About this wine
Cascina Fontana's Barbera d'Alba is sourced from Vigna del Castello in Sinio and Vigna del Pozzo in Castiglione Falletto — the same parcels behind the estate's Langhe Nebbiolo. Hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts, it channels Barbera's characteristic vivid acidity into a wine of real structure, balancing bright dark fruit with the estate's traditional, low-intervention winemaking.
An approachable red with bright acidity — a good introduction to Piedmont's food-friendly, everyday-drinking style.
Sommelier's Note
"This is Barbera done the traditional way — cement and old oak rather than new barrique, letting the grape's natural acidity and fruit lead."
Food Pairings
Pairs well with rich pasta dishes, roasted meats, and aged cheeses. Its bright acidity also complements soy-based Japanese dishes such as grilled eel (unagi) or simmered pork belly (kakuni).
When to drink it
A versatile dinner-party red or an easy pairing for a home-cooked meal.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Barbera
- Style
- Red
- Price Range
- ¥5,500-7,500 (reference estimate converted from an overseas retail average of roughly $44; not a confirmed Japan market price)
Terroir & Winemaking
Grapes are hand-harvested and undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. The wine is vinified and initially aged in cement tanks, then moved to old oak (approx. 220-liter barrels) for roughly 12 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does it taste like?
- Black cherry and plum with floral violet notes and a hint of spice from barrel aging.
- What food pairs best with this wine?
- Rich meat dishes and savory, soy-based cuisine balance its bright acidity well.
- Is it aged in new oak?
- No — it is aged in cement and old (neutral) oak barrels, preserving the grape's natural fruit and acidity rather than adding new-oak spice.
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Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
バローロ
Barolo
RedNebbiolo
Cascina Fontana's flagship Barolo is a traditional blend of Nebbiolo from three historic cru parcels: Villero and Valletti (cru Mariondino) in Castiglione Falletto, and Gallinotto (cru Giachini) in La Morra. Each parcel is hand-harvested and vinified separately, then blended to create a wine of classic structure and elegance. The producer deliberately avoids single-vineyard bottlings from these plots, following the traditional Barolo philosophy that blending crus produces greater harmony than any single site alone.
バローロ・デル・コムーネ・ディ・カスティリオーネ・ファレット
Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto
RedNebbiolo
This commune-designated Barolo is produced exclusively from Cascina Fontana's holdings within Castiglione Falletto: 1.2 hectares in the Valletti cru and 0.6 hectares in the Villero cru. Made only in exceptional vintages, it is a more concentrated, terroir-focused expression than the estate's standard Barolo, which also includes fruit from La Morra. Each parcel is vinified separately before blending, showing the structural precision and elegance typical of Castiglione Falletto.
ドルチェット・ダルバ
Dolcetto d'Alba
RedDolcetto
Cascina Fontana's Dolcetto d'Alba is sourced from Vigna del Castello in Sinio and Vigna Gallinotto in La Morra. Always the first grape harvested each year, it is vinified simply and without oak influence, preserving its natural freshness, bright acidity, and dark berry fruit. It is the estate's most immediate, easygoing wine, meant to be enjoyed young.
ランゲ・ネッビオーロ
Langhe Nebbiolo
RedNebbiolo
Cascina Fontana's Langhe Nebbiolo is sourced in equal parts from Vigna del Castello in Sinio and Vigna del Pozzo in Castiglione Falletto. Compared to the estate's Barolo, the Nebbiolo grapes here undergo a shorter maceration, producing a fresher, more immediately approachable wine that still carries the variety's characteristic aromatics and balance of tannin and acidity — a more accessible entry point into the producer's traditional style.