WELL WHAT DO YOU KNOW, we’re back in Piedmont. You’re probably scratching your mangey little head wondering why we keep coming back here, week after week.
This week we’re talking about a wonderful little grape variety known as Dolcetto.
Let’s paint a crystal clear picture for yous: if Piedmont was high school, Barolo would be prom king, Barbaresco would be class president (aka Jar Jar Binks), and Dolcetto would be the stoner who brings homemade oatmeal cookies to class and knows the best places to nap undisturbed. Indeed, underappreciated, yet an absolute staple of the landscape, Dolcetto is the unsung hero of Piedmontese wines.
And best of all? Compared to its Piedmontolopian confederates, it’s cheap.
DID YOU KNOW… Despite its name meaning "little sweet one" (LIKE ME!) in Italian, Dolcetto red wines are typically dry and pack a flavorful punch (ALSO LIKE ME!) that has made them a beloved staple of the region.
DOLCETTO, THE GRAPE
Dolcetto is an early-ripening grape with medium-sized berries and thin, waxy, bluish-black skin. It is usually harvested in late September and “boasts” good yield potential.
Dolcetto holds the “distinction” of being the third most popular red wine grape in Piedmont, following closely behind the esteemed Nebbiolo and the lesser Barbera. Interestingly, despite its popularity in Italy, Dolcetto is rarely cultivated in other wine regions.
Dolcetto is known for its vibrant and fruity flavor profile, typically offering notes of plum, blackberry, and cherry, accompanied by subtle floral hints of violet and undertones of cocoa, black pepper and sometimes licorice and almond.
Despite their name meaning "little sweet one" in Italian, they are usually dry, often displaying a balance of juicy fruitiness with a slight almond-like bitterness on the finish. The wine's style can vary depending on the specific production area within Piedmont. Generally meant to be consumed young (within 3-5 years of vintage) Dolcetto wines are popular as approachable, easy-to-drink everyday table wines in their native Piedmont region.
Langhe plays a crucial role in Dolcetto production through the Langhe DOC appellation. While Dolcetto d'Alba is a specific designation within the broader Langhe region, Dolcetto wines labeled as Langhe can source their grapes from a broader area, which can mean reduced production costs and a less distinctive style.
Alba
The Alba region of Piedmont (located within the broader Langhe region) is renowned for its exceptional wine production. Known for its vibrant and youthful character, Dolcetto d'Alba is typically deep ruby in color, featuring floral notes, with red and black fruits, and pleasantly dry, slightly bitter finish. Their freshness and lively acidity make them well suited to the rich, hearty cuisine of Piedmont.
Unlike the more robust and tannic Barolo and Barbaresco, Dolcetto d'Alba offers a softer, more fruit-forward profile that appeals to a wide range of palates. These wines are typically medium-bodied with moderate acidity and tannin.
Profile: Cranberry, red apple, orange peel, violets, licorice, almond, wet stone
Palate: Dry, medium+ tannin, medium+ acid, light body, medium finish
Enticing red fruit and floral aromas, a little tart on the palate, but all around very pleasant and goes really nicely with food. Paired it with a beet pasta in red sauce and it sang. Easy drinking, light, fairly simple. For the price, no one is complaining. 89+ points.
Profile: Plum, coffee yogurt, black tea, candied walnut, chocolate, wet stone
Palate: Dry, medium tannin, medium+ acid, medium body, medium finish
Pleasant wine with notes of plum, coffee yogurt and black tea. Very different from the Cren della Farfalla, with an earthier and darker fruit profile. Another very solid wine for the price. 89 points.
Profile: Plum, cherry, blueberry, violets, rose petals, band aid, black pepper, cocoa powder
Palate: Dry, high tannin, medium+ acid, medium body, medium finish
Incredible bargain Italian red wine for under $20. This has a good mix of red and blue (LIKE ME!) fruit, floral notes, and spice along with that classic “band aid” aroma that we often “find” in nebbiolo. This reminds us of nebbiolo in many ways, but with less tannin and acidity. If you can find er, GIT ER. 92 points.
Profile: Black and blue fruit, iodine, wet stone, violets, ashy dirt, slightly artificial
Palate: Dry, medium tannin, medium acid, medium- body, medium finish
Lacks concentration and has a slightly artificial taste to it. Aftertaste is bitter, and all around this wine doesn’t have much going on. Skip it. 84 points.
Profile: Plum, cherry, cranberry, dried strawberry, violets, walnuts, orange peel, band aid, crushed rock
Palate: Dry, high acid, medium body, medium tannin, medium finish
This is a well made Dolcetto with ample tart red fruits, minerality and floral notes, along with that tell tale “band aid” note (the clean kind!). This is a good “entry level” Dolcetto for the price category, but not quite as much concentration and complexity as some of the others we tasted.
Palate: Dry, high tannin, medium+ acid, medium+ body, medium finish
Concentrated flavors, good structure, medium finish. A little bitterness lingers on the palate. Blackberry and toasted cacao, with a hint of violet. A slight burnt rubbery note dissipates as it opens up. We won’t outright tell you not to try this wine — it’s not a bad wine, and it showed significantly better on day 2 — but the reality is that for the price, you can definitely do better, and we won’t be repeating this purchase. 88+ points.
Dolcetto baybee! Drink up.
Some closing thoughts here:
Dolcetto is a fantastic source of value, so don’t shy away from a bargain.
Try as many as you can, because there is quite a spectrum of expressions of the grape, even within a small geographical area.
Let these open up. Pretty much without exception these showed better on day 2, so if you are not wild about one the first time you taste it, try, try again.
Until next time, HAPPY DRINKING PEOPLE.
Cheers!
Isaac & Zach
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Yum yum yum! Dolcetto is my safe haven in a Piemonte flight...it's so friendly...and, as you've mentioned, such great value for money. It's good to know that there's a range of expressions...so I'll be heeding your advice...instead of releasing a sigh of tannic relief, I'll be looking out for the distinctions between the examples that I get to taste.
Yum yum yum! Dolcetto is my safe haven in a Piemonte flight...it's so friendly...and, as you've mentioned, such great value for money. It's good to know that there's a range of expressions...so I'll be heeding your advice...instead of releasing a sigh of tannic relief, I'll be looking out for the distinctions between the examples that I get to taste.