The Auswine Forum

Ian S wrote:Beyond that, I've been lucky to be able to taste quite a bit in the region, which is always going to be more useful than someone else's opinion in print.

swirler wrote:A fish has been spotted in water nearby, but nobody has had a bite here.

Hunter wrote:Anyone considering purchasing new release Sottimano barbaresco ?

JamieBahrain wrote:Off the top of my head Sottimano have a number of Crus- Cotta, Cura and the other escapes me. Now, I did see they have a new riserva that I never did get around to buying.

sch5252 wrote:has anyone had experience with Fontanafredda?
I have a relative bringing some bottles back later in the year (2010s I think), they are raving about them.

I've never had a response to a review anything like this, MB is clearly well regarded by people who collect!

The large format is a1600 litre Allier (french forest) botti, made by the Italian cooperage Gamba. I have two, this particular one is around 8 years old. The wine is matured in this until I consider it ready, there is no particular rule - for example, the 2014 will take longer than the 2013, perhaps three years. I'm looking for some aromatic softness, and some bricking of the colour. It also allows the abundant tannin to be approachable in youth. This isn't so much a concern to me as it is the customers, a reality of australian wine is that people are expecting wine they can enjoy immediately. I'm more interested in nebbiolo that is true to the grape, which means it's at the beginning of a long journey at this point.
Maceration time is actually not ridiculously long, around 21 - 28 days, determined by activity and level of extraction. A suitable site provides ample tannin, and from experience, I've found the only addition provided by long maceration is green (seed) tannin. This seems to come at the expense of the more delicate aromatics. Essentially it's done by taste and instinct.
2013 was outstanding for my site. There are characteristics of the wine that I'm not entirely satisfied with, but I think every winemaker would say that about every wine they ever made. Suffice to say the fruit was as good as I could ever want.
If you follow the nebbiolo in future vintages, you won't find two the same, it shows dramatic differences from year to year, just as you find in Barolo or Barbaresco. 2014 will be less soft, more structured (barolo - tar), 2015 lighter (barbaresco - flowers, mineral) but still very structured, 2016 early days but very fruit driven, probably more like 13, but hopefully better.
Hope that helps!

JamieBahrain wrote:I'm no expert though I have a put a few cases of 2008 and 2010 in cellar in an effort to boost my holdings of Monforte Baroli which deliver in the shadows of more lauded communes.

The Gramolere I've had seems typical Monforte with a tarry concentration, depth and commanding structure- though a good balance made them appealing in both the 08 and 09. Should be well priced.I actually have a six pack of 2010 in front of me ready to be shipped to Oz.

tarija wrote:Jamie,

Have you had any experience with A&G Fantino? A Fantino was supposedly the winemaker at Bartolo Mascarello for 20 years...however don't really hear much about A&G Fantino, even on berserkers.

rooman wrote:

tarija wrote:Jamie,

Have you had any experience with A&G Fantino? A Fantino was supposedly the winemaker at Bartolo Mascarello for 20 years...however don't really hear much about A&G Fantino, even on berserkers.

Looking through the Decanter review of Barolo last year, A&G Fantino was number seven in Decanter's review for the year - I initially wondered if they were the winery i was asking about above. A&G stand for Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino. From Bussia, Monforte if I understand the Italian regional analysis correctly.

Gary W wrote:

rooman wrote:

tarija wrote:Jamie,

Have you had any experience with A&G Fantino? A Fantino was supposedly the winemaker at Bartolo Mascarello for 20 years...however don't really hear much about A&G Fantino, even on berserkers.

Looking through the Decanter review of Barolo last year, A&G Fantino was number seven in Decanter's review for the year - I initially wondered if they were the winery i was asking about above. A&G stand for Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino. From Bussia, Monforte if I understand the Italian regional analysis correctly.

The A&G Fantino wines are good. The 2010 Disobedient and 2008 Riserva in particular.
Fontanafredda, generally, uses too much oak. Their traditional wine unit - Mirafiore - is terrific, especially in 2010 with Paiagallo and Lazzarito both exceptional.

rooman wrote:
Have you tried the Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere?

Mark

Gary W wrote:

rooman wrote:
Have you tried the Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere?

Mark

No.

marsalla wrote:

Gary W wrote:

rooman wrote:
Have you tried the Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere?

Mark

No.

Maybe try reviews on TheWineFront, they might have it

rooman wrote:

JamieBahrain wrote:I'm no expert though I have a put a few cases of 2008 and 2010 in cellar in an effort to boost my holdings of Monforte Baroli which deliver in the shadows of more lauded communes.

The Gramolere I've had seems typical Monforte with a tarry concentration, depth and commanding structure- though a good balance made them appealing in both the 08 and 09. Should be well priced.I actually have a six pack of 2010 in front of me ready to be shipped to Oz.

So Jamie by the sounds of it, worth trying?