It's rare that I get to offer traditional Barolo from top vineyards and a great vintage at the sub-$100 price tag.
Since I first tasted Cascina Fontana's wines in 2012, the wines have been my go-to for old-school Barolo value. Pricing on the majority of the region's traditionalists increased markedly in the past decade. Like so much about the estate, Cascina Fontana's pricing seems like it's from a different era.
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The 2016 Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto is very likely the best wine that I've tasted from Cascina Fontana. It delivers an uncommon amount of class and layered complexity.
Cascina Fontana is a tiny 4ha estate. The wines keep a very low profile largely because so little wine sees the light of day. The people who know them throughout Europe buy up the majority of the meager stock. The silver lining here is that their low profile keeps the prices beyond fair.
The estate is led by Mario Fontana, the sixth generation to make wine here. These are old-school Barolos. While reviewing Cascina Fontana's 2008, Antonio Galloni commented that it "reminds me of the super-traditional Barolos I tasted with my father when I was a child." That could serve as a synopsis of their style in general.
As we've said before, the 2016 Barolos are a dream brew of depth, verve, and clarity. It possesses ripe vintage concentration with cool vintage elegance and precision.
The first vintage of Cascina Fontana's Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto was 2013. It's sourced from the Villero and Mariondino. The 2016 is totally stunning. It isn't shy on intensity, but it's the nuance, detail, and overall harmony that really stands out. I'm really excited to watch it age for the next couple of decades.
Once you taste them, these are wines that leave a deep impression. There's an honesty and depth to them that's profoundly compelling. The 2016 Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto is an opportunity to catch the estate at the top of its game.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits
