A. & G. Fantino "Laboro Disobedient" Vino Rosso, Piedmont, Italy 2017

FROM KERMIT LYNCH:

THE WINE: 100% Nebbiolo. The playful label that adorns this “vino rosso,” created by the late, famous Italian comics artist Sergio Staino, belies the class, structure, and ageability of the Fantino brothers’ Laboro Disobedient, a riserva Barolo they originally declassified because of bureaucratic red tape. All it takes is one sip of this profound and stately red, swirling with notes of cherries, tar, blood orange, and spice, to be captivated by the alluring power of the Fantinos’ Monforte terroir.

THE PRODUCER: Two brothers, Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino, run this family estate in Monforte d’Alba. Alessandro managed the vineyards and served as the enologist at Cantina Bartolo Mascarello for 20 years, from 1978 to 1997. Since 1998, he has dedicated himself to running his family estate alongside his brother full-time.

The brothers farm eight hectares in the heart of the historic Bussia cru north of Monforte, one of Barolo’s most famous areas for producing wines of great longevity and finesse. The Fantino holdings are concentrated exclusively in the “Dardi” section of Bussia, a hillside with perfect southern and southeastern exposure in the geographic center of Bussia. This gives them their “Cascina Dardi” brand name on the label of their Barbera and Baroli (for those already familiar with these wines, they were formerly labeled as Vigna dei Dardi, before the brothers registered the Cascina Dardi trademark).