Region: Italy - Piedmont - Dogliani
Grapes: Dolcetto
Alcohol: 14.5%
Notes on the Wine
This red is a deep purple color with violets, tea leaves, and berries on the nose.
Notes on the Producer
The quality of Dolcetto from the village of Dogliani has been skyrocketing in the last few years, and Anna Maria's work is a good example of this. Her oldest vines were planted by her grandfather in the thirties, and the vineyards are steep and perfectly exposed. More recently she has become a convert to the doctrine of low yields, and she has joined the elite of Dogliani. First, understand that producers in Dogliani take Dolcetto as seriously as producers in Barolo take Nebbiolo. Dolcetto is planted in all the best sites and vinified with great care, which is not always the case with Dolcetto d'Alba.
Highest vineyards in the Dogliani area (altitude gives fresher acidity).
Very clean, expressive red wines
Second, understand that Dolcetto is not the Beaujolais of Italy. The best modern Dolcettos have inky color, lashings of blueberry fruit, and tannins to match. In fact, the concentration of top Dogliani wines has reached a point where the tannins need to be carefully managed to be pleasant. There are three techniques that help with this - picking for phenolic ripeness, micro-oxygenation, and oak; Anna Maria is using all three.
