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2012 Barolo Riserva Bussia
“Cascina Dardi”
A. & G. Fantino
Botti in the Fantino cellar
The streak continues! Fantino has produced some of the classiest, most profound, and downright delicious Barolos these past several years. Their old-school character isn’t found in the more polished wines that are now so popular.
Notes of dried cherries, balsamic nuances, and savory herbs are held together with firm, yet rounded tannin, making Cascina Dardi a very approachable wine after a bit of time in the decanter or a powerhouse a decade down the road. This re-release of their Riserva bottling from the 2012 vintage is now beginning to soften and show a deeper sense of complexity, yet still shows plenty of fruit and structure for further aging, if desired.
—Will Meinberg
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Nebbiolo |
Appellation: | Barolo |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | A. & G. Fantino |
Winemaker: | Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino |
Vineyard: | 60 years, 8 ha in total |
Soil: | Sandy Clay |
Aging: | Aged in large oak barrels for 5 years, then in bottle for 12 months |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 14% |
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About The Producer
A. & G. Fantino
About The Region
Piedmont
Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.
Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.
Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.