Jay Kline

9.5

Brought to V. Mertz from my cellar. Cascina Fontana is an ultra-traditional producer located in the commune of Castiglione Falletto; just across the border from Monforte d’Alba. The bulk of their holdings are western-facing parcels within the Mariondino MGA that were formerly part of the “Valletti Zone”. However, as an ultra-traditionalist, they only produce two Barolos and both are blends of fruit from different MGAs. One is labeled simply "Barolo" (which is a blend of fruit sourced from their holdings in both Castiglione Falletto and La Morra) and this wine, labeled under the “del Commune di Castiglione Falletto” designation. It is a blend fruit from Mariondino and the neighboring Villero MGA. Their holdings in Villero don’t suck either. Their parcels reside next to those of Vietti and Giacomo Fenocchio.

The 2016 Cascina Fontana pours a bright garnet with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous aromas of Morello cherry, bruised strawberry, pink and white roses with freshly cut stems, crushed rock and some tar. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. The texture? Simply divine. A debonair Barolo from Castiglione Falletto that paired well with Morgan Ranch wagyu tartar. Because it’s 2016 (and with a little Villero), you can drink now with patience and through…well…probably 2066. No cap. — 3 months ago

Ted

9.1

Ok will buy and drink this again. Very slight fizz. Just a whisper. Ripe black cherry. — 9 months ago

with Jeni

Willem Booij

9.7

New kid in the block! Pretty awesome😋 — 2 years ago

Kevin Løk

8.9

The always tricky guessing game of making a cheap pull from Total Wine. This is a big W. Spicy and buoyant. Hardly a step down from the Vietti Barbera. Nice stuff. — 2 years ago

with Caroline

Benno

9.4

Fairly transparent for Barbera and light in alcohol at 13.5%. Lovely bright nose, ripe of red cherry with a floral twist. On the palate it tastes quite evolved with a secondary profile that is very appealing. Could almost pass for a barolo. Probably best Barbera I’ve tried and better than the Burlotto Aves and Vietti Scarrone tried alongside. — 4 years ago

James Prusko

9.4

Drank this after 4 bottles of 2013 Vietti Barolo, a massive wine, huge black fruit — 4 years ago

with Mark and Rick

Randy Fillingim

9.2

Needed quite a bit of time to decant, but well worth it. 15 years young.  — 4 months ago

romo

9.0

Group guessed youngest but was actually oldest among blind Nebbiolo. Brown waves with some heat. Dark and firm. Out of whack but still “young”. — 6 months ago

Gor

9.4

Menthol, dark chocolate, sour cherries, hint of herbs, roasted coffee beans. Fine tannin that still needs some time to integrate. Long finish. Great stuff, — 9 months ago

Ellen Clifford

9.5

Velvety, more dark than red fruited, with tannins are justttt right — a year ago

Manchester Sheldon

8.9

Oakier than I anticipated at the open. The first sip definitely made me notice the oak combined with dark spices and black pepper. Dark earth and black cherry, but not perfumed or fruity. Tannins until it breathes. — 3 years ago

Cathy Levy

9.0

Lovely as always — 4 years ago

Ming L

9.0

This 15’ bottling is delightful. Cherry, raspberry, rose petal, light vanilla, dried mushroom, and lightly roasted coffee beans. Mouth watering acidity and elegant tannins. Finesse.

For a regular Barolo, my choice would be a Massolino or Vietti. To me, they can be enjoyed young (relatively speaking) or aged for a decade of two. — 4 years ago

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9.2

Vietti's 2021 Timorasso is gorgeous. The first vintages here were decidedly rustic, but the 2021 shows an added level of textural finesse that is especially apparent in its contours. Hints of lemon peel, white flowers, mint and chamomile all grace this layered, super expressive white. The 2021 was fermented mostly in ceramic and steel, with just one lot done in wood. I have never been the biggest fan of the Vietti Timorasso, but the 2021 might make me change my mind. It's a gorgeous wine in every way. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2024)
— 4 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Drinking very young showing red cherry & lots of spice. Long life ahead — 8 months ago

Ming L

9.0

The bottle that put the winery on the map.

Compared to the Vietti bottling that got me hooked on Mascato d’Asti, this single Cru is more viscous and taste a bit sweeter. Certainly the acidity is there for balance. It was delicious and we were drinking too fast. Would be lovely to pair with some light desserts. Lemon pound cake maybe? — a year ago

Colin Cahoon

8.9

Tart red fruit on the nose. More red fruit and spice on the palate. A little thin mid-palate, but a solid acid finish. A rustic Italian red well matched with red sauces and meat dishes. — 2 years ago

Darren Dittrich

9.2

Looks like homemade lemonade (no filtration) but has all the typical notes of Arneis... white flower nose, zingy Meyer lemon acidity, mineral overtones, and that slightly bitter grapefruit pith finish. If you don’t like this, you can probably skip past all Arneis. Some initial feedback was that this Arneis feels a little flat compared to the memory of others (Vietti, Matteo Correggia, Kermit Lynch’s Elvio Tintero), but as this opens up, it might be the most expressive of them all. 13% ABV, will buy again. — 3 years ago

Guillermo Gonzalez

8.9

North Italian Syrah?! Collab from Vietti and George Vernay. Violet aromas. Plums with gamey undertones. Balanced tannins. Had with roast chicken and pesto farro sal. — 4 years ago

Jeremiah Allen

9.4

I’ve read that 73 was an elegant vintage. Not for long term cellaring. For me, this is totally peaking. It definitely improved with decanting and the last sip was the best. Great bottle that was bought from winery on release and stored in Alba until it was sold with a cellar. Fortunate to track down this 💎 — 5 years ago