Fontanabianca

Fontanabianca is owned and operated by the Pola family. The family has vineyards located in the township of Neive, a famous Barbaresco wine zone. The Pola family have been vintners for generations, but the fruit from their vineyards outside of the town of Neive was long sold to larger bottlers. It was only in 1990 that Aldo Pola decided to pool his resources with his wife Luisella by putting their land together and creating a single winery. For enological assistance, their friend Bruno Nada in Treviso introduced them to renowned expert Beppe Caviola.

At first, the going was very rough. Their first independent vintage, produced in 1990, brought excellent weather and outstanding grapes, but being a new winery, the final product did not meet the standards set for themselves by the Pola family. For the next four vintages, nothing went well with the weather. Although disappointing, this further adapted the family to the problems a winery can encounter in the unpredictable climate that is typical in the region.

Then came the 1995 vintage with its perfect weather. By this time the Pola family was very capable of wine production and this showed in the resulting wine, particularly that from their top vineyard, Bordini, which received tremendous coverage from the press. This was followed by the 1996 and 1997 vintages, which were excellent years. Fontanabianca’s fame continued to grow. The Sorì Burdin 1997 received 96 points from the Wine Spectator and was listed in the top 100 wines in 2001. The Bordini Barbaresco was also listed as one of Italy’s top 50 most exciting wines. In 1998 Fontanabianca received their first “Tre Bicchieri” award from the Gambero Rosso publication, which also recognized their trusted adviser Beppe Caviola with the award for Enologist of the Year. The Bordini truly is a special vineyard. Its steep slopes face due south and give the vines excellent exposure to the sun, creating a wine of exceptional ripeness. The fruit is so powerful that even aging in a small cast does not overwhelm it. The wine has the firmness that good Barbaresco should have, but a sweetness of fruit that constantly leaves you wanting another sip. The Barbera grape was once considered an inferior grape, producing acidic wines that were used for blending to adjust the color of the lightly colored Nebbiolo wines.

In the last decade, growers have managed to keep the acidity in check through later harvests and barrique aging. This approach was initially suggested by the great enologist Andre Tchelistcheff, of Napa Valley fame, to Giacomo Bologna at his Braida winery back in 1971. Working along these lines, Fontanabianca has produced an excellent Barbera d’Alba. All of this success has not gone to their heads, however. As Aldo Pola puts it, the trials and tribulations that they faced in their first five years of production has taught them to be humble. A winemaker is only as good as their vineyard and climate allow them to be. Fontanabianca also produces Dolcetto d’Alba, and a Langhe Bianco from Arneis grapes lending that wine a very exceptional dimension. Fontanabianca is a winery especially dedicated to red wines, particularly to Barbaresco, the jewel of the region. Perfumes, elegance and body are the basic elements of Barbaresco Bordini, Barbaresco Serraboella, Langhe Arneis, Dolcetto d’Alba, and of Barbera d’Alba Superiore. The use of wood for the aging of Barbaresco and Barbera is balanced to obtain only softened tannins and preserve the natural taste of the wine. Dolcetto and Arneis mature only in a stainless steel tank.