo, I remember my grandfather. Indeed, Barolo seems to contain within it something of the spirit of the true man of Le Langhe. It has the same enduring forza – strength, dignità – dignity, and a character that is at once immensely hard, austere and honest.

My Barolo is like my grandfather, like those men from another age – the ones who never wanted anyone to know easily what they were thinking. This wine is just the same: it does not ever reveal itself easily or cheaply. You have to discover it, slowly and thoughtfully. The appreciation and discovery of Barolo is not something that should ever be fast: you must have time, patience and experience.

But that is the way it is with all the best things in life, those things that are complex and have true depth of character and meaning. With Barolo, sometimes a single bottle is not enough. You feel that yes, you are getting close to understanding it, to unravelling some of its many layers. But then the wine is gone: you need to open another bottle!

In such wines as this, will you find the greatest satisfaction. Like all the greatest wines in the world, Barolo always has something more to give; the sensations are always different. It is a wine that – non finisce mai – never finishes, never fails to surprise, a wine that brings the greatest pleasure.

Little by little you will come to fall in love with Barolo, to become infatuated with it, and to understand and appreciate the special hardness and austerity and honesty that comes from the land from which it is born, my land: Le Langhe.
This is my Barolo. This is my life.

Where in the World is Cascina Fontana?

Cascina Fontana is based in Perno, Monforte d’Alba with additional holdings in Castgilione Falletto, La Morra, and the broader Alba region.

Click to enlarge🔎

This 3D flyover is Epic covering each of the communes you can see just how varied and extreme the aspect of each vineyard is and how in the space of a few metres just how dramatically the change.

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Azienda Agricola Cascina Fontaná, Perno, Province of Cuneo, Italy

Barolo
Castiglione Falletto
Piedmont
Italy