Dolcetto

"Dogliani: Dolcetto at its best." Alessandro Masnaghetti

Fresh wine with a Piedmontese soul: This Dolcetto develops a deep ruby red colour with a violet shimmer in the glass. The nose reveals inviting violet flowers and a fruity cherry flavour. Full-bodied and smooth on the palate, with fresh acidity and a slightly bitter almond note on the finish – typical of Dolcetto and interpreted in a very classic way here. The wine matured for twelve months in stainless steel tanks, which gives it freshness and a clear fruit structure. An everyday wine with a strong character and a regional profile – charming, present and very pleasant to drink. SUPERIORE.DE

Ruby with violet reflections. Round bouquet of elderberries, blueberry muffins and dried spices. Well-structured on the palate with a well-proportioned body, beautiful ripe tannins and a hint of delicate almond flavours in the round final. SUPERIORE.DE

Typical Piedmontese Dolcetto - fruity, uncomplicated and extremely charming. Munfrina smells of dark cherries, violets and a hint of bitter almond. Juicy and soft on the palate, with moderate tannins, lively freshness and a dry, pleasant finish. Matured in stainless steel, it retains its clear fruit and varietal directness. A Dolcetto for every day, authentic, accessible and honest. SUPERIORE.DE

"Our Dolcetto has typical Piedmontese DNA. Careful vinification aims to make it softer and rounder in order to emphasise its drinkability. Thanks to its special organoleptic characteristics, it not only accompanies Langhe dishes with elegance and harmony." Franco Massolino

Dogliani is THE Dolcetto country. Here, in southern Piedmont, the sometimes capricious grape variety finds ideal conditions: Calcareous, clayey soils that allow perfect ripening and a microclimate that combines elegance with structure. Pecchenino, which has been in family hands since the late 18th century, has perfected this combination – around three quarters of their production is Dolcetto, and San Luigi is the perfect introduction to what characterises this winery. The grapes come from several vineyards around the historic winery in Dogliani, all part of the San Luigi-Mencione, at altitudes between 390 and 430 metres with a south-easterly to south-westerly exposure. After the harvest, a ten-day maceration at 28°C follows before malolactic fermentation takes place naturally in stainless steel tanks. The wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel, which preserves the primary fruit and freshness of the Dolcetto.

The grapes come from the Ginestra, Mosconi and San Pietro cru sites, with around 10 rows planted outside the appellation boundaries (this is why the wine is a Langhe Dolcetto and not a Dolcetto d'Alba). Beautiful, detailed aroma of rose gardens and lavender fields. The finish is slender, soft and silky with aromatic richness and plenty of fruit. A wonderfully complex Dolcetto in the impeccable Clerico style. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come from the vineyards between La Morra and Verduno, where clay and limestone-rich soils at an altitude of 310 to 370 metres create ideal conditions for this traditional grape variety. Matteo Ascheri's approach is deliberately restrained: minimal use of technology, no barrique treatment and a respectful approach to what nature produces. The result is a Dolcetto as it should be – delicate and expressive, without being artificial or forced.

A lively and by no means everyday expression of Piedmont: this Dolcetto comes from sustainably cultivated vineyards on calcareous soils around Vergne, from vines between 25 and 60 years old (!), grown with dedication and honest meticulousness. Hand-picking took place from the end of September to the beginning of autumn, followed by a relatively long alcoholic maceration with careful temperature management. Maturation took place exclusively in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve the freshness and originality of the fruit.

Dolcetto d'Alba Augenta is another outstanding wine from Giorgio Pelissero. Rich, voluptuous and enveloping, it offers generous dark red fruits, spices, leather and liquorice, all enhanced by a short ageing period in wood. Expressive with good intensity and maturity and a good finish. Has enough complexity and structure to harmonise with almost anything at dinner. SUPERIORE.DE

This Dolcetto comes from the gently sloping, gravel and limestone-rich plots around Barolo, which Sandrone has always regarded as a wine of character in its own right. Hand-picked at the end of September, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel and careful ageing in neutral wood preserve the typicality of the grape variety and at the same time lend structure. A clear, bright purple colour with a violet hue in the glass. The bouquet is as inviting as it is precise: black cherry, blackberry and plum, surrounded by violet blossom, almonds and a hint of graphite. On the palate, it displays a harmonious combination of juicy fruit, finely integrated acidity and ripe, slightly grippy tannins. The medium-long finish carries mineral notes and a hint of herbal spice. A Dolcetto with substance and nobility that epitomises the philosophy of the house – clarity, balance and elegance – even in the supposedly simplest grape variety. SUPERIORE.DE

This Dolcetto comes from the gently sloping, gravel- and limestone-rich plots around Barolo, which Sandrone has always regarded as a wine of character in its own right. Hand-picked at the end of September, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel and careful ageing in neutral wood preserve the typicality of the grape variety and at the same time lend structure. A clear, bright purple colour with a violet hue in the glass. The bouquet is as inviting as it is precise: black cherry, blackberry and plum, surrounded by violet blossom, almonds and a hint of graphite. On the palate, it displays a harmonious combination of juicy fruit, finely integrated acidity and ripe, slightly grippy tannins. The medium-long finish carries mineral notes and a hint of herbal spice. A Dolcetto with substance and nobility that epitomises the philosophy of the house – clarity, balance and elegance – even in the supposedly simplest grape variety. SUPERIORE.DE

Dolcetto d'Alba Bricco Bastia comes from high-altitude, organically farmed plots on the Bastia hills in Monforte d'Alba. The exposed location at an altitude of around 500 metres and calcareous marl soils give the grapes freshness, fine minerality and aromatic clarity. Bright purple-red colour with violet reflections. Juicy black cherry, ripe plum and a hint of blueberry on the nose, accompanied by delicate almond notes and a hint of violet. Dry, supple and harmonious on the palate, with ripe fruit, moderate acidity and soft, well-integrated tannins. A Dolcetto full of character that shows its origins from the heart of the Langhe with confidence and a charming drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

The vines for this Dolcetto grow on the Ravera hillside in Novello, on soils rich in limestone, sand and clay with a gentle south-eastern exposure, around 380 metres above sea level. This parcel is located in Elvio Cogno's traditional cultivation centre and is all about local provenance and authenticity. The ageing – around eight months in steel barrels, without wood – emphasises the varietal typicity and freshness.

La Morra, calcareous sandy soils, north-eastern slopes – this is where the 20 to 40-year-old Dolcetto vines for Elio Altareclassic grow. The Barolo revolutionary, who shook up the Langhe with Burgundian vinification methods in the 1970s, remains true to his Dolcetto: a wine for every day, as the farmers have been drinking it with pasta for generations. Maceration takes just two to three days in rotary fermenters at a controlled temperature, after which the grapes mature for ten months in stainless steel tanks – puristic, without the influence of wood.

Three Dolcetto parcels in Neive and one wine: Cottà, Basarin and San Cristoforo consist of calcareous marl soils with sandy veins. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand; fermentation takes place spontaneously in stainless steel with a maceration period of around three weeks in order to gain flavour, grip and depth. The wine then rests exclusively in the tank on the fine lees until early bottling – without the use of wood, focussing entirely on precision and drinking flow.

The grapes come from selected hillside parcels around Alba. After careful manual harvesting, they are carefully destemmed, fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel and briefly macerated; subsequent storage on fine lees in tanks preserves freshness, varietal purity and the typical drinkability. Bright ruby red in colour with a violet hue. Red cherry and blackberry on the nose, along with violets, a hint of plum and the delicate bitter almond note that makes Dolcetto so charming. Juicy and straightforward on the palate: pure fruit, moderately lively acidity and fine-grained, soft tannins; a cool, slightly mineral flavour keeps the final clear and animating. A classic, light-hearted Dolcetto in the best sense of the word – aromatically precise, accessible and versatile. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that define a winery. Sirì d'Jermu is one of them. Since the first bottling in 1988, this single-vineyard Dolcetto has epitomised what Orlando and Attilio Pecchenino can get out of the grape variety in terms of elegance and ageing potential – and it is the reason why Pecchenino is one of the most respected producers in the appellation today. The name refers to the vineyard of the same name right next to the historic winery in Dogliani, where 35-year-old vines are rooted in medium-heavy, chalky soils with silt and clay content. The south-western exposure ensures optimal ripening conditions for the concentration and complexity that characterise Dogliani Superiore. Vinification follows traditional principles with contemporary precision: after destemming, the mash is fermented with a portion of whole grapes for 15 to 20 days at 26°C in stainless steel tanks, using only indigenous yeasts. What distinguishes Sirì d'Jermu from San Luigi, however, is the ageing process: twelve months in large oak barrels give the wine structure, depth and the ability to age for over ten years.

Bright ruby colour with a violet rim. Juicy red cherry and blackberry on the nose, with violets and a fine hint of bitter almond – open, inviting and typically Dolcetto. Fresh and straightforward on the palate: juicy fruit, fine, ripe tannins and an invigorating, well-integrated acidity make for a lively and enjoyable wine. The final is clear, with a delicate almond note and a cool, mineral accent. A classic Dolcetto full of character from Pio Cesare, uncomplicated in the very best sense of the word, with style, precision and a beautiful drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

Vietti captures the soul of Dolcetto in all its unpretentiousness – trevìe (formerly TreVigne) is like a playlist hit that is instantly catchy but lingers in the memory. The grapes come from plots in Monforte, Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto and are fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. Extracted with gentle pumpovers, the wine matures on the fine lees – without wood, without make-up, simply pure purity.

Bright purple-red colour with a violet hue. A fresh, clear aroma of black cherry, violets, redcurrants and a hint of almonds on the nose – typical of Dolcetto, but with the pure signature of Ceretto. Dry and juicy on the palate, the ripe fruit is supported by present, well-integrated acidity and fine-grained tannins. The grapes come from the Rossana vineyard near Alba, whose chalky soils and mild altitude give the wine freshness and structure. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the varietal typicity and precise flavour. An authentic, harmonious Dolcetto with youthful energy that effortlessly combines uncomplicated enjoyment and fine elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

Chiara Boschis' characterful Dolcetto comes from the organically farmed vineyards of Barolo and Monforte d'Alba, whose old, calcareous and clayey marl soils with siliceous sandstone, calcium carbonate and iron give the grapes structure and finesse. In the glass, it is ruby red in colour with a violet hue. The bouquet opens with juicy cherry, small forest fruits and delicate notes of violet. Dry and straightforward on the palate, with lively freshness, fine tannins and harmonious, juicy fruit, characterised by pure stainless steel ageing. An authentic Dolcetto that combines the classic Piedmont tradition with the precision of meticulous vineyard work. SUPERIORE.DE

Ruby red in colour with a violet hue. Ripe cherry, blackberry and violet on the nose, with a hint of herbal spice. Juicy, fresh and precise on the palate, carried by fine tannins and lively, pure-toned fruit. The pure stainless steel maturation reinforces the varietal character. Winemaker Chiara Boschis is considered a pioneer of organic winegrowing in Piedmont – her tireless, quality-driven work and likeable personality characterise each of her wines. SUPERIORE.DE