Poderi Colla Barolo Bussia ‘Dardi Le Rose’ MAGNUM 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The Collas are one of the oldest and most established families in Piedmont, and yet their wines somehow remain under the radar. Over the last few vintages, quality has been especially strong. Readers who enjoy transparent, classically made Barolo and Barbaresco will want to check these wines out.

Antonio Galloni

Galloni is right, Pietro Colla has been on a roll of late and, with growing appreciation of more traditional style Barolo (and Barbaresco), they aren’t going to remain “under the radar” for long. In recent years, the big change at Colla was the acquisition of a new winery. They had well and truly outgrown their original winery, spread across several buildings at Bricco del Drago in San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. Just as plans were being drawn up to dig into the hillside and build a new cellar, a neighbouring winery, Cascina Bompè, became available. The Colla’s quickly snapped up the winery, which came with a few hectares of Barbera and is conveniently located next door to Locanda del Pilone, a one-star Michelin establishment. The newly acquired winery is a massive two-level concrete structure that could double as the Langhe Indoor Cricket Club, dug into the hilltop with an underground barrel room that is full of botti – you won’t find any barrique here.

BUSSIA BREAKDOWN

When the boundaries were proposed for the Langhe’s vineyard classification (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive – MGA for short) and, this being Italy, politics got in the way and Bussia became a monster MGA of 340 hectares. In his publications, Alessandro Masnaghetti breaks down Bussia into no less than eleven different zones.

The Colla’s have a little over six hectares in the Bussia hamlet of Dardi which historically was part of Bussia Soprana. Pietro’s uncle, the late and legendary Beppe Colla, made the famous 1961 Prunotto Bussia from these vines (the first single vineyard wine in Barolo) and in doing so, pioneered the concept of cru Barolo (and Barbaresco). When the Colla’s sold Prunotto in the early 1990’s and began setting up their own family operation, it was always going to be a piece of Bussia that was at the top of their list. Masnaghetti describes the wines of Dardi as “classic Barolo, mineral at times, with somewhat rugged tannins”. Below, you can see the Colla’s vineyards in red, with the houses that make up the hamlet of Dardi on either side.

The vineyards are divided into seven parcels, vinified and aged separately. In the cantina, the grapes are on skins for 20 days and aged for two years in Slavonian botti. The best botti are selected for Dardi Le Rose and blended into a single bottling. mp 2016 Barolo Bussia ‘Dardi Le Rose’

More About Poderi Colla

Below you’ll find a few video snapshots of Poderi Colla. The podcast and video interviews with Beppe, who sadly passed away in Jan 2019, have some wonderful insights.

Where in the World are Poderi Colla?

Colla’s Barolo comes from the Bussia Cru at the top end of Monforte d’Alba.

If you have a Barolo MGA 360º subscription check out the Bussia Cru & other Cru’s in exceptional detail.

This 3D flyover is Epic covering each of the communes you can see just how varied and extreme the aspect of each vineyard is and how in the space of a few metres just how dramatically the change.