Fontanafredda
Barolo Riserva 2016
Other years:
2019| Denomination | DOCG Barolo Riserva |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 14.5% by volume |
| Area | Piedmont (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | 100% Nebbiolo |
| Aging | According to the law, in order to bear the label "Riserva", Barolo must undergo at least 5 years of ageing before being released for consumption. The first 3 years of ageing take place in oak barrels (from Slavonia and Allier). The following 2 years are spent in the bottle. |
| Other years | 2019 |
- Origin and grape variety: Nebbiolo from Serralunga d’Alba, Piedmont; Barolo DOCG Riserva.
- Aromatic profile: notes of black cherry, tobacco, dried mushrooms and balsamic hints.
- Vinification: fermentation in steel and submerged cap maceration for 25-30 days.
- Ageing: total maturation of 5 years, including 3 in oak barrels and 2 in bottle.
- Pairings: excellent with braised meats and game. Decant for 2 hours and serve at 18-20 °C.
Description
What kind of wine it is
The Barolo Riserva by Fontanafredda is a still red wine that embodies the essence of Nebbiolo grapes. It stands out for its intense garnet colour, enriched by bright ruby highlights. On the nose, it offers a deep aromatic profile, characterised by notes of black cherry, tobacco, dried mushrooms, spices, and delicate balsamic hints of mint. On the palate, it reveals a full body, supported by sweet and velvety tannins that find perfect balance in a pleasant acidic freshness. The sip unfolds harmoniously towards a long and elegant finish, making it the ideal companion to enhance braised meats, game, and mature cheeses.
Where it comes from
This red originates in Serralunga d’Alba, an area of Piedmont particularly suited to viticulture. The vineyards grow at an altitude between 300 and 400 metres above sea level, with a sunny south and south-west exposure that ensures the grapes reach full ripeness. The soils have a rich composition of clay and calcareous marl, well balanced by sand. This specific geological profile gives the wine a solid structure and a precise aromatic definition, allowing the roots to promote a complex breadth of flavour.
How it is produced
The harvest takes place in October. Vinification involves traditional fermentation in steel vats at a controlled temperature for about fifteen days. Afterwards, the must undergoes a long submerged cap maceration to optimise the extraction of polyphenolic substances. The wine matures for a total of five years, spending the first three in oak barrels from Slavonia and Allier, followed by a final two years of ageing. This rigorous process enhances the wine’s structure, ensuring it has a strong ageing potential.
History and Curiosities
Founded in 1878, Fontanafredda embodies the excellence of Piedmont through this Barolo DOCG Riserva, a prestigious Nebbiolo born in the organic vineyards of Serralunga d’Alba. Produced only in exceptional vintages and overseen by oenologist Giorgio Lavagna, the wine boasts a meticulous five-year ageing process between oak barrels and bottle. This long wait bestows it with absolute elegance, rewarded with 92 points by international critics, bringing to the glass the full, authentic centuries-old tradition of a highly renowned region.
Awards
-
2016
3This guide is highly respected and offers the most comprehensive review of Italian wines. It has a long tradition and is based on blind tastings carried out by over 100 experts.
-
2016
92/100
James Suckling is an influential American wine critic and journalist who worked at Wine Spectator for 30 years. He left the magazine in 2010 to start his own website and guidebook (JamesSuckling.com). He specialises in Italian and Bordeaux wines.
-
2016
4Italian Sommelier Association (AIS) guide
Tasting notes
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
18 - 20 °C
Longevity:
10 - 15 years
Decanting time:
2 hours
- Start up year: 1878
- Oenologist: Giorgio Lavagna
- Bottles produced: 7.000.000
- Hectares: 120
Like all beautiful things, Fontanafredda originates from a love story between the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, and Rosa Vercellana.
Producers of Barolo and sumptuous wines of the Langhe, it was the scene of many firsts: they were the first Barolo to go overseas, the first to produce the first Classic Method in 1959, which was to be the forerunner of Alta Langa.
The founding principle of the winery is the concept of community.
Since 2018, Fontanafredda has been cultivating 120 organically certified hectares that are the setting for Italy's first Storytelling Village ('Villaggio Narrante'), which is still home to 12 families of workers who make the village an authentic village, alive and productive.
Fontanafredda is also hospitality, a meeting place where everyone is welcome thanks to its 4-star hospitality.
Today, the company preserves intact the testimonies of its noble past - the hunting lodge, the village, the extensive cellars, the vineyards - but continues to renew itself and experiment, perfecting what nature and history have handed down. For this reason, in the Langhe, where vines and wine bind generations to each other and shape the landscape, Fontanafredda is an essential reference point. The expression of a wine culture that comes from the earth, from the vineyard, and is refined through the work and creativity of people.
In 2021, the Alta Langa DOCG Contessa Rosa Rosé 2014 was named 'Best Sparkling Wine in the World' according to Tastingbook 2021.
In 2022 the BAROLO SERRALUNGA 2018 entered the TOP100 of WINE SPECTATOR in 78th place. Read more
| Name | Fontanafredda Barolo Riserva 2016 |
|---|---|
| Type | Red green still |
| Denomination | Barolo DOCG |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 14.5% by volume |
| Grape varieties | 100% Nebbiolo |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Vendor | Fontanafredda |
| Story | History and Curiosities Founded in 1878, Fontanafredda embodies the excellence of Piedmont through this Barolo DOCG Riserva, a prestigious Nebbiolo born in the organic vineyards of Serralunga d’Alba. Produced only in exceptional vintages and overseen by oenologist Giorgio Lavagna, the wine boasts a meticulous five-year ageing process between oak barrels and bottle. This long wait bestows it with absolute elegance, rewarded with 92 points by international critics, bringing to the glass the full, authentic centuries-old tradition of a highly renowned region. |
| Origin | Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo |
| Soil composition | Rich in clay and calcareous marl with sand |
| Cultivation system | Guyot |
| Plants per hectare | 4,400–5,000 plants per hectare |
| Harvest | October (first and second ten days) |
| Fermentation temperature | 30-31 °C |
| Fermentation | 12 5 days |
| Production technique | Traditional fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, followed by submerged cap maceration and ageing in oak barrels |
| Wine making | Traditional fermentation in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature (30–31 °C) for 12–15 days, followed by submerged cap maceration on the skins for a further 25–30 days to optimise the extraction of polyphenolic substances; maturation mainly in Slavonian and Allier oak barrels. |
| Aging | According to the law, in order to bear the label "Riserva", Barolo must undergo at least 5 years of ageing before being released for consumption. The first 3 years of ageing take place in oak barrels (from Slavonia and Allier). The following 2 years are spent in the bottle. |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |