For over 150 years Fontanafredda has been hailed as one of Piedmont’s finest wineries. Said to be the first producer to release a bottle labeled Barolo—back in 1878—it was also the first to bottle a single-vineyard designate Barolo, in 1964. The largest organic certified winery in Piedmont, its entire estate is classified as a Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva, or MGA, which the Italians often refer to as a cru.
After being absent from the market for a significant amount of time, Fontanafredda just launched the 2019 vintage of two of its single-vineyard Barolos, Vigna La Delizia and Vigna La Villa. Hailing from the Lazzarito MGA and Paiagallo MGA, these were last produced, respectively, in 2000 and 2007. Winemaker Giorgio Lavagna tells Robb Report that the two were re-launched as part of Fontanafredda’s Green Renaissance and Rebirth of the Vineyards projects. “With the 2019 vintage, [we have] chosen to elevate every portion of our land with the purpose of showcasing the rich biodiversity of the Langhe, vinifying each vineyard separately. The goal is to highlight the distinct personality of each site,” Lavagna says.
The vineyards’ distinct characteristics sets the wines apart—Vigna La Delizia is known for its power and structure and that Vigna La Villa offers finesse and elegance. “By vinifying them separately, Fontanafredda aims to give wine lovers and collectors the opportunity to experience the nuanced differences between these two exceptional sites,” he says. While Vigna La Delizia enjoys south-east exposure and has soils rich in calcareous marl and clay, Vigna La Villa faces due east and features silt, sand, and clay soils. Both wines were fermented in stainless steel, matured in oak casks for 30 months, and rested in bottle for an additional eight months prior to release.
The 2019’s have already found a home in restaurant wine cellars across America. Steven McDonald, MS, executive wine director at Pappas Bros Steakhouse in Houston and Dallas, has Fontanafredda Barolos dating back to 1961 on hand, including Vigna La Villa 1996 in Dallas and 1999 in Houston. He explains single vineyard Barolo from specific MGAs to his clients much the way he would Burgundy. Fontanafredda Barolo from “2019 is very classic and almost lean on first release but also very enjoyable right about now,” McDonald says.
Michael Laudenslager, general manager and wine director of Peasant in New York City, has worked with multiple vintages and crus of Fontanafredda over the past couple of years. “Fontanafredda really does keep a classic style that’s a great benchmark for what Barolo classically is,” he says. Although Barolo is generally considered a wine with long aging capability, Laudenslager also thinks the 2019s are ready to be enjoyed now. “It’s the vintage where I decided younger Barolo is actually accessible or ready to drink,” he says.
Fontanafredda 2019 Vigna La Delizia MGA Lazzarito Barolo DOCG has a nose of blackberry, eucalyptus, and baking spice. Polished tannins and soft acidity support flavors of ripe summer cherry, pipe tobacco, clove, and dried thyme that coalesce in a soft, savory finish. Fontanafredda 2019 Vigna La Villa MGA Paiagallo Barolo DOCG offers a bouquet of pomegranate, fresh hillside herbs, and wild lavender. Cherry, red plum, and herbs de Provence flavors ply the palate along with a layer of plush tannins that leaves a soft note of chalk on the tongue and gums. After enjoying these wines with a bowl of steaming mushroom risotto we can assure you that they have both been well worth the wait.
