Barolo, a wine born from noble origins, is our greatest patrimony, a part of our culture and identity, the wine that makes us most proud of our land, Le Langhe. Barolo is never a simple wine: it is a wine of great complexity, character, body, dignity, hardness and austerity. This not a wine that reveals itself easily on first tasting; only after years of ageing in both barrel and bottle does Barolo begin to open up and allow us to discover its secrets.

Cascina Fontana Barolo is produced from nebbiolo grapes grown on steep hill vineyards in the heart of the Barolo wine zone, notably on our own three select cru vineyards, Villero (cru Villero) and Valletti (cru Mariondino) in the wine commune of Castiglione Falletto and Gallinotto (cru Giachini) in the commune of La Morra. Grapes from each site together contribute different characteristics to Cascina Fontana Barolo: complexity, structure, elegance, acidity, fruit, minerality.

Following in the tradition of the Fontana family, the grapes from each site are harvested, destemmed, pressed and vinified separately. Once the fermentation and maceration  are 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. Cascina Fontana Barolo, produced from our three cru vineyards, further undergoes a minimum of 6 months ageing in bottle prior to release.

Barolo is a wine that demands patience. The lengthy vinification with a long maceration on the skins gives forth a concentration of extract and tannins that gives it great capacity to age and improve for upwards of decades. The result is profound and serious, a wine to drink in the company of your family and your best friends – and at the best moments of your life.

This is a complex wine that is full of character and elegance in every aspect. Though the colour is never deep, the wine has great profundity and concentration with a balance of silky tannin and acidity that is well-balanced. With age, Barolo gains in smoothness while the primary fruit and fermentation aromas give way to a more complex bouquet of liquorice, tar, roses and a host of other sensations. Cascina Fontana Barolo has great persistence and a very long finish.

Barolo is a wine that is so complete that it can be enjoyed even without food, served amongst friends, perhaps with just a biscotto, a nugget of dark chocolate, or a chunk of grana padano or parmigiano reggiano. If served with food, then it must be with equally important dishes, such as brasato al Barolo, wild boar or other game in umido, and other classic meat dishes typical of Le Langhe.