Fontanafredda
A single-vineyard Barolo from Fontanafredda's La Rosa cru in Serralunga d'Alba, first vinified in 1964. Pure Nebbiolo aged in Allier oak: dried rose, tar, red cherry and leather over firm, fine tannins. A deep, floral, age-worthy Langhe red.
From the 6.9-hectare La Rosa cru in Serralunga d'Alba, vinified on its own since 1964: a Nebbiolo built on dried rose, tar and red cherry that Fontanafredda sums up as deep, elegant and floral.
Classic Nebbiolo perfume leads with dried rose and tar, the floral signature Fontanafredda ties to the vineyard's Bella Rosina namesake, lifted by violet. Underneath sit red cherry and plum with a savoury edge of leather and tobacco that Vivino's drinkers flag most often. Time in Allier oak adds a fine thread of vanilla and sweet spice rather than overt toast.
Rose petal
Violet
Cherry
Plum
Tobacco
Tar
Leather
LiquoriceFirm, fine-grained tannins frame the mid-weight Serralunga d'Alba style, with the bright acidity Fontanafredda calls acid freshness keeping red and dried cherry taut. Liquorice and a savoury, earthy undertow build through the middle, echoing the silt, clay and sand of the La Rosa cru. The structure is tannic and dry rather than plush, true to a traditional Barolo.
The finish is long and savoury, closing on tar, leather and a dusting of cinnamon over still-gripping tannin. It is the persistence you expect from a single-vineyard Serralunga Barolo aged in Allier wood.
A deep, floral and decidedly traditional Barolo that drinkers rate 4.2 on Vivino across nearly 5,800 ratings, prized for leather, tar and dried-rose character. Built for the table and the cellar, it is one of Fontanafredda's historic crus rather than an everyday pour.
Two vintages are on the UK market: a cooler, earlier-drinking 2018 near £72 and the structured 2021 from about £78. Both are cru Barolo off one 6.9-hectare site, not a blended estate bottling.
A traditional, tannic Serralunga Barolo from a single 6.9-hectare cru: strong at the table and for the cellar, an occasion wine more than an everyday pour at this price. The scores weigh structure, ageing and value against its category.
Firm Nebbiolo tannin and high acidity make it a natural with Piedmontese braises, Alba truffle and game; a textbook food Barolo.
DOCG-mandated ageing, firm tannin and Allier-oak structure give real cellar potential, the 2021 into the 2040s.
A historic Fontanafredda cru and a DOCG benchmark; a genuine special-occasion and gifting Barolo.
At about £72 to £92 it sits around the going rate for a named-vineyard Serralunga Barolo: fair value rather than a bargain.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Barolo denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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2018 was a cool, rainy Langhe season giving fragrant, lighter-framed Barolo for earlier drinking. 2021 was balanced and firmer, a vintage built for the cellar. One Serralunga cru, two tempos.
2021 was a balanced, classically structured Langhe vintage with firm but ripe tannins and bright acidity. This La Rosa is built for the cellar; give it until about 2027 and hold into the 2040s.
A cool, rainy 2018 in the Langhe gave fragrant, lighter-bodied Barolo with softer tannins for earlier drinking. La Rosa shows its floral side young; enjoy through the early 2030s.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Founded in 1858 on the estate of Rosa Vercellana, Fontanafredda first vinified La Rosa separately in 1964. The vineyard sits inside its own named MGA in Serralunga d'Alba, on soils of silt, clay and sand.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Barolo is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Barolo falls within Piedmont , covering Cuneo, Langhe: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d'Alba, Cherasco, Roddi. The denomination is further divided into 11 sub-zones.
La Rosa is bottled from one 6.9-hectare site vinified on its own since 1964, not a blended estate Barolo, concentrating cost into far fewer bottles and lifting price toward the £72 to £92 range.
About a year in Allier barriques then 12 to 18 months in 20 to 30 hl Allier casks ties up capital and barrel stock past Barolo's 38-month, 18-in-wood floor.
A mandated release tasting, an 8 t/ha yield cap and Serralunga's name for the firmest, longest-lived Barolo all support the price of a named-cru bottling.
Steep Langhe rows and a tannic, late-ripening grape mean modest crop loads and manual harvest, raising cost per bottle against high-volume reds.
UK excise of £2.67 a bottle on still wine up to 15% plus 20% VAT add roughly £16 of tax to a £78 shelf price before any retailer margin.
Three or more UK affiliates list recent vintages, and Decantalo's organic 2018 near £72 shows competition pulling the entry price down rather than up.
Dishes that complement this wine
Firm Nebbiolo tannins want the protein and fat of Piedmontese braises like brasato al Barolo, while the tar-and-rose perfume bridges Alba truffle and porcini. Bright acidity keeps it upright against rich risotto.
Nebbiolo's firm, fine-grained tannins, the dense grip drinkers flag on La Rosa, are softened by the gelatine and fat of long-braised beef. Protein binds tannin so the wine reads smoother alongside slow-cooked Piedmontese meat.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Bollito dei Pastori · Fiorentina steak · More pairings →
La Rosa's tar, dried-rose and leather tertiary notes bridge the earthy, savoury perfume of Alba truffle and porcini. Aroma echoes aroma here rather than competing, which is why Langhe truffle dishes are the cru's natural partner.
Try with: Tajarin al Tartufo · Truffle risotto · Porcini mushroom risotto · Agnolotti del Plin · More pairings →
Bright Nebbiolo acidity plus tannin scour the fat and char of a rare-grilled steak, resetting the palate between bites. The wine's structure keeps a fatty cut from coating the mouth.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Ribeye steak · Sirloin steak · Steak · More pairings →
The full body and savoury depth of a Serralunga Barolo stand up to gamey, iron-rich venison and pheasant without being overwhelmed. Tannin and tertiary leather notes mirror the meat's wild character.
Try with: Venison Stew · Roast Pheasant · Beef wellington · Duck breast · More pairings →
La Rosa's high acidity, the acid freshness the producer notes, refreshes the palate against the butter and marrow of Milanese risotto and rich plin filling. Acidity stops a creamy plate from turning heavy.
Try with: Risotto alla Milanese · Radicchio risotto · Agnolotti del Plin · Pumpkin risotto · More pairings →
Capsaicin heat amplifies Nebbiolo's tannin and alcohol, turning the wine harsh and bitter, while its grip and savoury weight flatten delicate white fish. Sweet-sour sauces fight the bone-dry finish.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Szechuan beef · Sweet and sour pork · Sushi · Pairing guide →
Barolo DOCG demands at least 38 months of ageing before release, 18 of them in wood, and La Rosa adds Allier-oak time on top. The tannic, high-acid 2021 is the one to lay down, with a window stretching toward the 2040s.
Peak around 2034. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
DOCG-mandated ageing, firm tannin and Allier-oak structure give real cellar potential, the 2021 into the 2040s.
£72.41 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:43 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is 100% Nebbiolo, the only grape Barolo DOCG permits. The fruit comes from the 6.9-hectare La Rosa vineyard inside Fontanafredda's Serralunga d'Alba estate, first vinified on its own in 1964.
Expect the classic Nebbiolo signature of dried rose and tar over red cherry, plum and leather, with firm, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Fontanafredda calls it deep, elegant and floral; on Vivino, drinkers most often flag leather, tobacco and earth.
After fermentation it spends around a year in Allier (French) oak barriques, then a further 12 to 18 months in medium 20 to 30 hectolitre Allier casks, comfortably past the 38-month minimum (18 in wood) that Barolo DOCG requires.
The cooler 2018 is approachable now and through the early 2030s. The firmer, structured 2021 rewards cellaring, opening from about 2027 and holding into the 2040s. Decant younger vintages an hour ahead.
Reach for Piedmontese classics: brasato al Barolo, tajarin with Alba truffle, ossobuco and porcini risotto. The tannin wants protein and fat, while the tar-and-rose aromatics echo earthy truffle and game.
Yes. Fontanafredda farms, vinifies and bottles the wine at its own Serralunga d'Alba estate, where the La Rosa cru sits inside the Fontanafredda MGA, one of the commune's named single-vineyard zones.
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