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About the producer
Sixth generation Mario Fontana, along with his mother Elda, wife Luisa and their two boys Edoardo and Vasco, founded Azienda Agricola Cascina Fontana in 1995. Based in the hamlet of Perno they own parcels in three Castiglione Falletto vineyards: Valletti, Villero and Pozzo, in Sinio just beyond Serralunga and also in La Morra’s Gallinotto from vintage 2008. Mario tends his tiny four hectares of vines as organically as possible. He also makes the wine and, when necessary, will deliver it in his blue van.
He prefers the traditional approach to making Barolo wine: blending all his Nebbiolo vineyards to make one wine, the sum of the parts, a thoroughly consistent wine from one year to the next.
His philosophies are a tribute to the lessons learnt from his grandfather - "I was brought up with the smell of fermentations in my nostrils" – to the extent that he continues to place vats outside during winter to stabilise naturally and will not move wine nor prune with the new moon. In addition, Mario goes the extra mile in quality control, performing 100 checks on the wine prior to bottling. Traditional and contemporary winemaking at its finest, and best enjoyed with food.
Vineyard
Organic practises are in place here, but will not jeopardize the quality of grapes if a treatment is necessary.
Winery
Traditional winemaking, macerated for a shorter period than usual for Barolo. The wines go through a 15 to 20 day stainless-steel fermentation, then spend two years in large 25hl Slavonian barrels (a 30-year-old chestnut barrel), followed by one year in cement and one year in bottle pre-release.