Expected Spring 2024
Our tasting impressions
Fontana "The Fountain" is a fun and delicious Barbera. It's light-bodied but it has texture that makes it seem bigger than it is. Lots of lush red fruit, bark and herbs. The perfect wine for pizza and pasta - especially if there is red sauce involved. This is through the roof on the quaffabiltiy scale.
About this wine
Fontana is Luca's ready-to-go Barbera The hand-harvested grapes are from vines planted 10-30 years ago at 300-350 meters elevation in clay soil
Fermentation is over 8 days, after which the wine ages in steel tanks for 8 months.
About the grape
Barbera is a dark-skinned grape from vigorously growing, easy to manage vines. Barbera wines are high in acidity, low in tannins and light-bodied - although they can give the impression that they are big and hearty because of their purplish-black hue and relative roundness.
Barbera has been experiencing a Renaissance over the last couple of decades due to greater attention from talented winemakers who have discovered how to better craft the wines.
Vintage perspective
The summer of 2021 was hot but, fortunately, rain was plentiful. Overall, Luca considers it an excellent vintage and good for early drinking.
Gianni Respighi, a gracious B&B and wine bar host in Tortona introduced me to young Luca Canevaro. Luca has assumed the daunting responsibility of leading the wine tenuta started by his great-grandfather about a century ago. Just as significantly, he decided to join in the crusade to resurrect and celebrate Timorasso (or Derthona, as it is traditionally known), one of Italy's truly great varieties.
Luca transformed the family business in 2016, supported by his brother Stefano (who has recently finished his oenology training) and guided by his father, Sandro. They farm 10 hectares of vineyards that are now certified organic. Production is expanding, but remains small at about 30,000 bottles per year.
Vineyards thrive at higher elevations (more direct sun, greater day/night temperature variance and enhanced drainage) and Canevaro has some of the highest vineyards in the DOC of Colli Tortonesi - up to 300-350 meters. This asset combined with respect for the land and tradition, passion and dedication has this small estate on a path to prominence. VDLT is pleased and proud to introduce this wonderful family's wines to the US.
