Not only did the legendary Fontanafredda estate let us back into the vault, so to speak, for this epic 1996 Barolo…they didn’t even raise the price! In case you’re just joining us, let me explain: We first acquired some of this perfectly preserved Barolo nearly two years ago, and the response from subscribers was so frenzied that we’ve gone back not once, but twice, for more.
Given how few estates in the Barolo region maintain back-vintage “libraries,” it was a shock that such a wine was even available in the first place—perfectly preserved (so much so that the bottles did not require reconditioning) and delivering a tour-de-force performance at 26 years old! I’ll say what I said the first time we offered the ’96 “La Villa”: At $85, this is perhaps the best fine-wine value I’ve ever seen. Anyone who knows Barolo knows that wines of this magnitude are practically unheard-of at this price. Now’s the time to drink this soulful masterwork, so load up and enjoy throughout this decade. Happy Fourth!
As I’ve noted previously, 1996 was a star-crossed vintage. When it was first released, it was the first vintage since 1990 to attract much acclaim. And while it ended up being the first in a string of great vintages, it also produced wines of such massive structure that most experts advised holding them for extended periods before opening them. But even at 10 years of age, most of the ’96s refused to really open up. Then 10 became 20. I began to wonder if they’d ever come around, but they eventually did—the problem is, most of them were long gone, drunk up before their time. Cliché as it is to say, pulling the cork on this wine was like finding buried treasure.
The Fontanafredda estate, which is based in Serralunga d’Alba and covers some 300 acres of land (247 of which are vineyards), was originally purchased in 1858 by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of unified Italy. It was a country retreat for his mistress, a “commoner” named Rosa Vercellana, whom he eventually married (and made a countess, in a departure from tradition). One of their sons, Count Emanuele Alberto, was the one to develop the winemaking operation and make Fontanafredda a commercial venture.
Nearly a century-and-a-half later, the vast Fontanafredda property was acquired by visionary businessman (and Eataly founder) Oscar Farinetti, who has brought it to a new level of prominence. Farinetti is Piedmontese by birth and a passionate advocate for organic farming who created Vino Libero, an association focused on sustainability in vineyards and cellars alike. Among the elements of the Vino Libero “discipline” are the stated desire to eliminate all chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, while also reducing sulfur additions to levels well below what’s allowed by law.
“Vigna La Villa” is one of several prized single vineyards farmed by Fontanafredda. It is part of the larger cru called “Paiagallo,” in the village of Barolo, which, like most Barolo crus, has an east/southeast orientation—exposing it to gentler morning sun and producing slightly softer wines than those from vineyards in the estate’s home base in Serralunga, for example. But again, this is ’96 we’re talking about, and when you take your first sip of this wine you’ll immediately project backwards and imagine what a beast it must have been when first released. It was aged first in small barriques, then larger casks, for two years, followed by a year in bottle before its initial release—but in the case of this library release, it enjoyed decades of undisturbed rest in Fontanafredda’s dark, cool cellars. Every bottle we’ve opened (and there’ve been a few) has been in excellent condition, but be careful when opening yours nonetheless. Don’t be afraid to decant the wine before service, watching out for sediment (which is minimal).
In the glass, the ’96 La Villa still displays a relatively deep garnet core moving to brick-orange at the rim. It is perfumed and powerful, with scents of black cherry, plum, red and black currant, blood orange peel, and licorice meeting up with an incredibly dark and savory mix of warm spices, bay leaf, tar, oiled leather, ground coffee, clove, and cured wood. There’s still a brooding quality to it all these years later, although the tannins have softened considerably. It’s a sensory overload of a wine, deep and soulful and extremely long on the finish. I could see it lasting longer still in your cellar should you choose to lay some down, but at this point, I’d say carpe diem. It is special, so treat it as such. Serve it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems with a beautiful osso buco and raise a toast to one of the greatest fine-wine values any of us has ever seen! Cheers!
