Riserva Speciale
⏳ Drinking Window
2018 - 2038
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-braised beef, rich pasta dishes with fresh truffles, and mature hard cheeses like Castelmagno.
✨ Technical Specifications
The story of Fontanafredda is deeply intertwined with Italian royalty, born in 1858 from a love story between King Vittorio Emanuele II and Rosa Vercellana, the 'Bela Rosin,' who was gifted the estate. Located in the heart of the Langhe region in Piedmont, Fontanafredda's historic 'Riserva Speciale' represents a bygone era of winemaking, crafted from 100% Nebbiolo grapes grown in the clay-marl soils of Serralunga d'Alba. This designation, historically reserved for exceptional vintages requiring extended aging, showcases traditional Piedmontese craftsmanship. The wine undergoes long maceration on the skins and years of maturation in large Slavonian oak casks, resulting in a deeply structured, complex red. It yields classic aromas of dried rose petals, tar, leather, and autumnal forest floor, supported by robust tannins and a vibrant, age-worthy acidity.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1858 by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of unified Italy, as an estate for his mistress Rosa Vercellana, Fontanafredda evolved into a foundational pillar of Piedmontese viticulture under their son, Count Emanuele Alberto di Mirafiore. The historic estate encompasses 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards centered in Serralunga d'Alba, an area distinguished by compact Helvetian limestone-marl soils and elevated south- and southwest-facing slopes between 200 and 400 meters. Acquired in 2008 by Oscar Farinetti and Luca Baffigo, the property underwent a viticultural renaissance, securing full organic certification with the 2018 harvest. In the nineteenth-century cellars, winemaking merges technical precision with classical Piedmontese restraint, relying on long macerations, stainless steel vinification for fragrant whites, and maturation in neutral Slavonian oak botti for its noble reds. Iconic bottlings include the cru Barolo Vigna La Rosa, Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba, Roero Arneis Pradalupo, and the pioneering Alta Langa Metodo Classico sparkling wines.
🍇 Grapes
100% Nebbiolo