Fontanafredda
BAROLO VIGNA LA ROSA
Piedmont, Italy

95 points - James Suckling
91 points - Wine Advocate

Since 1878, the Fontanafredda Estate & Winery, located in the heart of Piedmont’s Langhe region, has been a benchmark producer of Barolo and Barbera, crafting wines that deftly balance deep aromas and concentration of fruit with elegance.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa, a 100% Nebbiolo wine, expresses the qualities of the Barolos grown in Serralunga d’Alba at their best, with a marked – almost feminine – concession to grace and softness in its flavour and bouquet. The 2000 is garnet-red with lightly orange highlights. An intense nose with overtones of withered roses, underbrush and spices. A dry, austere taste that soft and elegant thanks to soothing tannin, present but sweet, that flows on the tongue without being too aggressive. A well-balanced palate that guarantees a great drinkability. Ideal with big red meat dishes and medium or mature cheeses, it can also make for pleasant after-dinner company.

Since 1878, the Fontanafredda Estate & Winery, located in the heart of Piedmont’s Langhe region, has been a benchmark producer of Barolo and Barbera, crafting wines that deftly balance deep aromas and concentration of fruit with elegance.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa, a 100% Nebbiolo wine, expresses the qualities of the Barolos grown in Serralunga d’Alba at their best, with a marked – almost feminine – concession to grace and softness in its flavour and bouquet. The 2000 is garnet-red with lightly orange highlights. An intense nose with overtones of withered roses, underbrush and spices. A dry, austere taste that soft and elegant thanks to soothing tannin, present but sweet, that flows on the tongue without being too aggressive. A well-balanced palate that guarantees a great drinkability. Ideal with big red meat dishes and medium or mature cheeses, it can also make for pleasant after-dinner company.

The history of Fontanafredda began in 1858 after the unification of Italy, when the country’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, purchased the estate in Piedmont’s Langhe region. Here he started producing wine from native varietals - Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo - which later developed into a commercial business under the direction of the King’s son, Count Mirafiori. Fontanafredda released their first Nebbiolo labeled as Barolo with the 1878 vintage. The 250-acre Fontanafredda Barolo cru property in Serralunga d’Alba is the single largest contiguous wine estate in the Langhe. Additional properties in the communes of Barolo and Diano d’Alba bring the total acreage of estate-owned land to 305. The ability to source fruit from some of the Barolo region’s most prized vineyard sites provides Fontanafredda with grapes of the highest quality. Since 1999, Fontanafredda has implemented a series of initiatives to increase the quality of the wines and ensure greater sustainability measures.