History
Beppe Colla and the foundations of the cru approach
Dardi Le Rose is inseparable from Beppe Colla’s work on the identity of individual Langhe vineyards. Born in 1930 into a family connected with vines and wine since the early eighteenth century, he graduated with honours from Alba’s Oenological School in 1949 and immediately joined Cantine Bonardi. During his first Barolo harvest, he questioned the customary fermentation and maceration periods of two months or more, which produced heavily tannic wines and could entail a loss of colour during racking. For the 1950 vintage, after persuading Felice Bonardi, he conducted a two-cask trial with an 18-day maceration. Its success led Bonardi to adopt the shorter period throughout production, and other producers subsequently followed.
A first journey to Burgundy in 1953 transformed Beppe’s view of wine. He was struck by the presence of young people proudly continuing several generations of family viticulture, the precision of cellar work, longer corks, horizontal bottle storage and the role of the sommelier. The experience persuaded him that Langhe producers needed to raise their standards if they were to compete with France.
In 1956, Beppe moved from employment to ownership by purchasing Cantina Prunotto, where Barolo and Barbaresco were central to the range. Repeated visits to Burgundy continued to influence his thinking about vineyards, cellars and markets, although his objective remained wines built on harmony and longevity rather than power.
1961: Bussia and the emergence of vineyard identity
In 1961, Beppe began vinifying important vineyards separately and placing their names or origins on the label, challenging the established practice of blending grapes from different parts of the production zone into a single mass. The initiative involved producers including Colla, Vietti and Bartolo Mascarello. Beppe placed the toponym Bussia on a label, helping initiate the recognition and enhancement of individual Langhe crus.
The approach was initially criticised as overly Burgundian and contrary to local custom, but it was soon adopted more widely. Bussia, together with La Ginestra and Cannubi, became one of the Barolo locations most closely associated with this phase of Beppe’s work. He also contributed to defining the production zones and drafting regulations for the DOC and DOCG wines of Alba during the 1960s and 1970s.
Beppe introduced or helped establish several other practices relevant to ageworthy Barolo. In the 1950s he experimented with Burgundy barriques, although he soon abandoned them. He adopted longer corks of at least 50 mm, promoted bottle ageing before release, stored bottles horizontally rather than vertically and placed the vintage directly on labels. In 1981, he also demonstrated the quality benefits of bunch thinning during an excessively abundant crop, persuading growers to remove approximately one-third of the grapes in a trial vineyard.
Vineyard establishment
The Nebbiolo vines associated with Dardi Le Rose were planted in stages between 1970 and 1985. They occupy the historical part of Bussia, within the Dardi sub-area of Bussia Soprana in Monforte d’Alba.
1994: Dardi Le Rose enters Poderi Colla
In 1994, members of the Colla family combined their estates to create Poderi Colla. Dardi Le Rose in Bussia di Monforte d’Alba was one of the three original properties, together with Cascine Drago and Tenuta Roncaglia. Beppe Colla, his brother Tino and Beppe’s daughter Federica founded the new winery; Beppe’s nephew Pietro subsequently joined them. Dardi Le Rose became the estate through which Beppe’s commitment to Bussia and separately vinified crus continued within the new family enterprise.
Continuity after Beppe
Beppe published Ricordi di Vini in 1998, preserving memories drawn from more than five decades as an oenologist and specialist in Langhe wine. He died in 2019. His work and vision passed to Tino, Federica and Pietro.
Pietro graduated in oenology in 2006 after growing up with vineyard and cellar work as part of daily life. Having absorbed Beppe’s teaching, he now guides the wines with the stated objective of preserving their integrity while pursuing continual improvements in quality. Federica coordinates the financial and logistical sides of the family enterprise, while general manager Andrea and accountant Monica participate with the family in both strategic decisions and everyday operations.
Terroir
Dardi Le Rose lies in Bussia Soprana, a hamlet of Monforte d’Alba, within the Dardi sub-area and the historical core of Bussia. The estate covers 8 ha, including 6 ha of vineyards planted entirely to Nebbiolo for Barolo.
The vines stand at 300–350 m above sea level with south and south-west exposures. The wider Bussia geographical mention now covers 299 ha, including 185 ha of vineyards, but it was historically much smaller and available to only a limited number of holdings. Later enlargement introduced greater stylistic heterogeneity among wines carrying the Bussia name; Dardi Le Rose remains in its historical section.
The vineyards are situated south of the Tanaro River. Their soils belong to the fossil-rich Marne di Sant’Agata formation and contain clay and limestone, with colours ranging from yellowish white to blue. These marls are associated with the intended elegance and complexity of the wines. Significant soil variation can occur within the same vineyard.
Dardi has long been regarded as one of the stronger locations for structured, ageworthy Barolo. It was identified among the leading positions in Lorenzo Fantini’s 1880 Monograph on Viticulture and Oenology in the Province of Cuneo and later in the Atlas of the Great Vineyards of Langa published by Arcigola Slow Food.
Winemaking
The vineyard is planted entirely to Nebbiolo destined for Barolo. The vines were established in stages between 1970 and 1985.
Harvesting is performed by hand. Selection for the limited Riserva is based on grape ripeness and quality, followed by the choice of the cask considered best. The family’s broader vineyard approach is to match each grape variety to a site suited to its needs and to produce a single vineyard label only from the best material.
Viticulture is framed by patience with natural rhythms and risks. The land is managed with the objective of keeping it healthy, biologically active and fertile over the long term. No organic, biodynamic or other farming certification is claimed.
Dardi Le Rose Nebbiolo is harvested manually, destemmed and crushed or pressed before maceration with the skins. Maceration lasts 12–15 days and reaches a maximum temperature of approximately 30 °C. Malolactic fermentation is completed before winter.
In spring, the wine is transferred to oak casks for 24–28 months. The Riserva is not given a longer period in wood than the regular Barolo: the approach treats extra oak exposure as potentially detrimental to freshness and harmony rather than inherently beneficial to longevity. Instead, the selected wine remains in bottle until its balance and readiness suit the character of the vintage. The 2015 Riserva received 42 months of bottle ageing.
The Riserva is made only in vintages considered exceptional and in a limited quantity. It comes from the cask judged to be the strongest after evaluation of ripeness, grape quality and the vineyard’s internal soil differences.
Philosophy
Dardi Le Rose embodies Beppe Colla’s conviction that distinguished vineyards should retain their individual identities rather than disappear into blends drawn from a broad production zone. The decision to vinify Bussia separately and place its name on the label helped establish the cru concept in the Langhe.
The family seeks harmony, freshness and longevity rather than sheer power. This is reflected in the Riserva programme: additional wood ageing is rejected as an automatic route to greater lifespan because it may diminish freshness and harmony. Bottle ageing is adjusted to the needs of each vintage, and only the cask considered best becomes Riserva.
Four values frame the wider working approach. Patience means accepting nature’s pace and agricultural risk. Intuition complements detailed knowledge of the vineyards and resists fashions or rigid formulas. One vineyard, one wine expresses the aim of placing each variety in an appropriate site and issuing a single vineyard label from its best fruit. Human wines describes accessible, enjoyable wines intended for sharing rather than exclusively for collectors or specialists.
Respect for nature centres on maintaining healthy, living and fertile soils for future cultivation. The family explicitly prefers practical stewardship over labels, certificates and fashionable claims.