We just wrote about Mario Fontana’s winery in November. But now that Gambero Rosso has named him “winemaker of the year”, we think it’s important to write an article about his winery every time we get a new release of his wines. Last time, we had only his top-end Barolo. This time we have a few more accessible options to throw into the mix.

Mario Fontana describes his wines as “come una volta” — meaning “like in the old days”. His Cascina has only been around since 1995, but their wines are made like it’s still the 1960s or '70s. We love them.
 
Because this is “come una volta”, Fontana’s techniques are very traditional.  Macerations are fairly long — long enough to tame the alcohols — but not as long as some traditionalists, so the wines feel a little fresher and more approachable in youth. The approach with élevage is similar: a long, but not crazy long. 

The result is wines that are old-fashioned in style, but more current in terms of approachability and elegance. You can see what we mean with today’s lineup:

Cascina Fontana Dolcetto d'Alba 2023 - $31.99

Cascina Fontana Langhe Nebbiolo 2022 - $45.99

Cascina Fontana Barolo 2020 - $109.99