more than 130 years of growing wines….. alpi mountain appennini mountain langhe old sea italy 50 m...
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IN THE NORT-WEST OF ITALYIN THE HEART OF PIEDMONT
Fontanafredda is located in the heart of Langhe, an area blessed for centuries with a vocation for the production of great wines, particularly rich, powerful reds.
The viticulture is carried exclusively on hillsides.
The vineyards have an average altitude between 200 and 400 metres.
Mainly calcareous, the soil can differ within the space of just a few dozen metres: at times loose, with a sand content, at others firmer, with a higher proportion of silt, and above-all clay.
The climate is typically continental, with wide seasonal variations in the temperatures, while the rainfall - concentrated over the spring and autumn months - is highly variable, which is what produces such extraordinarily different vintages.
Website: WWW.FONTANAFREDDA.IT - E-mail: [email protected]
1858 - THE HISTORY BEGINS
The Fontanafredda estate was in the 19° century one of the hunting preserves of the first king of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II He gave it to the children, Emanuele and Vittoria, that he had from his mistress Rosa Vercellana.
Their firstborn son Count Emanuele Alberto di Mirafiore and Fontanafredda, for his great passion for winemaking and agriculture matured the decision to turn the land into vineyards, thus founding the “Mirafiori Vini Italiani” in 1878.
The fame and the notoriety of the winery grew rapidly and the Count Emanuele was recognized as one of the important promoters of Barolo in the world. His approach proved to be thoroughly modern, leading to the immediate implementation of innovative criteria, focused on producing wines of quality, in particular Barolo.
In 1930 the property of the estate went to the Bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest bank in the world, that kept it till 2008. Today Fontanafredda is owned by Oscar Farinetti.
2011: FONTANAFREDDA TODAY
Fontanafredda’s estate stretches out over more than 122 hectares
The estate vineyards are located in the villages of Serralunga d’Alba, Diano d’Alba and Barolo and also 20 hectares in the Monferrato area.
90 hectares planted with the nebbiolo, barbera, dolcetto and moscato varieties.
At each vintage, grapes are consigned to Fontanafredda by nearly 400 growers in the Langhe and Roero, whose loyalty to the company endures since generations.
IN THE VINEYARDS
• Fontanafredda crushes over 5,500 tons of grapes/year
• About 85% of the grapes are from a network of around 400 selected vine growers in the Langhe and Roero area (the same area that you have already seen just now in the pictures)
• About 15% of the grapes come from Fontanafredda estate.
• Fontanafredda’s yearly Barolo production: 500.000 btl.
• Fontanafredda is one the biggest Barolo producer (8% of the total production of Barolo) and Barbera d’Alba producer (15% of the total).
Barbera Dolcetto Moscato Nebbiolo
• The total capacity of the Fontanafredda cellars is about 10,2 million liters:– 1,8 million liters in wood (Slavonian and French oak)– 7,1 million liters in stainless steel vats– 1,3 million liters in concrete tanks
• Ageing wines: about 6 million liters (average/year)
IN THE CELLARS
WINE TASTING
Pradalupo - Roero Arneis DOCG 2010
PRODUCTION AREAMonteu Roero, Vezza d’Alba, Montà
d’Alba
GRAPE VARIETYArneis
AGEINGIn steel tanks for 4-5 months at low
temperature
WINE TASTING
Solerose Langhe Rosato DOC 2011
PRODUCTION AREALanghe
GRAPE VARIETIES40% Barbera, 40% Freisa and 20%
Nebbiolo
AGEINGIn steel tanks, no oak
WINE TASTING
Briccotondo – Piemonte DOC Barbera 2011
PRODUCTION AREAMonferrato and Langhe area
GRAPE VARIETYBarbera
AGEINGPart in new oak from Allier barrels and the remaining part in large
Slavonian oak casks. It stays in wood for 5 months.
WINE TASTING
Langhe DOC Nebbiolo2009
PRODUCTION AREAPiedmont
GRAPE VARIETYNebbiolo
AGEINGAt first, the wine is aged in wood for
8 months and then in the bottle for 2-3 months.
WINE TASTING
Barolo DOCG 2007
PRODUCTION AREAVineyards located in the Barolo area
GRAPE VARIETYNebbiolo
AGEINGAt least two years in large casks
made of oak from Slavonian and mid-France, followed by an ageing in bottle no less then 12 months.
WINE TASTING
Asti Millesimato DOCG 2010
PRODUCTION AREACalosso d’Asti, Santo Stefano Belbo,
Treiso, Serralunga d’Alba
GRAPE VARIETYWhite Moscato
AGEINGIt is vinified with the Charmat
Methode, in pressured tanks at a low temperature. It is a young wine, ready for consumption just a few
days after bottling.