Italy · Piedmont · Perno
In the beautiful and sloping hills of the Barolo zone, near the village of Perno in Le Langhe, the Fontana family runs the Cascina Fontana winery – a traditional and passionate project with six generations of roots in the vineyards. Located south of Alba in Piedmont, about 15 km from the city, Cascina Fontana is located in the heart of the Barolo area.
Mario and Luisa Fontana manage around 7 hectares of their own vineyards, focusing on the classic Langhe grapes: Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera. These fields are spread across the municipalities of Castiglione Falletto (Vineyards such as Vigna Valletti, Mariondino and Villero), La Morra (Gallinotto in Giachini) and Sinio (Castello and other plots), as well as a plot in Monforte d'Alba (Sottoperno).
In the field work, the Fontana family uses a classic and respectful approach – manual harvesting, careful selection and care with minimal intervention. Mario Fontana lets the nature of the grapes and the place speak, and the vinification is done with spontaneous fermentation, without fining and without chemical treatments, in accordance with his philosophy of wine “come una volta” – like in the old days.
In the cellar at Cascina Fontana, the wines are treated with great care. After harvest, the grapes are lightly destemmed and crushed, and fermented in stainless steel with their own yeast strains. For Dolcetto, steel is used for maturation, while Barbera and Nebbiolo are given longer periods in both large oak barrels (botte) and used barriques. Barolo versions are aged in Slavonian oak barrels for at least two years, after which the wines are often further processed in cement vats before bottling. Filtration is avoided, as the family believes that wine loses some of its essence when filtered.
The wines from Cascina Fontana range from the lighter and more drinkable Dolcetto d'Alba, to the fresh Barbera d'Alba, to the noble Nebbiolo varieties and genuine Barolo, including Barolo from Castiglione Falletto as well as versions from La Morra and Monforte. These wines are characterised by elegance, finesse and balanced structure, with clear aromas of cherry, tobacco, flowers and a delicate mineral touch.
Cascina Fontana is thus a living example of a smaller but uncompromising wine house in Barolo that manages to combine heritage and tradition with a modern, nature-oriented approach. These are wines that speak of place and history – the common voice of the wines and the winemaker.
