Cascina Fontana
I bet you didn’t know that the Cascina Fontana Dolcetto holds a special place in Mario’s heart! Personally, I think Dolcetto is quite underrated. We don’t give it enough attention. And, as it turns out, the Dolcetto grape is not the easiest to deal with. But that doesn’t stop Mario! During my last visit we spent quite a bit of time talking about Dolcetto. Turns out it’s one of Mario’s favorite to grow. Even if it can be a pain in the a**!
Winemaking
The Cascina Fontana Dolcetto is aged in stainless steel tanks. The grapes come from a vineyard in Sinio, which is outside the DOCG area. The vineyard has soil composed of limestone with some clay. Something that is very important to Mario is the fact that the wine must reflect the vintage. He said this when talking about the 2014 vintage, but it also applies to any other vintage. As you can see below, the Dolcetto has quite different expressions in the separate vintages and I like all of them!
Cascina Fontana Dolcetto Tasting Notes
Dolcetto 2019
In the words of Mario Fontana: “2019 is a great vintage.” You have this perfect Dolcetto nose, good structure and wonderful freshness. I think the 2019 Dolcetto’s are elegant and rich, with more power than 2018.
Dolcetto 2018
As Nicola from Trediberri once said, the 2018 vintage is skinny just like Miley Cyrus. The 2018 Dolcetto is light and fruity – a very drinkable Dolcetto. Lacks the structure you find in 2017 and 2019, but structure isn’t always something you strive for in a Dolcetto.
Dolcetto 2017
Compared to 2019, 207 was a warm vintage, and so the alcohol is a little higher. The 2017 has 13.5% alcohol, but because Mario is such a wonderful winemaker, you cannot taste it!
Cascina Fontana Barolo 2016
You can find tasting notes on the Cascina Fontana 2016 Barolo’s here.
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