Article: Poderi Colla
Poderi Colla
During the cold months of winter I explored Nebbiolo quite a bit more than usual. Ironically, the warmer climate has made these cool-climate drinkers more accessible than they once were. Two wines from Poderi Colla really caught my attention! I hope you’ll stay tuned and read more about this new domaine below. This is the first time I’ve offered them and you’ll see, they are VERY IMPRESSIVE.
The first wine on offer today is a 2022 Nebbiolo d’Alba . After the first sip, I put my glass down and had to confirm the pricing; what a stunner! Red berry, spice, mint, dried flowers, herb - it screamed Nebbiolo character!
Rarely do I come across a wine with this sort of concentration that sells for $30.
Grown just outside of the Barbaresco appellation on a 4-hectare single parcel in Nebbiolo d'Alba, it is aged 1 year barrel, 1 year bottle prior to release. In a blind tasting you’d probably guess Barbaresco as it displays depth and concentration that is typically reserved for wines at twice the price! This offers everything you could ask for from a Nebbiolo at an everyday price.
The second is 2019 Barolo Bussia Dardi de Rose. Before even tasting this, the bouquet soared from the glass and the aromatics filled the room. Rose petal, red berry, warm earth, spice - a different nuance each time you put your nose in the glass. It’s interesting that a wine I’d describe as medium bodied in terms of color could have so much weight and density. Clearly as a 2019, it’s still a baby but with some patience this will reward handsomely.
Located in Bussia Sopra in the hamlet of Dardi, in Monforte d'Alba, Poderi Colla's parcel in Bussia spans 6.25 hectares. Bussia has long been regarded as one of the best crus for the production of Barolo with south/southwestern exposure. Soils composed of calcareous clay at an altitude of 300-350 meters above sea level. Beppe Colla's first vintage in Bussia was 1961, and he was the first Piedmontese winemaker to label the name of the cru on the bottle. The Colla's current parcel in Bussia was planted in 1970/1985.
After malolactic fermentation, it rests in 50hl Slavonian oak cask for 24-28 months plus 1 year in bottle before release.
Galloni’s 95 point score might be on the conservative side as this one reaches maturity. Tremendous in every way!
The 2019 Barolo Bussia Dardi Le Rose is an exotic beauty that very much captures all of the nuances of this site. Sweet floral and savory notes open first. Layered and also quite potent, the 2019 has a ton to offer, but it also needs time to come around. Graphite, rose petal, mint, sage and sweet pipe tobacco extend the finish, with veins of tannin that wrap it all together. Superb.
- Vinous Media/ Galloni, 95
STORY
The Colla family has been a winemaking family in Langhe since the beginning of the 18th century. Despite their long history, Poderi Colla is one of the newest estates in the region. It was started in 1994 by Tino Colla and his niece, Federica (the daughter of the legendary winemaker Beppe Colla of Prunotto fame).
Beppe Colla bought Prunotto in 1956 and made his first single vineyard wines in 1961. He was one of the first winemakers to focus on bottling single vineyard wines across his entire range. He had the opportunity to travel to Burgundy in the 1950s and that’s where he was inspired to make single vineyard wines. Beppe's calling card became his Barolo Bussia, and it remained his favorite vineyard until he sold Prunotto in 1990. He only sold the winery; he kept his favorite vineyards - Roncaglie and Bussia.
What is now Poderi Colla is the product of thirty years’ experience from owning Prunotto and vinifying nearly all the great vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco. Beppe, Frederica, and Tino used their intimate understanding of vineyards throughout the region to buy three specific estates, with the more recent addition of a fourth (Bricco Bompè) for winemaking. Those four estates now comprise Poderi Colla.
The Poderi Colla plots are undoubtedly among the most prestigious of the Langhe, varying in expositions and soil types across the various crus. Dardi Le Rose is Bussia at its finest expression, with soils rich in clay and a southwest exposition that guarantees aging potential.
All the wines produced today are single vineyards. They currently have 25 hectares but only produce around 150K bottles - 70% of what they could produce. They are dedicated to working with only the best fruit and selling the rest off. As a result, they do not make any “second wines”. Though the Colla family does not have organic or biodynamic certifications, they work the land in the best way for the environment using limited treatments (and all organic, when used) preferring to use canopy management and green manure to regulate during the growing season. All work in the vineyards is manual.
Few are more traditional than Poderi Colla. Thanks to Beppe’s lasting imprint, they always maintain respect for the past, while also being open to improvement. They macerate their wines for a couple of weeks during fermentation, followed by aging in large old barrels: Barolo for 24 months and Barbaresco for 14. Beppe tended to gravitate towards “less is more” in terms of extraction; his attention was always in the vineyard and despite a true lack of forecasting back in the day, he preferred picking late to ensure for optimal ripeness in order not to use lengthy macerations and fermentations to polymerize tannins, because none of the grapes would be green. In a sense, his approach was progressive for the times, and Beppe was among the winemakers who helped better define a voice for the terroirs and a name for dry Nebbiolo.
