The Best To Date:
My Go-To For Traditional Barolo Value
2010 Cascina Fontana Barolo
Terroir and Tradition meet Striking Vintage
The story about 2010 Barolo is pretty clear by now. It may very well be the best we've seen in decades.
Today, I want to focus on one of the vintage's great values, the 2010 Cascina Fontana Barolo.
I tasted Cascina Fontana's Barolos for the first time a few years ago and was blown away. Since then, Cascina Fontana has been my go-to for affordable traditional Barolo.
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| Cascina Fontana | snowy vineyard |
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.
Cascina Fontana 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.
It's hard not to be wowed by the 2010 Barolos. The vintage provided the perfect conditions for producers to hit levels of quality that we've never seen from them before.
Cascina Fontana is certainly included on the list. Their 2010 shows a level of aromatic complexity and overall purity that surpasses anything that we've seen from them. The balance feels so finely calibrated that it's impossible not to imagine it aging beautifully.
This is a don't miss deal for 2010 Barolo. As you can imagine there isn't a ton of this around. Cascina Fontana's Barolo is a wine that I can't help singing the praises of, but knowing the quantities available I do so with trepidation. Please give us your ideal order and we'll do our best.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits