About this wine
A rare Nebbiolo passito — its name a contraction of 'Nebbiolo Passito' — made using a nearly-vanished traditional method the Fantino brothers continue to specialize in. Grapes are harvested two to three weeks earlier than for their Barolos, then dried on racks until around Christmas before pressing. Almost dry, with only about three grams of residual sugar, it is often described as 'Amarone meets Barolo,' showing a wide range of flavors including nuts, spices, dried herbs, dried fruit, and smoked meat.
Not a typical sweet dessert wine — approach it as a rare, dry, intensely flavored Nebbiolo curiosity rather than a nightcap dessert pour.
Sommelier's Note
"A dying art bottled — the Fantino brothers may be the last serious hand at Nebbiolo passito, and every bottle tastes like a small act of preservation."
Food Pairings
Best enjoyed on its own with good company at the end of a meal, rather than with dessert — its dry, tannic structure clashes with sweets, but pairs beautifully with pure dark chocolate or aged cheese.
When to drink it
End-of-meal sipping with friends, wine-geek tastings, pairing with dark chocolate
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Nebbiolo
- Style
- Sweet
- Price Range
- $55-75 (US retail, ex-tax, typically 375ml or 500ml)
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Nebbiolo, harvested 2-3 weeks before the estate's Barolo grapes and dried on racks (appassimento) until roughly Christmas before pressing. Finishes almost dry, with approximately 3 g/L residual sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Nepas?
- Nepas is short for 'Nebbiolo Passito,' a rare dried-grape Nebbiolo wine made by the Fantino brothers using a traditional, nearly-vanished Piedmontese method.
- Is it a sweet wine?
- Not really — despite being made from dried grapes, it finishes almost dry with only about 3 grams of residual sugar per liter, so it doesn't taste like a typical dessert wine.
- How is it made?
- Grapes are picked 2-3 weeks earlier than the Barolo harvest, then dried on racks until around Christmas before pressing.
- What should I pair it with?
- It's best sipped on its own after a meal, though pure dark chocolate or aged cheese can work well; avoid sugary desserts, which clash with its dry, tannic structure.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
バルベーラ・ダルバ・スペリオーレ
Barbera d'Alba Superiore
RedBarbera
A vibrant, fruit-forward Barbera from the Fantino brothers' ancient vines in Dardi, aged in large stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and varietal character. Shows cherry, cranberry, and blood orange notes, wild red fruit, and bright, mouthwatering acidity, with vintage variation ranging from robust and concentrated to lithe and refined.
バローロ「ヴィーニェ・ヴェッキエ」カッシーナ・ダルディ
Barolo "Vigne Vecchie" Cascina Dardi
RedNebbiolo
A limited old-vine selection from the Fantino brothers' Dardi holdings, made from vines averaging roughly 65 years old planted in the warm, south-facing clay soils of the Bussia cru. Textured and layered, with red fruit, dried herbs, tobacco leaf, worn leather, and anise. Produced in very limited quantities (as few as 250 cases per vintage); 2013 was the final vintage released.
バローロ・ブッシア「カッシーナ・ダルディ」
Barolo Bussia "Cascina Dardi"
RedNebbiolo
The estate's flagship Barolo, sourced entirely from the Fantino brothers' holdings in the Dardi section of the Bussia cru in Monforte d'Alba. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in traditional Slavonian oak botti, it is bottled with minimal filtration and low added sulfur. Sturdy and structured yet textured and velvety, it shows bright, toothsome black fruit alongside the classic tar-and-roses character of traditional Barolo.
バローロ・ブッシア・リゼルヴァ「カッシーナ・ダルディ」
Barolo Bussia Riserva "Cascina Dardi"
RedNebbiolo
The Riserva selection from the Fantino brothers' Dardi holdings in Bussia, released only in the best vintages after extended aging. Deep, rich, and soulful, it layers notes of rose, cherry, spice, and leather over a firm tannic backbone, and has drawn strong scores from critics such as Antonio Galloni at Vinous.
バローロ・キナート
Barolo Chinato
SweetNebbiolo
A traditional Piedmontese aromatized wine made by infusing the estate's Barolo with quinine bark (Calisaya), gentian, colombo root, and centaury, following a closely-guarded family recipe. Italian regulation requires the vintage to remain undisclosed. Sweet and deeply spiced, rich and generous on the palate, with notes of sweet medicinal herbs, bitter orange peel, and a long, complex, herbal finish. A near-vanishing traditional style that the Fantino brothers continue to specialize in.
ラボーロ・ディスオビディエント（ラボーロ・ディスビディエンテ）
Laboro Disobedient
RedNebbiolo
An idiosyncratic tribute to old-style Barolo, born from a 2005 bureaucratic mix-up that kept what was meant to be the estate's Riserva from receiving DOCG certification. Rather than reclassify it, the Fantino brothers released it under its own name and continued the practice from 2010 onward: a Barolo Riserva in style and technique, declassified deliberately to Italy's lowest legal wine category (vino rosso/table wine). Made from the estate's oldest vines (60+ years) in the south-facing Bussia cru, fermented in open-top wooden vats and aged five years in large old botti, touching only used wood and never modern technology. Deep and brawny, with dark fruit and balsamic notes of incense, tea, and spice, finishing with thick, chewy tannin.