An Alta Langa Metodo Classico that celebrates the richness of the past and looks to the future with a fresh perspective. Aged on the lees for over 6 years, made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes in a limited edition, this sparkling wine has an undeniable personality that embodies the Fontanafredda style and celebrates our winery’s 168-year history.
A rich and enduring story
It all began on 17 June 1858, when ‘an order issued by the royal delegate’ to the municipality of Serralunga d’Alba recorded, ‘by injunction’, the transfer of an area of 138.82 ‘Piedmontese giornate’ to the private estate of Vittorio Emanuele II, then still King of Sardinia. Like all beautiful things, Fontanafredda too was born of a love story: that between Vittorio Emanuele II, who went on to become the first King of Italy, and Rosa Vercellana, to whom the sovereign gave the land acquired in 1858—where the winery still stands today—as a token of his love.
Alongside the great Barolos, as early as 1959, Fontanafredda gave birth to the forerunner of Alta Langa: the first Piedmontese sparkling wine to undergo bottle fermentation – the Contessa Rosa Metodo Classico. We have always been pioneers of major innovations and remain artisans to this day, yet with the scale of a major enterprise and a desire to once again showcase the uniqueness of the territory and of every single vineyard, celebrating the biodiversity of the Langhe and preserving its historical legacy – a legacy that spans 168 years.
Alta Langa Hundred Sixty Eight 80 months Riserva 2018
The sparkling wine celebrating our 168th anniversary is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes sourced from Castino, Borgomale and Lequio Berria, and is aged on the lees for at least 80 months. To mark this special anniversary, the bottle of Alta Langa Hundred Sixty Eight 80 months Riserva 2018 features an original lithographic print of the Fontanafredda estate, which has been digitised and reproduced using white screen-printing directly onto the glass, and embellished with gold leaf. The print depicts the estate between 1900 and 1918 at the height of its splendour, during its greatest period of commercial expansion, when it employed 200 people and more than 40 families lived in the village.
A sparkling wine with an extremely fine and very persistent perlage; in the glass, it displays a golden-yellow colour with green highlights. Thanks to the altitude of the vineyards in Castino, Borgomale and Lequio Berria – ranging from 400 to 600 metres above sea level – the grapes ripen slowly, producing very distinctive aromas. The aromas, of great intensity and complexity, are predominantly reminiscent of wildflower honey, with notes of brioche, toasted nuts and bread crust. On the palate, the structure of Pinot Noir is evident. The finish is long and persistent, with fresh and savoury notes. Excellent as an aperitif but, above all – thanks to its undeniable character – it is an excellent choice to accompany every course with class.