Tasting Note: “From twelve year-old vines on clay-limestone soils in Neive, vinified with 20% whole bunch and six months’ ageing in tini (large traditional wooden vats). Beautifully aro- matic and redolent of violets, fresh cherry on the palate, supple, silky tannins, excellent concentration but also elegance. Highly approachable right now.
Producer: a fabulous fifteen hectare property in Bar- baresco’s comune di Neive, owned and run by the Pola family. The name Fontanabianca is derived from the well that lies below the cantina, on the northern side of the village. It was nonno Franco who first started bottling their Barbarescos in 1970, followed by his son Aldo in 1982. Aldo married Luisella (Chi- ola) from nearby Serracapelli, and now it’s the turn of their (second) son Matteo, who’s been working alongside his father on an increasing basis since 2013. It was in the 2017 vintage that Matteo gave up his day job and switched full time to the family business.