# Dardi Le Rose Barolo Bussia (2013)

- **Producer:** Poderi Colla
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €75
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, rose, violet, black pepper, liquorice, smoke

## About this wine

Poderi Colla is deeply intertwined with the history of modern Piedmontese winemaking. Founded by Beppe Colla (former owner of Prunotto) and his brother Tino, the estate represents a commitment to traditional, terroir-driven wines. Beppe Colla was a legendary figure who pioneered the concept of single-vineyard (cru) bottlings in the Langhe, vinifying the very first single-vineyard Bussia in 1961. The Dardi Le Rose estate, located in the Bussia subzone of Monforte d'Alba, is renowned for producing Barolos of exceptional elegance, structure, and longevity. The 2013 vintage in Barolo is widely celebrated as a classic, late-harvest year that yielded wines of outstanding balance, high acidity, and firm, noble tannins.

## Interesting facts

- Founder Beppe Colla was the first winemaker in the Langhe to vinify and label a single-vineyard Barolo from Bussia in 1961.
- The Dardi Le Rose vineyard is situated in the historic heart of Bussia, one of Monforte d'Alba's most prestigious crus.
- Poderi Colla strictly avoids small barriques, opting exclusively for traditional large Slavonian oak casks to age their Barolo.

## Food pairing

The formidable structure of this 2013 Barolo, characterized by high acidity and firm tannins, requires dishes with ample protein and fat to soften the mouthfeel. Rich, slow-cooked meats and game harmonize beautifully with the wine's body, while the earthy, tertiary notes of forest floor and tar in the aged Nebbiolo find a perfect aromatic mirror in dishes featuring wild mushrooms or truffles.

## Wine making process

The winemaking philosophy at Poderi Colla is resolutely traditional. For the Dardi Le Rose Barolo, grapes are hand-harvested from the estate's south and south-west facing plots in Bussia. Fermentation takes place on the skins in stainless steel tanks for approximately 15 to 20 days at controlled temperatures of 28-30°C to ensure optimal extraction of color, tannins, and flavor precursors. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 24 to 28 months in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks (botti), avoiding the use of small barriques to preserve the pure, unmasked expression of the Nebbiolo grape and the unique Bussia terroir. The wine is then aged in the bottle before release.