The historic royal estate of Fontanfredda is perhaps less well regarded by wine lovers than by more general tourists in the Langhe. This is understandable as for many years it languished in the doldrums when it was owned by a bank. However, it came back into Piedmontese ownership in 2008 when it was acquired by Eataly entrepreneurs Oscar Farinetti and Luca Baffigo. Since then the focus has been on quality and visitor experience. No wine lover could fail to be impressed with the historic cellars, the tasting opportunities, the hotels and the restaurants. My visit in November 2023 focused on Fontanafredda’s Vigna La Rosa vintages.
As explained in my last post, I have been researching the readiness to drink of the last twenty years of Barolo and Barbaresco. Vigna La Rosa is a single vineyard Barolo from the estate itself. It faces south to south-west and has a relatively modest elevation of 250–310 m. Unlike the more storied parts of Serralunga d’Alba, the subsoil here is Sant’Agata Fossili marls. As a result of all these factors, the wines of the single vineyard are approachable and elegant, rather than focusing on power.
Vintages of Fontanafredda’s Vigna La Rosa
In a very generous tasting, I was able to taste pretty much all the top vintages of the last twenty-five years. Skipping the juvenile 2019, these were 2018, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2004, 2001, 1998 and 1996. 2018 probably won’t go down as a vintage for really long cellaring but it is a wonderful example of modern early-drinking Barolo. Very pale in colour, it shows really fine violet and small red berried fruit on the nose with a touch of savoury intrigue. The tannins are mild and well-mannered. This is all about finesse and is drinking now. 2016, despite being now seven years since the harvest, is an explosion of floral, red cherry and balsamic fruit, the first hints of tertiary notes and fine tannins. It would be possible to drink this with pleasure now but it will undoubtedly get more complex with bottle age. I would put 2013 in the same category, though it is less fruity and has emerging earth notes and firm sandy tannins. Thus, these vintages of this decade are less ready to drink as they get older.
Earlier vintages
The older vintages in this line-up really shone. While Vigna La Rosa is not the most structured Barolo, it can definitely develop in the bottle. The 2004 was a much deeper colour and the fruit matched that: dark plum, black cherry, very savoury. There is a high degree of complexity, though the primary fruit is still dominant. It is absolutely current drinking and showing no signs of deterioration. (This was my highest score of the line-up, 18.5/20.) By contrast, 2001 was fully tertiary, with an impressive array of animal, wet leather, fig and other dried fruit but with freshness on the palate. 1998 showed really soft tannins with the fully tertiary theme continuing, perhaps now on a plateau. Giorgio Lavagna, the winemaker, said that the year promised a lot in terms of elegance and freshness. He added that it has not quite lived up to its early promise. We finished on a high with 1996 which had a beautifully developed palate with ripe fruit combined seamlessly with vegetal, acetic and perfumed balsamic notes and racy acidity. While 2001 seems to have reached its peak, this has more to give.
Any conclusions to draw? Yes, all these top vintages showed their quality. There was variation between them, with perhaps 2016, 2004 and 1996 really standing out. Fontanafredda does make a large range of wines and across the quality range but their top wines are worth searching out.
