External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2020
2019
2011
2010
2006
2005
2004
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1990
1985
1982
1974
1971
1967
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 19 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 9/13/2020 & rated 90 points: Not much on the nose but the flavors were still ok. Well liked by everyone. Definitely on the downside of the hill. Did not decant. Probably should be consumed sooner rather than later. No noticable tannins. (1358 views) | | | Tasted by eyewino on 6/9/2020 & rated 88 points: Brick red fading to orange with a watery rim. Nose of Faint cherry, old leather, dust, and a little "tar and roses". On the palate fine tannins, strong acidity and a medium body lead to a medium-long finish. Drink now - this wine faded after an hour. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed this wine. Aged Borolo is always worth trying. I was just hoping for more after 23 years. I do not have enough experience with aged Borolo to be an accurate arbiter. (1505 views) | | | Tasted by sfwinelover1 on 6/6/2020 & rated 88 points: Recent one off purchase ($60) from online wine clearinghouse #1, which it said it just acquired from the producer. Open with a 1 oz taste. On the nose and palate, vibrant cran-cherry, blood orange, rose petals, iron/rust, balsamic and tar, with powerful tannins and acidity. I had the '98 of this bottling about 9 months ago, and it was excellent. The friend who poured it for me didn't decant, and the wine got better as we drained the bottle. With this in mind, I gave it about an hour of air, which was a big mistake, since it was pretty much done for my purposes when I came back to it. Very faded fruit, with only slightly less faded acidity and tannins. Just enough acidity to work fairly well with burritos the first night and rack of lamb the second, although a '10 Laurel Glen cab smoked it tonight. Really disappointing, and with 3 consecutive bad experiences with mid to high end 1990's wines (this, the Ducru and the Montebello) and a screamingly good one with a baby (the '16 Spottswoode), I may be coming to an inflection point in how I think about aging wine. I've had significant bottle variation from this clearinghouse, especially on older vintages, and while I've refrained from complaining, this may be the straw which breaks the camel's back. That said, if you have this 1) drink it now, 2) don't decant, and 3) keep it corked while you're drinking it, and you MAY be ok. Hard to score, since it was very good-excellent out of the bottle and pretty good with food but barely tolerable otherwise. Call it a gentleman's 88. Follow up: the seller graciously refunded my purchase price on this. (2042 views) | | | Tasted by Martysfo on 11/15/2019 & rated 96 points: Great wine. Tobacco, cherry, sage and cedar. Wonderful acidity with a long finish. (2110 views) | | | Tasted by treidling on 5/14/2017 & rated 90 points: Solid Barolo and definitely well-integrated at this point. I had hoped for more given the price point but certainly enjoyable. (3225 views) | | | Tasted by bobvictor on 11/4/2016 & rated 90 points: Drinking nicely with many years ahead. (2529 views) | | | Tasted by thesternowl on 3/8/2015 & rated 91 points: Decanted for three hours. Some slight bricking but really looking very good. A bit austere at first but then raspberries and black tea came through. Feminine. Elegant. Still pretty tannic despite it's age. Delicious with pan-seared duck on mushroom risotto. Kinda wish I had another bottle so I could try it again in 5 years. Drink or hold. (3547 views) | | | Tasted by round1 on 6/21/2014 & rated 90 points: Decanted over a lazy afternoon doing chores, opened up wonderfully. Pepper on the nose, lovely cherry at the end, long finish. (4053 views) | | | Tasted by tombiro on 11/15/2013 & rated 89 points: This bottle took a pretty long time to open up, and felt a bit chemical in the first 30-45 minutes of being awakened. That said, it complemented a meal of kohlrabi and radish salad and a tajarin ragu beautifully. Fairly dark, long finish. Will give the second bottle we have a good hour or two open, if not more. (4444 views) | | | Tasted by Rani on 11/22/2011 & rated 91 points: Tasted blind.
Dusty, notes of fennel and blackberry. Very tannic and rustic, but meaty with lots of complexity. Would benefit from 3-4 years in the cellar. (4071 views) | | | Tasted by Valery P on 4/18/2010 & rated 85 points: As fresh and vigorous as if it were 2005. Prime time for drinking. Dried cherries with a memory of green apples. Silky touch and lingering finish (3980 views) |
| Fontanafredda Producer Website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)NebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
|
