2006 Alessandro E Gian Natale Fantino, Barolo DOCG, Cascina Dardi-Bussia Riserva, Piedmonte, Italy.
The 2006 Riserva Dardi from Fantino is remarkably fresh and pure with exceptional live, clarity and deep flavors that feel at once refined and still forceful with transparent detail and vigor. Fantino is an old school winery, there’s no extra bells and whistles to be found and the winemaking tends to be hands off, and this 2006 Riserva pretty much just gives the record of it’s vintage and terroir, it may lack some flavor, but it is really lovely and real with everything you really should care about in a Barolo. The nose holds a bouquet of dried roses, wild mushrooms, earth, sweet and sour herbs along with red berries and cool liquid stones before and bright palate that feels just a touch more robust than a Burgundy, but with a similar seductive texture, this is a natural beauty with all her freckles and slightly off center features not photoshopped out or fixed, which I kind of enjoy better. The hue is showing classic Nebbiolo brickish edges, but the core remains deeply red, this wine has plenty of years ahead and there is fine tannins and good lift from acidity, 2006 was a very solid vintage and often mistakenly overlooked, this wine is a super value at this price, and importer Kermit Lynch won’t have any trouble selling this Barolo. The main palate is rich, but not heavy, with black cherry, damson plum, meaty notes, salted licorice, hoisin sauce, fig paste and cedar, along with tangy currant and mineral tones. There is lots to admire here and it certainly offers a lot of class and pleasure for the price, though it doesn’t reach the stars, but it does not disappoint, this is a noble and fine example, I’d get a few bottles, it maybe surprise after another 3 to 5 years in bottle, drink from 2016 to 2026.
($54 Est.) 93+ Points, grapelive
