Date of visit: June 4, 2023
Is there a better way to start the day than with a tasting at Cascina Fontana? 😀
We’re not sure how Mario does it, but somehow we seem to fall in love with these wines more and more every year. Tasting here is always a treat, and is always something we always look forward to.
Our tasting notes from our June 4, 2023 visit to Cascina Fontana:
Tasting notes from our June 4, 2023 visit to Cascina Fontana:
2022 Dolcetto d’Alba: Mario bottles 2 different Dolcettos. The version we tasted comes from a small production which has no added sulfites, and as a result this version isn’t exported. He seals these bottles with a wax capsule, and the artwork on the label differs from Mario’s other wines. This was bottled November 10th, and has just 12.5% alcohol.
Aromas of crushed cherries, raspberries, dusty roses, a very faint hint of tobacco, and wet leaves. The palate is super fresh with a slight effervescence, and delivers flavors of cooked red fruits, worn leather, blackberries, and currents, with very fine, smooth, but rustic tannins, balanced by pleasant acidity.
If you enjoy Mario’s classic Dolcetto d’Alba and happen to come across this bottle we encourage you to try it. For us, it's equally enjoyable, but a very different wine. It’s always a treat for us to taste this while in Langhe.
2021 Freisa: Mario is one of the few producers in Langhe growing and producing wine from Freisa, which happens to be one of our favorite grapes, and in our opinion perhaps the most underrated grape variety in Langhe. Mario explained that a few years ago he purchased half a hectare of land in Perno which has northeastern exposure. He saw right next door to his parcel there was Freisa planted, so he bought some grapes in 2021 and 2022 from his neighbor to practice making wine from Freisa, and in 2023 decided to plant Freisa vines of his own.
Fermented and aged 100% in cement. A beautiful and exotic nose filled with floral notes of roses, candied sugar, and red fruits, which carries over to the palate and is complimented by juicy layers of cranberries and pomegranates, with super fine tart tannins which pleasantly linger on. Very clean finish.
2021 Barbera d’Alba: This was bottled just 3 weeks ago, and as a result Mario was a bit hesitant to open this. He confessed that this was his first time tasting the wine since he bottled it, and explained that he normally waits 2 or 3 months after the wine has been bottled to taste it. This was aged in both French oak barriques and cement. Mario mentioned that in recent years he’s opted to use less barriques and more cement aging for his Barbera.
Aromas of tar, roses, red fruits, and black currents, all of which carries over to the plate which is crunchy, juicy, and very enjoyable
2021 Langhe Nebbiolo: Like the Barbera d’Alba, this was bottled just 3 weeks ago. Raspberries and strawberries immediately jump out of the glass, followed by hints of new leather, all of which carries over to the palate and is accented by some cherry juice. Fierce, super fine, teeth coating tannins, backed by pleasant acidity, and juicy fresh crushed fruit. This is a really beautiful wine, and is a great balance of fruity and fresh but also earthy and rustic.
2019 Barolo: Bottled 2 weeks ago. Mario joked that he won’t taste this wine now, because it’s not ready yet. Aromas of pine, roses, wild berries, fresh forest air, and a tiny bit of classic Nebbiolo tar. The palate opens with notes of pine and ferns, followed by fresh, crunchy, juicy red fruit, with super fine beautifully integrated, lingering tannins. This is a perfect balance of power and finesse. Shockingly approachable, but built for long term cellaring.
2019 Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba: This is the first vintage that Mario has produced this wine. Aged for 2 years in Slovenian oak, followed by 1 year in demijohn in the attic of a house under a terracotta roof from April to April. The bottle that we tasted had been open for 5 days. Some bloody and oxidative notes on both the nose and palate, but still plenty of fruit and floral notes accented by mint with fine, but structured tannins. Mario explained that Monforte d’Alba soil has a lot of iron which produces a much stronger and structured wine, and this shows in the wine. A beautiful Barolo. 1,200 bottles produced.
2022 Barolo (from barrel): This saw 49 days of submerged cap maceration. Aromas are young, fresh, alive, and wild. Great purity of fresh crushed red fruits which carries over to the palate, which is shockingly approachable and filled with a pleasant inner sweetness. Firm, rustic, gripping tannins, which pleasantly linger on. This is shaping up to be an amazing Barolo. We can’t wait to taste this once it’s bottled.
After tasting at Cascina Fontana we went to lunch with Mario and Luisa at Tère Rüse, an incredible winery and restaurant located in Mombaruzzo. We apologize that we didn’t take detailed notes of the wines that we tasted during lunch, but we encourage you to seek these wines out. And, if you’re ever in the area, we can’t recommend the restaurant enough, Gregorio is not only an amazing winemaker, but an extremely talented chef!
Some informal notes about the winery:
The winery favors aging in amphora, and the quality of the amphora they use is unparalleled. The amphora is made in Tuscany by a producer who also manufactures the amphora used by Jacques Selosse. The result is incredibly fine micro-oxygenation.
This is a natural winery. We say this with an abundance of caution, as the word “natural” can sometimes refer to wines which in our opinion are sometimes flawed in some way or another. This is not the case here at all. The cellar is immaculate, and the wines which are produced here are clean, not “natty” or “funky” in any way.
The cellar is heated with old vine clippings, no petrol is used, and no trees are cut down.
All wines have no sulfites added to them.
The vineyards are cultivated organically.
We encourage you to seek these wines out, and also visit their restaurant for an incredible meal!
Thank You
Grazie mille Mario and Luisa for the amazing visit, and for sharing your outstanding wines with us! Grazie mille Gregorio and the whole team at Tère Rüse for the incredible lunch, wines, and tour! We hope to see you soon! A presto!
For more information on Cascina Fontana’s wines, please visit their website here.
For more information on Tère Rüse wines and restaurant, please visit their website here.
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