Dolcetto in 2014
Earlier this year I was able to spend a couple of weeks in Piedmont. Of course my mission there was to asses the upcoming 2010 and 2011 Barolo and Barbaresco wines, an article which is nearing completion, but today I wanted to focus on wines that were more appropriate to the season. While I love Nebbiolo based wines , they are not necessarily an ideal summer wine, with their not inconsequential alcohol. Piedmont does of course have wines that are perfectly suited for summertime consumption, namely Barbera and Dolcetto.
A few years back you wouldn’t have caught me recommending the later over the former but my how things have changed. A couple of less than intense vintages and a gradual pulling back from extremes has created a new style of Dolcetto, that greatly resembles the old style of Dolcetto.
Confusing? Just a little, but wow is Dolcetto making an impression on me these days!
So what was the old style of Dolcetto? It was light and easy drinking; the everyday wine of Piedmont, and in some ways the white wine of a region that essentially had no white wine. It was also not always fully ripe, and often suffered from issues of reduction, to which it is particularly prone. Now that doesn’t sound good, does it?
That’s where the new style comes in. Dolcetto is notoriously difficult to produce, more so than Barolo by all accounts. In the vineyard the vines tend to be vigorous and need a lot of management, and in the cellar that reduction issue can be a huge problem, requiring very attentive winemaking. While that was not always the case in the past, today's winemakers are absolutely nailing it in both the vineyard and the cellar, resulting in wines that are clean, pure, and even elegant, which certainly was not the case with old school Dolcetto.
It wasn’t even the case with recent Dolcetto. Before producers returned to a lighter style of Dolcetto, which frankly was made possible by the improvements in their techniques and methods, they had flirted with a style change. Dolcetto had become, in some quarters and for some time, DOLCETTO! Gone were the low alcohol levels, fresh, clear, bright fruit, and eminent drinkability that should be Dolcetto d’Alba’s hallmarks. Notice I changed nomenclature there on you. There are place where, for specific reasons, Dolcetto can be made into more powerful wines with great success. Dogliani to the south of Barolo and Ovada over to the east are two regions that focus on Dolcetto and excel with myriad styles. So why shouldn’t the Langhe?
In a word: nebbiolo. In the Langhe, where Barolo and barbaresco are produced, Nebbiolo is king and tends to occupy every square inch of prime vineyard ground. And then there is Barbera, which squeezes into the secondary vineyard sites essentially relegating Dolcetto to the lesser sites. This was perfectly fine for making vino da pasto, food wines for everyday drinking, but when it came to trying to make something important from these grapes, well the raw material simply wasn’t there. I visited one producer who makes Dogliani, Dolcetto from the region around the town of the same name, and the wines were strikingly different than the typical Dolcetto d’Alba, for good reason of course and frankly I am happy that this is becoming increasingly the case.
I am writing this today specifically because I feel that Dolcetto, this new/old hybrid style of Dolcetto in particular, is ideally suited to serving as a summertime red. they take a slight chill well, being relatively low in tannin and with excellent juicy acids. they are eminently food friendly, with just a hook of bitter almond to them that both helps to highlight their fruity flavors and gives so many savory flavors something to play off when pairing these wines with food. That of course is what you should be doing. Dolcetto has returned, in a certain way, to being a vino da pasto, though in a foodie kind of way.
These are not simple wines per se. They offer an array of flavors that are intriguing, but the weight, texture, and balance of these wines should appeal to both the novice and more well travelled palates. I freely admit to being incredibly underwhelmed by many if not most, yes even almost all Dolcetto as recently as a half dozen years ago, but things have changed. Now is a fabulous time to reacquaint yourself with Dolcetto. And to make things even more attractive the wines tend to be relatively inexpensive, an added bonus and a result of producers backing off the extremely low yields they were after when DOLCETTO was their goal.
[PAGEBREAK]
I tasted an almost even split between 2012 and 2013 Dolcetto while in Italy, and this should roughly represent while you’ll find on store shelves over the coming year. The vintages are different in character so a few words should be spent on them. Before I dive in there i would add that Dolcetto does not die in the bottle that quickly. While it is a wine to be enjoyed in it’s youth, i often find that a bottle with two year ageing often shows at its best and that peak usually lasts another year or two before the wine begins a gentle decline. If you see examples from 2009, 2010, or 2011 don’t shy away from trying them. If they were stored well they should still offer some terrific drinking.
2013 was not a particularly easy, or even growing season in Piedmont. The season got off to an early, fast start, though more from moisture than heat which created early disease pressures among the vines. The season then slowed down over much of the summer. The style of vintage is both a bit tougher and a bit more robust than previous vintages, but skilled winemakers were able to handle that extra body and richness deftly and produced some compelling wines that show remarkable balance due to lower alcohols that resulted from unusually cool nights late in the season and a touch of dilutive rain that fell shortly before the dolcetto harvest. Overall this is a very attractive vintage for the region that combines power and freshness in a rather unusual way.
2012 on the other hand was equally challenging but produced a distinctly different style of wine. The vintage was small one, with yields down 20%-30% in many places due to problems during flowers. The growing season was slow and steady with rains late in August and lower than average temperatures causing some concern for early ripening varieties such as Dolcetto. In the end though the natural reduction in crop loads allowed for the production of some perfectly ripe, yet delicate and aromatic wines. these are not blockbusters, just particularly pretty wines that are classic Dolcettos. Paired with the wines of 2013, these wines offer a different take on the variety and trying the vintage side by side is a fascinating way to better appreciate the range of styles and flavors this often ignored variety is capable of!
2011 Einaudi Vigna Tecc Dogliani Superiore $25
One year in botte, selected in vineyard,
Dark, earthy, and a bit high toned on the dark berry fruited nose which shows a bit of shaved bitter chocolate, and has has some beefy aspects to it. Power and elegance come together in the mouth where this shows subtle tannins, rich fruit, and a nice mineral vein that flows gently across the palate. The deep fruit is fresh and firm on the backend and through the long finish. There’s real persistence to the, big raspberry fruit, finishing with fine cut and good energy. Wow this is packed with fresh fruit, a really lovely Dolcetto in a more modern, powerful style. 93pts
2012 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba $30
Rue, Monrobiolo, Bussia the piece in Barolo, 5000 to 6000 bottles
Deep violet and almond aromas on the nose are a little inky and show some complex graphite notes. Perfumy, rich and soft in the mouth, this shows some dusty tannins and mineral inflections on the palate along with brilliant, polished and beautiful flavors of black cherry and red berry fruit. Precise, sapid and long on the finish with grape skin flavors and a classic bitter almond finale. Superb Dolcetto in a truly classic style. 93pts
2013 Cascina delle Rose A Elizabeth Dolcetto d’Alba $18
Violet, almond, and damson plum skin are all layered over a lightly earthy base note on the finely delicate nose. Showing pretty big fruit up front, this is quite ripe and even a little jammy in the mouth, though fine tannins and firmly integrated acids add some backbone on the midpalate where this gains a lovely earthy purity. The crisp little tannins pop on the backend where this gains a lovely vinous quality. The finish shows some warmth but is also quite complex with hints of iris and beetroot accenting the core of earthy berry fruit. This still has room to grow. 91pts
2013 Elvio Cogno Dolcetto d’Alba Mandorlo $20
Fresh with clear bright violet, bitter almond and earthy plum aromas that gain dark cherry fruit, and a little charry earthy smoky top note with some air. Opening with bright acids, this is fruity and fresh in the mouth with plum skin and black cherry skin flavors that are rather edgy and very freshly fruity. Bracing and mouth cleansing, this is raw and round and seamless in a fairly medium light to light bodied wine. Lovely grape skin tannins and fine acids slice through the palate like a knife through butter. Can’t wait to try this with grilled tuna and grilled pork. The all-purpose Dolcetto. 91pts
2013 E. Pira Dolcetto $21
Gorgeous freshness on the nose, all wild raspberry toned with hints of of ink, graphite minerals, and bright violet notes. This shows superb focus and energy on the nose and shows a nice hint of richness early on the palate, followed by bright and juicy wild berry fruit that has lovely purity and fine complexity with crisp fruit tannins and bright acids adding a lively, engaging texture. Finishing with zippy, slightly astringent red and slightly blue fruits this is delicious. 91pts
2013 Giuseppe Rinaldi Dolcetto d’Alba $NA
Sampled out of SS tank
Musky and dark on the nose with reductive funk covering a lot of the detail. Rich, supple, and yet with bright acids in the mouth this shows superb freshness and good density. Not a small wine, but rather nimble on the palate this is packed with plum and raspberry fruit all supported by super fine, ripe fruit tannins. i expect the nose here to clean up at which point this should warrant a score in the 89-91pt range.
2013 Francesco Clerico Dolcetto d’Alba $NA
Organic
Handfuls of earth, spicy black fruit, cherries and almond greet the nose. What a texture this has, smooth, supple and yet bright, and super clear on the palate which shows of wonderfully fresh small berry fruit. While definitely in the juicy end of the style, this shows a bit of mineral and some forest floor on the plate. There’s a hint of VA here that adds lift to the very aromatic finish. Nuanced and aromatic. 89pts
2012 Burlotto Dolcetto d’Alba $17
Spends a few months in botte
Plum skins, shoe black, and a floral extract come together on the nose. Onentry this offers a huge punch of elegant, fresh pure and simple fruit that makes this seem to be a bit on the fruity side with supple small ripe tannins, black plum fruit and a little edge of black raspberry. Turning more delicate and fine on the backend that comes on with a pop of fruit and a very subtle bitter edge, hinting at that bitter almond note in the finale. 88pts
2012 Einaudi Dogliani Dolcetto $17
Only SS.
Pretty on the nose, fruity and spicy with floral aromas, a hint of blue flowers and blue fruit. Big fruit on entry, and round, in a juicy opulent style. this is soft and mouth filling with fairly rich, fine grained fruit tannins supporting plummy fruit. Nice acids keep this well balanced and those little tannins build on the palate and finish, which is long with a hint of minerality and a shading of bitterness on the fairly long, raspberry tinged finish. 88pts
2012 Ferdinando Principiano Dolcetto d’Alba Sant'Anna $20
Incredibly floral and bright on the nose with layers of herbal and wild berry fruit aromas. On entry this has a surprising mineral note and just a little tannin on the palate supporting slightly fleshy plum and black cherry fruit. There’s a fine tannin base here, not intrusive but firm and reinforced by the mineral aspect here. That minerality lingers through the rather long finish. This is quite fine if not as fruity as many examples. 88pts
2013 Barale Dolcetto d’Alba $20
Violets out the ass, like amazingly so, followed by almonds, crushed black plum and graphite. This is medium bodied to lighter styled with very fresh, very pretty fruit that is lively on the palate with great inner mouth perfumes. Neither as complex nore as intense as the nose, the palate here is lightly fruity, fresh, with lovely soft tannins. Very complete Dolcetto that is a joy to smell. 88pts
2012 Brovia Vignavillej Dolcetto d’Alba $22
Bottled two weeks ago
Hint of VA greets the nose along with dark fruit aromas that are tight and continue to show some fermentation aromas along with a hint of pencil lead. Powerful and smooth in the mouth, this is juicy and darkly fruity with notes of sliced plum and spiced jerky flecked with mineral on the palate. Tense on the backend, this is lighter bodied but with some tactile presence in the mouth, though soft and gentle with small tannins that add enough firmness and length to the long slightly candied, plummy finish. 88pts
2012 Rizzi Dolcetto d’Alba $NA
Pretty fruit on the nose has a decidedly balsamic cast to the very floral, raspberry fruit. Quite polished in the mouth, and a bit rich on the palate with fine grained tannins, and good supporting acids. There’s lots of bold, sweet fruit, as well as plenty of crunchy, crisp grape tannins that firms this up on the backend. Soft, broad and full of cherry fruit in the mouth, this gains a bit of sweet almond on the finish. Classic fruity and fun style with good complexity. 88pts
2013 Giacomo Fenocchio Dolcetto d’Alba $17
Tank sample
Pretty if slightly gamy tinged berry fruit greets the nose which is surprisingly savory with gentle violet accents. On entry one finds a bright, high acid example of Dolcetto with surprisingly tough little tannins. Flavors of violets, and that gamy berry fruit of the nose gain a touch of mineral, and a little spice on the backend, along with a hint of orange oil on the moderately long finish. This is a bit earthy through the midpalate. 87-89pts
2013 Guido Porro Dolcetto d’Alba I Pari $16
Fruity, dark, earthy, and muscular on the nose with spicy black berry fruit. A little chewy in the mouth, earthy and bright, with supple, soft tannins good acids supporting lots of wild berry fruit. The small tannins show a bit of tree bark spiciness on the long finish. Very friendly and with good depth of fruit, this does have a hint of candied fruit on the finish placing this smack dab in the middle, stylistically between the lighter and more powerful examples. 87pts
2012 Cavallotto Dolcetto d'Alba Vigna Scot $17
There’s a lovely herbal medicinal character on the nose here, a little nettle toned over blackberry and black plum fruit. Bright, light, very clear and precise on the palate, this is made in a rather lean and decisive style that highlights the nice blackberry palate and slightly dried meaty finish. Tiny dusty tannins add a touch of astringency on the palate which shows a bit of dusty notion leading to modest if quite floral toned finish. Small scaled very Barbera like Dolcetto. 87pts
2013 Francesco Rinaldi Dolcetto d’Alba Roussot $17
Oddly sliced peaches are the first notes I get on the nose followed by a rather assertive floral white flower and Iris note. Air brings out some rust and rhubarb but this remains a bit coy on the nose. On entry this is notably structured, a bit medicinal and white earth toned, with austere tannins, in a strict, austere, and unrelentingly Cannubi style. Lots of crushed berry fruit on the backend bodes well for the futures and the moderately long finish is all soil, tannin, and strawberry seeds driven. This needs time to come together and will undoubtedly be better next year. I actually quite like this. 87pts
2013 Prunotto Dolcetto d'Alba $17
Bottled 20 days ago
A bit candied on the nose, and a little matte smelling though with some African violet earthiness but not much and the fruit is a little bruised and cooked, Wow this has high acid on entry, bright and vibrant in the mouth with low intensity but pure and fresh flavors of raspberries and a hint of cherry fruit, that is simple but zesty as hell,This may turn some people off with its really pronounced acidity but serve this at 60 degrees this summer and it makes for a gorgeous picnic wine The clear, spicy fruit shows nice persistence with gentle fruit skin tannins lingering on the finish. 87pts
2012 Massolino Dolcetto d'Alba $18
To ensure a softer style they extract the grape seeds after a day and half of fermentation, then again after three days
Super spicy, floral, and fruity on the nose with a black spice character hinting at licorice with a huge rush of currant fruit. Round and a bit soft in the mouth, this shows nice depth of fruit in an easy going style that lacks some precision on the palate. It does have a great, easy drinking texture, a bit peachy and plummy flavored with some nice piquant, grape skin tannins, and a bit of sweetness to the fruit that leads to a touch of heaviness on the palate. The hint of plushness makes this very easygoing, a bit too easy for me but this should prove very popular. 87pts
2012 Oddero Dolcetto d’Alba $17
Buttery and a bit bubblegummy on the nose, this is very fruity with lots of blueberry fruit and accent notes of ivy and rose petal, along with a touch of reduction. A little sweet on the nose, and then soft, slightly rich, and almost chunky in the mouth. This is a very easy going, laid back style of Dolcetto that is a bit too easy and supple for my palate but should find a broad audience with its gulpable fruit and nice mineral tinge on the finish. 85pts
2013 Sordo Dolcetto d'Alba $NA
Classic if slightly muddy aromas of violets, almonds and ivy come together quite attractively on the floral and spicy nose. Bright acids lead the way in the mouth which shows a lean and fully commercial old school style of tight and raw fruit. This is aged in SS and it shows, and while a bit lean this is very fresh with a hint of tomato in the mouth and tannins that are a little crude, but should round out nicely with a little bottle age. I expect this to show better in 6 to 12 months. 84pts
2012 Brezza Dolcetto d'Alba $20
All SS from San Lorenzo and Fossati vineyards
Pretty on the nose with fresh slightly woodsy and spicy aromas that show some African violet earthiness, Medium plus bodied in the mouth, and perhaps a touch dilute, though fresh with rose stem and herb flavors embedded in fresh wild black raspberry and black plum skin fruit. This is very fresh and easy on the palate but lacks some stuffing 84pts
A few years back you wouldn’t have caught me recommending the later over the former but my how things have changed. A couple of less than intense vintages and a gradual pulling back from extremes has created a new style of Dolcetto, that greatly resembles the old style of Dolcetto.
Confusing? Just a little, but wow is Dolcetto making an impression on me these days!
So what was the old style of Dolcetto? It was light and easy drinking; the everyday wine of Piedmont, and in some ways the white wine of a region that essentially had no white wine. It was also not always fully ripe, and often suffered from issues of reduction, to which it is particularly prone. Now that doesn’t sound good, does it?
That’s where the new style comes in. Dolcetto is notoriously difficult to produce, more so than Barolo by all accounts. In the vineyard the vines tend to be vigorous and need a lot of management, and in the cellar that reduction issue can be a huge problem, requiring very attentive winemaking. While that was not always the case in the past, today's winemakers are absolutely nailing it in both the vineyard and the cellar, resulting in wines that are clean, pure, and even elegant, which certainly was not the case with old school Dolcetto.
It wasn’t even the case with recent Dolcetto. Before producers returned to a lighter style of Dolcetto, which frankly was made possible by the improvements in their techniques and methods, they had flirted with a style change. Dolcetto had become, in some quarters and for some time, DOLCETTO! Gone were the low alcohol levels, fresh, clear, bright fruit, and eminent drinkability that should be Dolcetto d’Alba’s hallmarks. Notice I changed nomenclature there on you. There are place where, for specific reasons, Dolcetto can be made into more powerful wines with great success. Dogliani to the south of Barolo and Ovada over to the east are two regions that focus on Dolcetto and excel with myriad styles. So why shouldn’t the Langhe?
In a word: nebbiolo. In the Langhe, where Barolo and barbaresco are produced, Nebbiolo is king and tends to occupy every square inch of prime vineyard ground. And then there is Barbera, which squeezes into the secondary vineyard sites essentially relegating Dolcetto to the lesser sites. This was perfectly fine for making vino da pasto, food wines for everyday drinking, but when it came to trying to make something important from these grapes, well the raw material simply wasn’t there. I visited one producer who makes Dogliani, Dolcetto from the region around the town of the same name, and the wines were strikingly different than the typical Dolcetto d’Alba, for good reason of course and frankly I am happy that this is becoming increasingly the case.
I am writing this today specifically because I feel that Dolcetto, this new/old hybrid style of Dolcetto in particular, is ideally suited to serving as a summertime red. they take a slight chill well, being relatively low in tannin and with excellent juicy acids. they are eminently food friendly, with just a hook of bitter almond to them that both helps to highlight their fruity flavors and gives so many savory flavors something to play off when pairing these wines with food. That of course is what you should be doing. Dolcetto has returned, in a certain way, to being a vino da pasto, though in a foodie kind of way.
These are not simple wines per se. They offer an array of flavors that are intriguing, but the weight, texture, and balance of these wines should appeal to both the novice and more well travelled palates. I freely admit to being incredibly underwhelmed by many if not most, yes even almost all Dolcetto as recently as a half dozen years ago, but things have changed. Now is a fabulous time to reacquaint yourself with Dolcetto. And to make things even more attractive the wines tend to be relatively inexpensive, an added bonus and a result of producers backing off the extremely low yields they were after when DOLCETTO was their goal.
[PAGEBREAK]
I tasted an almost even split between 2012 and 2013 Dolcetto while in Italy, and this should roughly represent while you’ll find on store shelves over the coming year. The vintages are different in character so a few words should be spent on them. Before I dive in there i would add that Dolcetto does not die in the bottle that quickly. While it is a wine to be enjoyed in it’s youth, i often find that a bottle with two year ageing often shows at its best and that peak usually lasts another year or two before the wine begins a gentle decline. If you see examples from 2009, 2010, or 2011 don’t shy away from trying them. If they were stored well they should still offer some terrific drinking.
2013 was not a particularly easy, or even growing season in Piedmont. The season got off to an early, fast start, though more from moisture than heat which created early disease pressures among the vines. The season then slowed down over much of the summer. The style of vintage is both a bit tougher and a bit more robust than previous vintages, but skilled winemakers were able to handle that extra body and richness deftly and produced some compelling wines that show remarkable balance due to lower alcohols that resulted from unusually cool nights late in the season and a touch of dilutive rain that fell shortly before the dolcetto harvest. Overall this is a very attractive vintage for the region that combines power and freshness in a rather unusual way.
2012 on the other hand was equally challenging but produced a distinctly different style of wine. The vintage was small one, with yields down 20%-30% in many places due to problems during flowers. The growing season was slow and steady with rains late in August and lower than average temperatures causing some concern for early ripening varieties such as Dolcetto. In the end though the natural reduction in crop loads allowed for the production of some perfectly ripe, yet delicate and aromatic wines. these are not blockbusters, just particularly pretty wines that are classic Dolcettos. Paired with the wines of 2013, these wines offer a different take on the variety and trying the vintage side by side is a fascinating way to better appreciate the range of styles and flavors this often ignored variety is capable of!
2011 Einaudi Vigna Tecc Dogliani Superiore $25
One year in botte, selected in vineyard,
Dark, earthy, and a bit high toned on the dark berry fruited nose which shows a bit of shaved bitter chocolate, and has has some beefy aspects to it. Power and elegance come together in the mouth where this shows subtle tannins, rich fruit, and a nice mineral vein that flows gently across the palate. The deep fruit is fresh and firm on the backend and through the long finish. There’s real persistence to the, big raspberry fruit, finishing with fine cut and good energy. Wow this is packed with fresh fruit, a really lovely Dolcetto in a more modern, powerful style. 93pts
2012 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba $30
Rue, Monrobiolo, Bussia the piece in Barolo, 5000 to 6000 bottles
Deep violet and almond aromas on the nose are a little inky and show some complex graphite notes. Perfumy, rich and soft in the mouth, this shows some dusty tannins and mineral inflections on the palate along with brilliant, polished and beautiful flavors of black cherry and red berry fruit. Precise, sapid and long on the finish with grape skin flavors and a classic bitter almond finale. Superb Dolcetto in a truly classic style. 93pts
2013 Cascina delle Rose A Elizabeth Dolcetto d’Alba $18
Violet, almond, and damson plum skin are all layered over a lightly earthy base note on the finely delicate nose. Showing pretty big fruit up front, this is quite ripe and even a little jammy in the mouth, though fine tannins and firmly integrated acids add some backbone on the midpalate where this gains a lovely earthy purity. The crisp little tannins pop on the backend where this gains a lovely vinous quality. The finish shows some warmth but is also quite complex with hints of iris and beetroot accenting the core of earthy berry fruit. This still has room to grow. 91pts
2013 Elvio Cogno Dolcetto d’Alba Mandorlo $20
Fresh with clear bright violet, bitter almond and earthy plum aromas that gain dark cherry fruit, and a little charry earthy smoky top note with some air. Opening with bright acids, this is fruity and fresh in the mouth with plum skin and black cherry skin flavors that are rather edgy and very freshly fruity. Bracing and mouth cleansing, this is raw and round and seamless in a fairly medium light to light bodied wine. Lovely grape skin tannins and fine acids slice through the palate like a knife through butter. Can’t wait to try this with grilled tuna and grilled pork. The all-purpose Dolcetto. 91pts
2013 E. Pira Dolcetto $21
Gorgeous freshness on the nose, all wild raspberry toned with hints of of ink, graphite minerals, and bright violet notes. This shows superb focus and energy on the nose and shows a nice hint of richness early on the palate, followed by bright and juicy wild berry fruit that has lovely purity and fine complexity with crisp fruit tannins and bright acids adding a lively, engaging texture. Finishing with zippy, slightly astringent red and slightly blue fruits this is delicious. 91pts
2013 Giuseppe Rinaldi Dolcetto d’Alba $NA
Sampled out of SS tank
Musky and dark on the nose with reductive funk covering a lot of the detail. Rich, supple, and yet with bright acids in the mouth this shows superb freshness and good density. Not a small wine, but rather nimble on the palate this is packed with plum and raspberry fruit all supported by super fine, ripe fruit tannins. i expect the nose here to clean up at which point this should warrant a score in the 89-91pt range.
2013 Francesco Clerico Dolcetto d’Alba $NA
Organic
Handfuls of earth, spicy black fruit, cherries and almond greet the nose. What a texture this has, smooth, supple and yet bright, and super clear on the palate which shows of wonderfully fresh small berry fruit. While definitely in the juicy end of the style, this shows a bit of mineral and some forest floor on the plate. There’s a hint of VA here that adds lift to the very aromatic finish. Nuanced and aromatic. 89pts
2012 Burlotto Dolcetto d’Alba $17
Spends a few months in botte
Plum skins, shoe black, and a floral extract come together on the nose. Onentry this offers a huge punch of elegant, fresh pure and simple fruit that makes this seem to be a bit on the fruity side with supple small ripe tannins, black plum fruit and a little edge of black raspberry. Turning more delicate and fine on the backend that comes on with a pop of fruit and a very subtle bitter edge, hinting at that bitter almond note in the finale. 88pts
2012 Einaudi Dogliani Dolcetto $17
Only SS.
Pretty on the nose, fruity and spicy with floral aromas, a hint of blue flowers and blue fruit. Big fruit on entry, and round, in a juicy opulent style. this is soft and mouth filling with fairly rich, fine grained fruit tannins supporting plummy fruit. Nice acids keep this well balanced and those little tannins build on the palate and finish, which is long with a hint of minerality and a shading of bitterness on the fairly long, raspberry tinged finish. 88pts
2012 Ferdinando Principiano Dolcetto d’Alba Sant'Anna $20
Incredibly floral and bright on the nose with layers of herbal and wild berry fruit aromas. On entry this has a surprising mineral note and just a little tannin on the palate supporting slightly fleshy plum and black cherry fruit. There’s a fine tannin base here, not intrusive but firm and reinforced by the mineral aspect here. That minerality lingers through the rather long finish. This is quite fine if not as fruity as many examples. 88pts
2013 Barale Dolcetto d’Alba $20
Violets out the ass, like amazingly so, followed by almonds, crushed black plum and graphite. This is medium bodied to lighter styled with very fresh, very pretty fruit that is lively on the palate with great inner mouth perfumes. Neither as complex nore as intense as the nose, the palate here is lightly fruity, fresh, with lovely soft tannins. Very complete Dolcetto that is a joy to smell. 88pts
2012 Brovia Vignavillej Dolcetto d’Alba $22
Bottled two weeks ago
Hint of VA greets the nose along with dark fruit aromas that are tight and continue to show some fermentation aromas along with a hint of pencil lead. Powerful and smooth in the mouth, this is juicy and darkly fruity with notes of sliced plum and spiced jerky flecked with mineral on the palate. Tense on the backend, this is lighter bodied but with some tactile presence in the mouth, though soft and gentle with small tannins that add enough firmness and length to the long slightly candied, plummy finish. 88pts
2012 Rizzi Dolcetto d’Alba $NA
Pretty fruit on the nose has a decidedly balsamic cast to the very floral, raspberry fruit. Quite polished in the mouth, and a bit rich on the palate with fine grained tannins, and good supporting acids. There’s lots of bold, sweet fruit, as well as plenty of crunchy, crisp grape tannins that firms this up on the backend. Soft, broad and full of cherry fruit in the mouth, this gains a bit of sweet almond on the finish. Classic fruity and fun style with good complexity. 88pts
2013 Giacomo Fenocchio Dolcetto d’Alba $17
Tank sample
Pretty if slightly gamy tinged berry fruit greets the nose which is surprisingly savory with gentle violet accents. On entry one finds a bright, high acid example of Dolcetto with surprisingly tough little tannins. Flavors of violets, and that gamy berry fruit of the nose gain a touch of mineral, and a little spice on the backend, along with a hint of orange oil on the moderately long finish. This is a bit earthy through the midpalate. 87-89pts
2013 Guido Porro Dolcetto d’Alba I Pari $16
Fruity, dark, earthy, and muscular on the nose with spicy black berry fruit. A little chewy in the mouth, earthy and bright, with supple, soft tannins good acids supporting lots of wild berry fruit. The small tannins show a bit of tree bark spiciness on the long finish. Very friendly and with good depth of fruit, this does have a hint of candied fruit on the finish placing this smack dab in the middle, stylistically between the lighter and more powerful examples. 87pts
2012 Cavallotto Dolcetto d'Alba Vigna Scot $17
There’s a lovely herbal medicinal character on the nose here, a little nettle toned over blackberry and black plum fruit. Bright, light, very clear and precise on the palate, this is made in a rather lean and decisive style that highlights the nice blackberry palate and slightly dried meaty finish. Tiny dusty tannins add a touch of astringency on the palate which shows a bit of dusty notion leading to modest if quite floral toned finish. Small scaled very Barbera like Dolcetto. 87pts
2013 Francesco Rinaldi Dolcetto d’Alba Roussot $17
Oddly sliced peaches are the first notes I get on the nose followed by a rather assertive floral white flower and Iris note. Air brings out some rust and rhubarb but this remains a bit coy on the nose. On entry this is notably structured, a bit medicinal and white earth toned, with austere tannins, in a strict, austere, and unrelentingly Cannubi style. Lots of crushed berry fruit on the backend bodes well for the futures and the moderately long finish is all soil, tannin, and strawberry seeds driven. This needs time to come together and will undoubtedly be better next year. I actually quite like this. 87pts
2013 Prunotto Dolcetto d'Alba $17
Bottled 20 days ago
A bit candied on the nose, and a little matte smelling though with some African violet earthiness but not much and the fruit is a little bruised and cooked, Wow this has high acid on entry, bright and vibrant in the mouth with low intensity but pure and fresh flavors of raspberries and a hint of cherry fruit, that is simple but zesty as hell,This may turn some people off with its really pronounced acidity but serve this at 60 degrees this summer and it makes for a gorgeous picnic wine The clear, spicy fruit shows nice persistence with gentle fruit skin tannins lingering on the finish. 87pts
2012 Massolino Dolcetto d'Alba $18
To ensure a softer style they extract the grape seeds after a day and half of fermentation, then again after three days
Super spicy, floral, and fruity on the nose with a black spice character hinting at licorice with a huge rush of currant fruit. Round and a bit soft in the mouth, this shows nice depth of fruit in an easy going style that lacks some precision on the palate. It does have a great, easy drinking texture, a bit peachy and plummy flavored with some nice piquant, grape skin tannins, and a bit of sweetness to the fruit that leads to a touch of heaviness on the palate. The hint of plushness makes this very easygoing, a bit too easy for me but this should prove very popular. 87pts
2012 Oddero Dolcetto d’Alba $17
Buttery and a bit bubblegummy on the nose, this is very fruity with lots of blueberry fruit and accent notes of ivy and rose petal, along with a touch of reduction. A little sweet on the nose, and then soft, slightly rich, and almost chunky in the mouth. This is a very easy going, laid back style of Dolcetto that is a bit too easy and supple for my palate but should find a broad audience with its gulpable fruit and nice mineral tinge on the finish. 85pts
2013 Sordo Dolcetto d'Alba $NA
Classic if slightly muddy aromas of violets, almonds and ivy come together quite attractively on the floral and spicy nose. Bright acids lead the way in the mouth which shows a lean and fully commercial old school style of tight and raw fruit. This is aged in SS and it shows, and while a bit lean this is very fresh with a hint of tomato in the mouth and tannins that are a little crude, but should round out nicely with a little bottle age. I expect this to show better in 6 to 12 months. 84pts
2012 Brezza Dolcetto d'Alba $20
All SS from San Lorenzo and Fossati vineyards
Pretty on the nose with fresh slightly woodsy and spicy aromas that show some African violet earthiness, Medium plus bodied in the mouth, and perhaps a touch dilute, though fresh with rose stem and herb flavors embedded in fresh wild black raspberry and black plum skin fruit. This is very fresh and easy on the palate but lacks some stuffing 84pts