In the minds of Team Table Wine, the Fantino Rosso dei Dardi is the single greatest Italian red wine value in the store. It smells and tastes like Barolo, minus the harsh and astringent tannins.
We opened a bottle the other day and were blown away by the aromatics, the freshness, and the depth. Laced with perfumed Nebbiolo fruit and sweet, tender tannins, it goes down way too easy.
2017 A & G Fantino Rosso dei Dardi
Baby Barolo From the Kermit Lynch Portfolio!
To order, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.
Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino own prime real estate in the Barolo DOCG, including holdings in some of the top vineyards in Monforte d’Alba. And yes, they make wonderful, age-worthy Barolo from these sites. But their Rosso dei Dardi, made with fruit from their young Nebbiolo vines, is gorgeous and accessible right out of the bottle.
A blend of 60% Nebbiolo, 20% Dolcetto, and 20% Freisa, Fantino’s Rosso dei Dardi is a great way to experience the joys of Nebbiolo without breaking the bank. Bursting with beautiful aromas and flavors of freshly picked cherry, raspberry, strawberry, violet, and herb, this medium bodied effort is laced with fine-grained tannin and refreshing acidity.
The brothers Fantino farm eight hectares in the heart of the Bussia cru north of Monforte, one of Barolo’s most famous zones. And the Fantino holdings are concentrated exclusively in the “Dardi” section of Bussia, a hillside with perfect south/southeastern exposure. It is from this magical and highly coveted terroir that the Fantino’s Rosso dei Dardi originates.
And though the Fantino’s claim they make this with young vines, the vines aren’t actually that young. Far from it, these are 20+ year old Nebbiolo vines! And the brothers farm and make their wines in a very traditional, minimal interventionist fashion. Vineyards are worked by hand without the use of chemical sprays or fertilizers, grapes are hand harvested, fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, and the wines are bottled with little or no fining or filtration and bottled with tiny SO2 additions.
This is the kind of cleanly made wine you want to put in your body. And your palate will be so happy too! And it will be even happier when you enjoy a bottle of this with mushroom risotto or roast chicken and autumn root vegetables. Trust me!
To order, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville