Fontanabianca Barbaresco 'Bordini' 2021

Nestled in the postcard-perfect village of Neive, Fontanabianca is everything we love about Barbaresco: steep hills, legendary crus, and a next-gen winemaker who’s absolutely killing it. Matteo Pola, the brains (and boots) in the cellar, took over from his father Aldo, one of the area’s most respected growers. While Aldo still tends the vines, Matteo crafts wines that are as precise as they are poetic. 

The winery’s name—“white fountain”—comes from a natural spring visible from the estate. But the real magic is in the soil: white limestone that gives the wines their signature lift and length. Fontanabianca sources Nebbiolo from two of Neive’s crown jewels: Bordini, a rare sorì (a sun-blessed slope where the light hits early and hard), and Serraboella, which climbs to 320 meters and churns out age-worthy reds with muscle and grace. 

Traditional? Yes. Boring? Never. Matteo’s approach marries time-honored methods with a modern edge—think stainless steel fermentation and aging in big ol’ botti. The result? Wines that whisper of the past but speak fluent now. 

"Showing intensity and elegance, the stunning 2021 Fontanabianca Bordini opens with heady aromas of ripe red berry, mocha, violet and a balsamic whiff of camphor. It’s utterly delicious, with flavors of raspberry compote, red cherry, star anise and cake spice that dance across the palate alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it beautifully balanced and vibrant while a saline note lingers on the finish.” - 96 Points, Kerin O’Keefe

"The Fontanabianca 2021 Barbaresco Bordini, in the bottle with the black label, represents a step up in terms of focus and power over the village bottling. This wine is extremely direct and linear with red and purple fruits, crushed stone and herbs. Nebbiolo grapes come from 60-year-old vineyards. This is another historic family parcel near the Tanaro River on clay limestone soils with prominent veins of sand. This location means slightly warmer temperatures and more humidity in certain vintages. Otherwise, the quality of the soils contributes to the finesse and elegance of this wine.” - 95 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

"Fresh and floral in aroma, this medium-bodied wine offers charming rose petal, orange rind and rooibos tea aromas followed by tangy raspberries, citrus and red cherry tones with good depth and length on the finish." - 94 Points, James Suckling

Producer: Fontanabianca

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Appellation:  Barbaresco

Vintage: 2022

Size: 750ml