Cascina Fontana, Nebbiolo, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2017

Cascina Fontana is a small family wine estate located in the Barolo hills of Le Langhe, south of Alba, in Piedmont. Mario Fontana of Cascina Fontana describes his wines as “come una volta” — as in the past. His Cascina has only been around since 1995, but their wines are made like it’s still the 1960s or '70s.

The grapes for this Barolo are sourced from Cru Villero and Cru Valletti in Castiglione Falletto, and vigna Gallinotto in La Morra. Castiglione — the smallest of Barolo’s major villages — is special. La Morra, to its west, is known mostly for its elegance and aromas. Serralunga, to its east, is known for power and structure. Castiglione is in the happy middle, and if you needed one word to describe it, it would be “balance”.

Fermentation starts in stainless steel and maceration is approximately 20-25 days, which is fairly long, but not as long as some traditionalists, so the wines feel a little fresher and more approachable in youth. Then the wine is aged for 8 months in stainless steel, followed by 2 years in large Slavonian oak. All the barrels are blended back into stainless steel for another year of aging before being bottled. The wine stays in bottle for a year before it is released.

The Barolo is technically a normale, but it is decidedly a cut above most producers’ normales. The quality is exceptional; it is hard to think of very many sub-$100 Barolos that reach this level.

It is a complex wine that is full of character and elegance in every aspect. With age this Barolo gains smoothness while the primary fruit aromas give way to a more complex bouquet of licorice, tar, roses and a host of other sensations.