Visit to Cascina Fontana

Perno, near Monforte d’Alba
Tasted Tuesday, September 18, 2018 by HowardNZ with 331 views

Introduction

In 2016 Alessio Cighetti of Vinoteca Centro Storico, Serralunga d’Alba recommended Cascina Fontana as a winery that flies under the radar and is doing great things. Hence our visit when we were next in Piemonte …

Mario Fontana is the winemaker. The winemaking is very traditional. Mario’s wife Luisa was related to Bartolo Mascarello.

They have five full time employees and produce 26-30,000 bottles of Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo each year. Their 5 ha of vineyards are in Castiglione Falletto, La Morra and Sinio. Until 2008 the Barolo was only from Castiglione Falletto fruit. Since 2008 fruit from Luisa’s two sites was added. As with Bartolo Mascarello, Cascina Fontana’s Barolo is typically a blend of the best fruit from all of their sites however in 2013 (and possibly in 2015) they have made a special bottling from Castiglione Falletto.

Overall, I thought the wines were solid, honest, traditionally made wines.

Flight 1 - Barrel tasting (3 Notes)

  • 2017 Cascina Fontana Langhe Nebbiolo

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

    Cascina Fontana are very happy with how their 2017s are looking to date. Sample from a 50 year old chestnut barrel. Sinio and Castiglione Falletto grapes. A bouquet of strawberry bubblegum, red cherries and a little red plum. A sweetish entry to the palate. Bright, energetic red berries. Fine grained, polished tannins. Good at this level.

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  • 2015 Cascina Fontana Barolo

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    From tank. A blend of grapes from the three sites. A nose of HP sauce, plums, balsamico, earth and some gentle florals. Moderately complex. Light, pure and clean on the palate. I had the impression of 2015 sweetness but with good energy and acidity. Acceptable weight and concentration. 14% alc.

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  • 2015 Cascina Fontana Barolo Castiglione Falletto

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    From tank. This wine may not be bottled as a separate cuvée, it may be included in the 2015 Barolo. A bouquet of balsamico, raspberries, strawberry jam and chalky minerals. I preferred this Cru to the Normale. In the mouth, more powerful and also more elegant. Energetic red cherries, raspberries and other red fruit with earth and attractive minerality. Silky tannins. To be bottled in February and released in September 2019.

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Flight 2 - Bottle tasting (5 Notes)

  • 2017 Cascina Fontana Dolcetto d'Alba

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba

    Bottled only one month ago. From Sinio grapes. An attractive bouquet of wild raspberries and blackberries, cranberries and milk chocolate. Drinking unexpectedly powerfully and compressed. Very tight and closed. It seemed to have good fruit. I wouldn’t open a bottle of this Dolcetto for at least another 3 years.

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  • 2016 Cascina Fontana Barbera d'Alba

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

    Again, bottled only one month ago. A pure bouquet of blackberries, dark cherries and other black fruit, graphite, earth and menthol. Like the Dolcetto, a little closed. More body and drive than the Dolcetto. Attractive, racy acidity, “Open, not cloying dark fruit”, said Andrew. A decent Barbera d’Alba. I’m sure it’d cellar 10+ years, easily, but I’d hold it 2+ years minimum.

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  • 2016 Cascina Fontana Langhe Nebbiolo

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

    Again, bottled only one month ago. A lovely nose of mixed dried spices, dried and fresh rose petals and red fruit. In the mouth, pinot-like, elegant, bright and clean. Fresh raspberries and red cherries. “I am struck by the minerality” said Thierry. A good wine at this level.

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  • 2014 Cascina Fontana Barolo

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    2014 was a difficult vintage for Cascina Fontana but saved by several warmer months before harvest. An intriguing bouquet of spices, red cherries, red liquorice and rose florals, “balsamic and minty” added Andrew. Similar to the 2014 Langhe Nebbiolo, but scaled up and deeper. Fine and a little pinot-like. Red cherries and other red fruit with limestone and chalk below the surface. Fresh, breezy and clean. Bright acids. Thierry noted a herbaceousness he liked. The wine of the tasting.

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  • 2013 Cascina Fontana Barolo Castiglione Falletto

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    This may have been a flawed bottle. After the tasting, we were given the rest of the bottle to take with us. It deteriorated and was worse the next day. On bouquet were raspberries, plums and other red fruit and soy notes, which, with time however became unpleasant and quite briny. On palate, from a positive perspective, it showed flavours of balsamic vinegar, red fruit, citrus zest and earth, with chalky tannins. Particularly on the second day though the palate moved blocky, disjointed and quite oxidative.

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