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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 63 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by King Cab on 10/21/2023 & rated 90 points: Darkly colored. Maybe my best bottle yet. (10). Sweet berry nose with hints of cardamom, black cherries and blackberries. Pretty fragrant. Did I say it's dark? it is, and dense. Chewy palate with a maceration of the fruits mentioned; some dried herb, worn leather and a touch of earth, just a touch. Nicely layered and fully resolved and this is just smooth and easy. No PhD required. Great balance and poise, this really shows what I have expected from Fontanafredda in the past but have been a bit...disappointed.
Forgetting all that, this is pleasing and rewarding with some elegance and class. Glad to have 3 more. (535 views) | | | Tasted by thewiz on 11/20/2021 & rated 94 points: (Decanted for one hour)
Mature nose showing red berries, herbs and some liquorice. Smoothing tannins on the palate showing a warm sweetness on the palate still and with some dried herbs on the lengthy finish. This is showing a very pleasant intensity and is perfect tonight with osso buco.
(Best 2016-2031) (1314 views) | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 11/8/2021 & rated 93 points: This is holding up extremely well. Still slightly tannic with a nose of subtle red fruits and spice. Pallet of spice and minerals with a little tar. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Very well liked by everyone and 130 a relative bargain for a mag of very good 25 year old barolo. (1413 views) | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 6/13/2021 & rated 93 points: This is outstanding considering that it is 25 years old. Still slightly tannic with a nose of more red fruit than the typical tar and rose. Great mouthfeel, long finish. Drank really well right out of the gate. Liked this well enough to order another bottle. Don't think it has any upside but also don't think this is fading away (1802 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 2/14/2021: Took some air to open up, but this ended up being a classic Barolo. Nicely in middle age. (3190 views) | | | Tasted by Max S. on 11/13/2020 & rated 89 points: Nice Barolo with age, not mind blowing (1949 views) | | | Tasted by rmcnees on 6/5/2019 & rated 90 points: Tasted WBYG at Italian Village Chicago - consistent with earlier tasting - medium bodied, dark garnet colored, vibrant bright black cherry fruits, tones of acidity, tar, smoke and leather on a moderate tannin lingering finish."
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/06/italian-village-wine-and-dine-features.html (3283 views) | | | Tasted by WineKnurd on 11/10/2018 & rated 88 points: Da Knurd's 43rd BDay Celebration (Knurd's House Wake Forest NC): I think 22 years in the cellar, a 4 hour audoze in the bottle, plus a 2 hour full decant was the formula needed for this wine to finally open up. Threw some sediment but not much. It's still plenty tannic, but no longer overwhelming, allowing the cherry, tar, and aged tobacco to really come through. Liken this to a tough cut of meat that you need to let braise slow and low for a few hours before it gets fork tender. Good but not great overall, was definitely enjoyable but lacked the development and complexity of the upper echelon. B+ (88). (3647 views) | | | Tasted by ThalesGaspar on 8/27/2018 & rated 88 points: Took a while to open up. Good wine but nothing special. (3329 views) | | | Tasted by thewiz on 12/31/2017 & rated 94 points: (100% Nebbiolo)
(Decanted for three hours) Brick red colour with a mature nose showing mint chocolate, wet soil, leather and violets. Smooth palate with soft tannins and still showing fresh fruit after opening up and with a long and lovely leathery finish.
Was showing its best after nine hours in the decanter when drinking the last glass. This is in a tunnel right now and in bad need of decanting for many years to come! Best 2011-2031 (3970 views) | | | Tasted by Blake Brown on 9/8/2017 & rated 89 points: 1996 FONTANAFREDDA LAZZARITO BAROLO- this had some bricking and the nose and taste also showed advanced maturity with tertiary wild and dry black cherry fruit; enhancing the taste was traces of clove,, smoke and milk chocolate. (4289 views) | | | Tasted by thewiz on 9/2/2017 & rated 91 points: Smokiness and charcuteries at first, with extended time in the glass it opens up with rose hip and bitter almond notes. At it's best together with food, otherwise a bit rough with dried notes.
(Best 2016-2026) (960 views) | | | Tasted by WineKnurd on 6/17/2017 & rated 87 points: Audozed about 8 hours with the cork in, thinking this still needs a full on decant as the aromas started to open up after an hour of pouring and drinking. Black cherries, cola, anise and other spices; not lot of tar and surprisingly still very primary and tannic. Plenty of acidity though, woody tannins fade to cherry skins on the finish but even after 21 years in the tannins are still in control. Going to give my last bottle a few more years and a healthy decant when its time. Style & Quality: B+ (87) at this stage but seems like it has the acidity for years to come. Quality: B (86); $50 WTSO (FS on 3) back in 2015, looking through the lens of would I have dropped $150 on this back then knowing what I do now- leaning towards yes but not a sure thing. Overall B+ (87). (2185 views) | | | Tasted by thewiz on 3/25/2017 & rated 94 points: Lovely brick red colour and a mature nose showing truffles and forest floor with smooth tannins and a very nice long finish. This was a very good bottle that matched the juicy steak just perfectly. Glad I have some more left. Won't improve, but will keep for many years to come. (3664 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 12/21/2016 & rated 92 points: Barolos and Barbarescos with some age (Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is robust is dark red cherries, raspberries, licorice, spice tones, crushed rocks, tobacco, roses, tar, and some earth tones. There is excellent depth with the aromatics being extremely balanced and perfumed.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with high acidity and high tannins. The tannins are starting to dial back and the acidity is noticeable, but balanced. The feel is refined and showing maturity with dark red cherries, raspberries, licorice, crushed rocks, roses, and some tobacco.
Overall: This was drinking perfectly. While some 96s that I've come across are still a bit surly, this was giving and open. (2001 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 12/21/2016 & rated 88 points: Older Barolos at Osteria Langhe (Chicago, IL): I was pleasantly surprised by how well this wine showed. It's quite dark in colour and complexion, with the fruit showing in that end of the spectrum as well. As with many 1996s, the acidity is the story of the day -- there's lots and lots of it, but it seems to overwhelm the fruit at times. The density and concentration isn't quite there, and this feels a touch dilute, but this is still a very good bottle of nebbiolo. (4621 views) | | | Tasted by BordeauxBoy on 12/18/2016 & rated 92 points: Served from magnum. Excellent...has held up well in the large format bottle. Mature barolo but still with some good bright fruit, medium to full body with a decent amount of tannin still. Bigger than I would have expected. Blind tasted and I guessed an '04 brunello. So it has held up very well in the magnum. (3592 views) | | | Tasted by Rezy13 on 11/15/2016: Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Alpharetta, GA): Darker core with chocolate, very orange brick rim; fairly nondescript nose, roses, balsam, chocolate, almost a chlorine type smell; red fruit, cherry, cedar, firm wall of tannin, dried roses, a bit sour at first but came together with more air; interesting though not compelling. (3920 views) | | | Tasted by JJKinch on 10/8/2016 & rated 91 points: Red fruit (cherry), nice floral, slight tar, good spice, lingering finish. Good acidity. Lingering finish. Really enjoyable. (2042 views) | | | Tasted by thewiz on 8/7/2016 & rated 94 points: This is showing a lovely mature brick red colour, but the nose surprises in the beginning showing some banana candy ("skumbanan"), but it disappeared when decanting opening up and instead show rose hips, sois bois, licorice, red berries and chocolate. Palate shows lots of maturity with soft tannins, licorice and lots of dried herbs and fruits showing that there's lots of life left! The very long lasting finish showing mint chocolate also gives a very positive finish! This is drinking VERY nicely right now but should also keep for decades to come, even though I don't think it'll get much better than it is now... Best 2006-2036. (2925 views) | | | Tasted by mattjohnson_78 on 3/30/2016 & rated 86 points: Not at all great...really meh...the nose is certainly more striking than the palate. Don't waste your time (4282 views) | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 3/28/2016 & rated 90 points: Consumed over about 6 hr. Really nice nose, tannins are smooth and almost un noticeable but I felt the flavor profile was just "ok". A nice drinking wine with a good mouthfeel and an adverage finish. The la villa bottling from this same time period is much better and is the same price so no reason to go with the lazzarito. A fairly good well aged barolo but not as special as it should have been. I will not wait too long to drink my 2nd bottle since I think this is on the downside of its peak. (3237 views) | | | Tasted by thewiz on 3/12/2016 & rated 92 points: Wonderful mature brick red colour as a promising start. The nose shows spicyness with earth, herbs and fruityness in a pleasant and interesting style. The palate shows more maturity dominated by leather and dried up fruit. It will probably last a long time, but won't get much better. (2734 views) | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 3/3/2016 & rated 93 points: This is the 3rd bottle I have opened. The first was great, the 2nd ok at best and this one took it back to being great again. Room filling nose, great mouthfeel, silky smooth tannins, almond, licorice, smoked meat. Long finish. Something special 93 -- 94. (3012 views) | | | Tasted by Ramberg on 2/25/2016 & rated 90 points: Nose with stable dung, Christmas spices (gillyflower), earth, herbs, licorice, chocolate and some mushrooms and wet forest floor.
Palate shows some alive still younger fruit, starting to dry thought, some herbs and dry hay, tones of leather, mushrooms, coffee and licorice too.
A strike of acidity present for a lift in the finish.
Entering maturity, drink.
A quite well-made, if not overly exciting, Barolo from Fontanafredda. (1398 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| 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 CellarTrackerLazzaritois actually a single vineyard near SerralungaItaly 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 |
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