Fontanafredda Pradalupo Roero Arneis 2020 (Piedmont) - Wine Review

Following up on the lovely 2019 Fontanafredda Gavi di Gavi that I enjoyed last May, tonight's white wine review is another delicious Italian white wine from the same producer. This wine is made with the Arneis variety and arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the May 21 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Fontanafredda was founded in 1858 by the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, when he purchased the estate for the woman he loved - Rosa Vercellana. Although Fontanafredda is a large Piedmontese producer (known mostly for their Barolo) making fine wines from the most important DOC and DOCG of Piedmont, they are artisans who promote interaction between the vine, soil, and the hand of man.

There were many accomplishments over the years, including several firsts for the region, but the big change happened after 77 years when Fontanafredda returned to Piedmontese ownership in 2008 when Oscar Farinetti and Luca Baffigo purchased the estate. In 2015, Fontanafredda moved towards sustainability and starting the process of converting all of their vineyards to organic farming with the first certified organic harvest coming three years later.

This Arneis was grown in the Roero DOCG north of Alba in Piedmont, across the Tanaro river from the legendary Barolo and Barbaresco denominations. The vines sit between 200 to 300 metres above sea level and were planted in unique sandy soils that are rich in yellow, calcareous marl. The grapes were hand-harvested with 50% de-stemmed, crushed, and cold macerated, then softly pressed, while the other half is direct pressed. Fermentation occurred at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks, followed by another 4 to 5 months ageing on its dregs (or lees). Let's see how this 2020 Roero Arneis is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

FONTANAFREDDA PRADALUPO ROERO ARNEIS 2020 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#577700) (XD) - $18.95
The fragrant, medium-high intensity nose offers lovely lemon citrus, white floral, white peach, and hay aromas with subtle leesy, herbal, and flor notes adding further complexity and interest. There's very good weight and concentration on the crunchy, medium-full bodied, dry, and slightly oily palate with citrusy, white peach, herbal, hay, and leesy flavour replays, plus apple in a honeyed profile. Acids are fresh and juicy, while honeysuckle, citrus, white peach, and leesy notes linger on the long, juicy finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

You can explore other lovely wines by Fontanafredda as they are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Dandurand.