It’s been a whirlwind tour of California and Italy today with the CellarStocker event dear Operatives, from cult Napa Cab to a coastal Pinot superstar, from a labor of love Amarone to a super-duper Tuscan, been there, seen that, yet, what are we missing?

GREAT BAROLO!

“I was very impressed with the wines I tasted from Fontanafredda this year, long an underachiever, especially considering their vineyard holdings, Fontanafredda has so much potential” says Antonio Galloni for Vinous, so we’re here to bring that potential out with a stunning collectible, a true rarity as only A SINGLE BARREL’s worth – that’s 300 bottles all day – were imported. Here’s most of them for the grabs.

MGA, BTW (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva, by the way) is a newer vineyard classification in Barolo, a category assigned to only the very best of the best, in an effort to emphasize a Grand Cru system, and as vast as Fontanafredda’s vineyard holdings are, this is their one and only.

When Food & Wine magazine announced, “Now, one of the only ‘monopole’ MGAs of Barolo, and the only one that takes the name of its producer, is on the American market: The Fontanafredda Barolo “Proprietà in Fontanafredda” 2013… if this particular bottling is any indication, the continued arrival of MGA bottlings on the American market should be a positive phenomenon—and a potentially delicious one at that” it sold out faster than you can say its name. Or so we thought. When the importer offered this secret stash to us, imagine our surprise! Well, it’s all yours now.

Oh, and their tasting note was “Aromatically, the Fontanafredda Barolo “Proprietà in Fontanafredda” 2013 is extremely complex even at this early stage of its evolution, with a layered mix of wild berries, forest floor, and black licorice preceding flavors of cherry, vanilla pod, a seam of minerality, and a finish that lingers with the memory of violets. It’s excellent now with a stint in the decanter, and will continue to improve for well over a decade if stored properly.”

Expectedly sublime, and in line with Antonio Galloni’s vintage assessment of “2013 Barolo: Sublime Finesse & Elegance - a cool growing season and late harvest produced gorgeous Barolos with striking aromatics, silky tannins, sculpted, vibrant fruit and mid-weight structures… thrilling, utterly captivating wines that speak to the pedigree and class that are the signatures of the best Barolo vintages.”

Run, don’t walk to the checkout button…

95 Points – Wine Spectator “Packed with cherry, floral and stone flavors, this is round and fleshy, despite the beefy tannins. Keeps on building to the long, intense and complex finish, which remains compressed for now. 25 cases imported. Best from 2022 through 2040.”