We just got some 1996 Barolo in at our local alimentari. The price for these FontanaFredda are €15 for 750ml bottles. Anyone know if they would be worth buying? I'm thinking they would be worth €15 almeno.

I've asked our resident wine expert Dean but just in case he doesn't get back to us we thought we would post the question on the forum.

Ciao Art

There a couple of Fontanafredda Barolos 2005 is available here. The prices range from $ 30 - $ 40. That is about 20 - 28 euro so from a price point its a good deal.

The vintage?

quote:

1996: Tough to drink when they were young, these wines have finally revealed their greatness with finesse, tremendous aromatics and great length. Overshadowed by 1997, many of these wines are fortunately still floating around. Grab them if you can.

Thanks Jerry. That quote is pretty much what I was thinking. Where is it from? Of course we could just buy one bottle to try before I go crazy and buy all of them.

Art

Hi, according to FontanaFredda the these wines are best consumed 4-6 years after the vintage year...they could be a bit past their prime.

I think your idea to buy one and and then decide is a good one.

It's not the riserva, is it?

Art - it is from starchefs.com.

"1996, ’98, and 2001 have proven to be more classic in character and are aging beautifully".

From the source from Jerry and it was published in 2009.

I think trying a bottle is the best course of action....another issue with buying older wines is the question of how they were stored in the intervening years. Poor storage conditions can be deadly to wines and it is sometimes hard to divine where the wine has been since it left the winery.

But it is worth a risk.....

I look forward to hearing the results of the taste test (proof of the pudding and all that)...

...and about the accompanying meal.

I would presume they were bought from a supplier and not a private party.Its likely they were stored properly.96 is a classic vintage, if stored correcly no way are they past their prime, probably not at prime yet! One thing I always jump on when I see it
is a reasonably priced older wine.

I see some recent tasting notes on this exact wine and it was rated very highly! RR

1996 is indeed a classic cellaring vintage (and very much closer to my tastes than the warmer vintages of 1997, 2000 and especially 2003).

*Fontanafredda are a great old name, albeit who lost their way for quite a while. They seem to be on the upturn in recent years. For $15 I'd be tempted to buy one and open it asap (even at the shop if you can!). If it's in good shape, then it's a very fine bargain at that price. If it's struggling, then $15 is less to waste than $180 for a case. I like my Barolo aged, so if it's in good shape I'd expect it do last another 5-10 years, but you'll get a better idea from trying the single bottle.

regards
Ian

* A 1958 Fontanafredda Barolo we had about 3-4 years ago was still in decent shape. That was from a better era for them though!

quote:

We just got some 1996 Barolo in at our local alimentari

If the wine was being sold by a reputable wine shop, I wouldn't have as much concern about its condition. But since it is being sold by an alimentari , I would have my suspicions about the history of the storage.

But I would certainly take a chance on it.....

Did you try it yet? RR

Barbara and I and an Italian friend tried a bottle today and it was very nice. The longer it was open and in the glass the better it became. We'll be buying a few more bottles tomorrow as will or friend.

Art

Bring back as much as you can Art!

quote:

Originally posted by Barbara (and Art):
Barbara and I and an Italian friend tried a bottle today and it was very nice. The longer it was open and in the glass the better it became. We'll be buying a few more bottles tomorrow as will or friend.

Art

Great. If you have a decanter this would help!
RR

Barbara and Art - Fontanfredda produces several Barolos and I'm very curious as to which one you bought. For example, Fontanafredda's Barolo "La Rosa" is a consistent Tre Bicchieri winnner and a benchmark quality Barolo.
1996 was an excellent year in the Piedmont. Wine Enthusiast magazine gives the '96 vintage a near-perfect rating of 98. While these wines are drinkable now they have not yet reached their peak and you should have many years of good drinking ahead. Also, Barolos from the Serralunga Valley tend to be more austere, tannic and longer-lived than Barolos from vintners further west.

A Barolo from a good estate in a great vintage for about $20 sounds like a no-brainer to me. I would buy as much as my wallet permits.

Happy drinking,

Baroloman
www.WineWordsWisdom.com

There are no other markings other than the normal DOCG. We will be buying as many as the budget will aollow and whatever is left after our friend buys a few.

This is the same alimentari that had 97 Brunello splits for €15. We still have 3 of those left. After telling all of our friends about the Brunellos and seeing them disappear we won't be spreading the word about the Barolos.
Sometines there are small treasures to be found in small town alimentaris.

cin cin Art

Ok. I really need to know more about this Alimentari! Can you give me an address?

Sorry Tony - we went in today to buy a few bottles and there was only ONE left! I asked if they'll be getting any more, but they won't know until their next delivery on Friday.....

You need to let me know what they get in on Friday. All though i won't be up in Umbria until the week of the 21st of March.