Fontanabianca Barbaresco Bordini is a Barbaresco wine from Neive in Piedmont, made from 100% Nebbiolo from the producer’s Bordini cru. The vineyard is located in Neive, around 300 metres above sea level, with southern exposure and calcareous, medium-textured soils. On the producer’s own website, Bordini is described as one of the estate’s most important sites, and the average age of the vines is given as 50–60 years. The German technical description also states that the vineyard covers around 4 hectares and that yields are approximately 32–35 hl/ha.
The producer Fontanabianca is a family estate in Neive where Aldo Pola continues the family’s work; according to the producer, his father Franco began the business as early as 1969. The estate’s philosophy is clearly tied to origin: the wine should reflect the territory of Neive, with a focus on perfume, elegance, and a strong sense of place. Fontanabianca also describes itself as a producer with a strong focus on red wines, especially Barbaresco, which is seen as the area’s finest expression.
The work in the vineyard is described by the producer as meticulous and largely manual. Fontanabianca highlights manual labour, gentle treatments, and careful soil analysis as the basis for obtaining high-quality grapes. The German technical sheet also states that training is carried out according to the Guyot system, with pruning and green harvesting to keep production in balance, and that the grapes are hand-harvested at the end of October.
The vinification is described as traditional. The producer states that fermentation in the cellar takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, where the must is allowed to ferment naturally, and that the cellar has been modernised over the years in order to find the right balance between tradition and technology. For Barbaresco Bordini specifically, the Italian technical description states that the wine is aged in wooden casks and vats for approximately 12–15 months, while the German version specifies around 15 months in 225-litre barriques, followed by 12–15 months of bottle ageing. The safest summary, therefore, is that the wine is vinified traditionally and undergoes significant but balanced ageing in wood, with the aim of preserving the character of the grape and the vineyard site rather than allowing oak to dominate.
In style, the producer describes Barbaresco Bordini as a wine built on perfume, elegance, and body. The bouquet is described as intense, with notes of violet and spices; the German description also mentions hints of raspberry, bitter almond, pepper, and pear. The palate is described as persistent and elegant, and in other versions as soft, harmonious, and marked by clear structure and extract. Overall, the wine appears as a classic and serious expression of Nebbiolo from Neive: aromatic, structured, and with both finesse and ageing capacity. The producer also emphasises that Bordini can be enjoyed relatively young, but has excellent potential for further bottle ageing, as time brings greater balance between the wine’s different components.
For serving, the producer recommends 17–18 °C and larger glasses for red wine. The German technical description also emphasises that the wine benefits from proper aeration. Recommended food pairings include classic richer dishes such as brasato, roasts, game, and mature or flavourful cheeses. The alcohol content is stated to be around 14%.
