Cascina Mario Fontana, Piedmont
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Ready, but will improve,
A blend of 65 percent Nebbiolo di Castiglione Falletto and 35 percent Nebbiolo di La Morra, Mario’s classic Barolo has all the hallmarks of the territory and the vintage: open and warm-hearted, with a nose that sings of orange skin and strawberry, of dried rose and hints of candied fruit. To taste, it’s softly spoken, gentle – succulent even –intensely fruity and generous; the Castiglione component gives a steely, mineral edge. A classic.
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£47.00
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£228.00
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£54.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl17cs
£177.00
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Ready, but will keep,
This was the second year that Mario incorporated the fruit from his wife Luisa’s family vineyard, Gallinotto in La Morra, providing a lighter, fruitier character to the more ‘serious’ fruit from Castiglione Falletto’s Villero and Valletti vineyards. Reassuringly pale in colour, the nose is bright and perfumed, wooing you on with lush red fruit, hints of quinine, sandalwood and even menthol (indicating the warmth of the vintage). The fresh palate seduces you with charming summer fruit, along with more pulp and grassezza (fat), savoury leather and tobacco. The important fruit coming from Castiglione Falletto providing the pedigree and quiet sophistication. Hidden depths.
David Berry Green
David Berry Green
New To BBX
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
£240.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
£260.00
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Ready, but will keep,
It was his grandfather Saverio who reminded Mario of the merits of producing Barolo with one's own Nebbiolo fruit, rather than buying from those around. Mario took this lesson to heart, building on Saverio's legacy. He's gone a step further in 2011, introducing a battery of cement tanks in which to marry the wine – a blend of fruit from Castiglione Falletto and La Morra – prior to bottling. This has definitely given the 2011 Barolo a more relaxed, harmonious feel: dark strawberry-garnet, the nose charms with joyful summer fruit, of raspberry and strawberry, along with a hint of quinine and orange peel. It's very relaxed and civil, like Mario, yet with a more serious kernel of intensity, a tea-leaf and bergamot fragrance, a sense of purpose, of profoundness, sapid and long.
Sixth-generation Barolo producer Mario Fontana set out on his own in 1995, and since then has been refining his Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo wines with each year that passes. His Barolo is arguably the most Burgundian of our range, with delicacy and gentleness that comes from reasonable yields, traditional vinification, maturation in large Slavonian oak for 24 months and having one’s feet on the ground. He has just planted another hectare in the village of Sinio, taking the total to five hectares (the others being in Castiglione Falletto and La Morra, the latter belonging to his wife Luisa).
Sixth-generation Barolo producer Mario Fontana set out on his own in 1995, and since then has been refining his Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo wines with each year that passes. His Barolo is arguably the most Burgundian of our range, with delicacy and gentleness that comes from reasonable yields, traditional vinification, maturation in large Slavonian oak for 24 months and having one’s feet on the ground. He has just planted another hectare in the village of Sinio, taking the total to five hectares (the others being in Castiglione Falletto and La Morra, the latter belonging to his wife Luisa).
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Ready, but will improve,
Focussed, yet forever gentle and restrained, it’s a kernel of sage, dried rose, clove and loganberry; the fruit from his Castiglione Falletto vineyards of Valletti and Villero ensuring the noblest and silkiest of perfumes, complementing that of La Morra’s Gallinotto. On the palate sits elegantly briary bracken-like fruit; very suave, fluid, with plenty of nuance and savouriness. At its core a glint of red currant fruit. Very promising. A classic Barolo.
David Berry Green
Mario’s wines are always incredibly charming, supple and eloquent of the vintage; the 2010 is absolutely no different. This is very reminiscent of a Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny, such is the purity and delicacy of the fruit and the finesse to the tannins. The palate has wonderfully sweet, pure fruit which has notes of almond and graphite. This is a hugely enjoyable wine and will drink surprisingly early, 2017 onwards, but I have no doubt that it will see many a year in the cellar.
Gary Owen - Private Account Manager
David Berry Green
Mario’s wines are always incredibly charming, supple and eloquent of the vintage; the 2010 is absolutely no different. This is very reminiscent of a Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny, such is the purity and delicacy of the fruit and the finesse to the tannins. The palate has wonderfully sweet, pure fruit which has notes of almond and graphite. This is a hugely enjoyable wine and will drink surprisingly early, 2017 onwards, but I have no doubt that it will see many a year in the cellar.
Gary Owen - Private Account Manager
New To BBX
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
£170.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
£173.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
£200.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
£244.00
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Showing 1-4 out of 4 items
6th generation Mario Fontana, along with his mother Elda, wife Luisa and their two boys Edoardo & Vasco, created Azienda Agricola Cascina Fontana, this tiny 4ha jewel of a Barolo estate in 1995.
Based in the hamlet of Perno they own parcels in three Castiglione Falletto vineyards: Valletti, Villero and Pozzo; in Sinio just beyond Serralunga & also in La Morra’s Gallinotto from vintage 2008. Mario tends the vines as sensitively as possible, makes the wine and, when necessary, also delivers it in his blue van.
He prefers the traditional approach to making Barolo wine: blending all his Nebbiolo vineyards to make one wine; the sum of the parts; a thoroughly consistent wine from one year to the next; a 15-20 day stainless-steel cuvaison; 2 years in large 25 hl slavonian barrels (a 30 year old chestnut barrel!), followed by 1 year in stainless steel and 1 year in bottle pre-release.
His languid Langhe Nebbiolo wine is made in the vineyards: using fruit from Castiglione’s Pozzo & Sinio’s vineyards, macerated for a shorter period than that destined for Barolo, the wine spends a brief invecchiamento (elevage) for twelve months in old french tonneaux. The perfection introduction to Nebbiolo, it can be drunk young or after ten years!
The full but svelte Barbera d’Alba is made from a combination of 60% fresh Sinio & 40% classy Castiglione Falletto fruit, aged for circa 12 months in used barriques; production on average only 500 cases/anno.
His philosophy harks back to the lessons learnt from his grandfather - "I was brought up with the smell of fermentations in my nostrils" – to the extent that he continues to place vats outside during winter to stabilise naturally, and will not move wine nor prune with the new moon.
In addition Mario goes the extra mile in quality control, performing one hundred checks on the wine prior to bottling. Traditional and contemporary winemaking at its best, and best enjoyed with food.