Product Line
Piemonte
Perched on the rolling foothills before stunning snow capped alps, Piedmont in Italy’s northwest is not just a serious wine capital. From white truffles to hazelnuts, it’s got food cred as the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and is a UNESCO World heritage area for its culture of food and drink.
Red or white?
Whilst there’s some white here, the red grapes rule the roost. Chief among them the trio of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. The thread uniting this gang are persistent tannins, savoury red fruit and their elegant perfume.
Grapes
White: Moscato, Cortese
Red: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Style
Nebbiolo with its floral nose, layers of complex flavour, and fierce tannin and acid, is capable of ageing and evolving over decades. Whether from single vineyards or blends, it’s at its finest in both Barolo and Barbaresco.
For both price and performance Dolcetto is the everyday star, whilst Barbera’s acid and dusty red fruit will appeal to Pinot drinkers.
And you might know Moscato? The village of Asti, its home base, gifted this joyful, floral fizz to the world. Known as frizzante for its slightly sweet, slightly sparkling style.
Favourite Producers
Rizzi, Marchesi Alfieri, Matteo Correggia, Francesco Rinaldi, Gianfranco Alessandria, GD Vajra, Vietti, Giacomo Conterno, Massolino, Produttori del Barbaresco, Bruno Giacosa, Forteto della Luja
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Albino Rocca Dolcetto d'Alba 2021The 2021 Dolcetto d'Alba captures all the elegance of this late-ripening vintage. Fresh and aromatic, with striking depth, the 2021 is lights out. A burst of dark red cherry, plum, rose petal and lavender lingers on the impossibly long finish. The 2021 is the best Dolcetto here in recent memory. Antonio Galloni
2021DolcettoItaly457Special Price $34.00 Regular Price $40.00 -
Diego & Damiano Barale Dolcetto 2021Fruit entirely sourced from the Monforte d'Alba Cru of San Giovanni, which lends the wine a darker element and a touch of the more savoury, ironstone character. They are background notes to the brighter, fresher more gregarious elements that come to the fore. There is weaves of spice, rosehip tea. Primary, approachable and oh so drinkable. This is for consumption not contemplation. Not the wine to open while considering Everettian many worlds interpretation (sorry, continuing a theme from previous offers) but one to drink while listening to a solid play list and cooking something fun. Such a graceful and inviting wine this year. Get amongst it. ROSCOE
2021DolcettoItaly457Special Price $29.00 Regular Price $39.00 -
Francesco Rinaldi Dolcetto d'Alba Roussot 2023The transformation that has taken place at Francesco Rinaldi over the last few years is truly remarkable. Today's wines are cut with beautiful precision and show exceptional harmony. ANTONIO GALLONI
Today the estate is run by two sisters and each as a daughter who is slowly taking over the reins. It's a crazy combination of staunch traditionalism and a modern view on what it means to craft such historically important wines. It is an estate for which we have almost endless admiration, for many reasons not which least is the incredible quality focus they bring to their whole suuite of wines from cru Barolo to this not so humble dolcetto.
If there was ever a wine that could convince you we should be drinking more Dolcetto, then this is it. While Barolo and Barbaresco are the undeniable international stars of Piemonte, Dolcetto is it's heart and soul and a wine that is always on the Piemontese dining table and with examples like this, you can see why. Some dark red cherries and berry fruit are dusted with sweet cake spice and peppery goodness. It's a plush little package is knotted together wonderfully with a firm press of tannin, which sweeps across the palate to clean everything up at the back kept fresh by a jolt of bright acidity. The harmony and balance in this wine makes it the complete package. Not too heavy, not too light, just bloody right!2023DolcettoItaly457$45.00 As low as $40.50 -
Diego & Damiano Barale Dolcetto 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022DolcettoItaly457Special Price $29.00 Regular Price $36.00 -
Guido Porro Dolcetto d'Alba 2023Guido Porro remains one of the most underrated growers in Serralunga. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com
They are traditionalist at heart employing large format oak, no fining or filtering nor any herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards. The approach across the board is thoughtful, deliberate and with a hands-off approach in the winery. The wines are all hand harvested with either concrete or stainless steel for fermentation.2023DolcettoItaly457$43.00 As low as $38.70 -
E. Pira Chiara Boschis Dolcetto d'Alba 2023The 2023 Dolcetto D'Alba was scheduled to bottled soon after I tasted it. A youthful purple/magenta color, it was spicy out of barrel, with a lovely lift of cracked pepper, fresh black raspberries, and purple flowers. It has good structure for this vintage, with medium body and snappy, fresh acidity. Drink it over the next several years. JEB DUNNUCK2023DolcettoItaly457$63.00 As low as $56.70 -
Massolino Dolcetto d'Alba DOC 2022The 2022 Dolcetto d'Alba is a beautifully fragrant wine. Crushed flowers, mint and red/purplish fruit all grace this understated, classy Dolcetto. The 2022 is bit light in body, as almost all wines are in this year, but balance and harmony are very much present. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous2022DolcettoItaly457Special Price $36.00 Regular Price $43.00 -
Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto d'Alba 2023Sandrone’s Dolcetto is, without doubt, one of the very finest examples of the region. The consistent quality of this wine—its purity, silky texture, fine tannins and balance—can only come with perfectly ripe fruit from top sites. In this case, the sites are also high-altitude, which brings added freshness to the layers of fruit. From estate vineyards in Monforte d’Alba, Sandrone draws from Castelletto and Cascina Pe Mol. The latter sits at the top of the ridge leading from Monforte d’Alba to the hamlet of Perno and is among the highest vineyards of the region. In Novello, there are the Rocche di San Nicola vineyards and the whitish marls of Ravera—where the easterly exposure contributes perfume and aromatic complexity. Joining these sites now is fruit from Rivassi and Crosia in the commune of Barolo. There are typically 10 different parcels contributing to the blend, with any fruit not making the grade sold off in bulk. Each parcel is vinified separately before blending and the wines are aged in tank only.
The amount of care that goes into the growing of this wine is quite remarkable and it shows in the glass. There is some history here: when Luciano Sandrone was starting off, he was driven to produce greatness, yet he could only access a limited quantity of Barolo vines. He, therefore, channelled a great deal of his drive and energy into his Dolcetto (and Barbera). This helps explain the quality on offer.
2023DolcettoItaly457Special Price $40.00 Regular Price $48.00 -
Cavallotto Dolcetto d'Alba Vigna Scot 2022
Cavallotto’s single-vineyard Dolcetto Vigna Scot hails from 2.3 hectares of 30-year-old vines within Castiglione Falletto’s legendary Monprivato vineyard. These Dolcetto vines face east, meaning it’s a cooler and later-ripening part of the vineyard. The mature vines, low yields and traditional winemaking on these great soils result in a layered, deep, remarkably serious Dolcetto.
While the vast majority of Langhe Dolcetto is raised in stainless steel, the Cavallotto family prefers to use cement tank and 5,000-litre Slavonian botti. This polishes Dolcetto’s tannins and helps to avoid its tendency for reduction. As always, this is a Nebbiolo drinker’s Dolcetto (if you know what we mean) and one that punches well above its weight. What a delicious Dolcetto. It has juicy, mouthwatering texture bursting with vibrant cherry and spice and cosseted by palate-friendly, polished tannins. Already open for business yet so lovely and fresh, it is another sophisticated effort that is as deep and multifaceted an expression of this variety as you are likely to find.
2022DolcettoItaly457Special Price $49.00 Regular Price $58.00 -
Francesco Versio Dolcetto di Dogliani 2020100% Dolcetto2019DolcettoItaly457$54.00 As low as $48.60 -
Rizzi Dolcetto d'Alba 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022DolcettoItaly457$42.00 As low as $37.80