"The Fantino brothers are among Barolo’s revered traditionalists. Working with pristine grapes grown in the prized Dardi section of Montforte d’Alba’s Bussia cru, they fashion some of the most classic, honest, and gorgeous wines in Barolo. But for all the praise we lavish on their Barolo bottlings, they demonstrate just as much mastery of Nebbiolo in the young-vine bottling they call Rosso dei Dardi. A famously fickle variety, whose perfect balance of acidity and ripeness is hard to achieve, Nebbiolo is also known to be one of the world’s most tannic grapes, making it especially hard to coax into a charming and exuberant young wine. Alessandro and Gian Natale have miraculously done just this, preserving Nebbiolo’s bright acidity and beautiful aromas of rose petals and crushed cherries, but delivering them with a tender tannin that makes this rosso remarkably versatile alongside all kinds of dishes from dumplings to ribollita. It even works slightly chilled with some cold cuts or a burger." - Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants