Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The 1.4482 ha vineyard is situated in Barolo at 280 m with a south-west exposure. Its soft, sandy, freely draining soil comprises 33% sand, 44% silt and 23% clay. The high sand content helps preserve grape quality even in wet years and gives wines marked by fragrant fruit, elegance and complexity.
The vines were planted in 1991 on K5BB, 420 A and SO4 rootstocks. They are trained to a vertical canopy and pruned by traditional Guyot. Spacing of 0.8 × 2.7 m results in 4,630 vines per hectare, with a yield of approximately 7,000 kg/ha.
Grapes
Dolcetto.
Vinification
Harvest in Barolo normally falls between 8 and 15 September. In the cellar, the grapes are destemmed and crushed before fermentation in stainless-steel tanks at no more than 26 °C. After roughly seven days, the wine is separated from the skins and transferred to another tank, where it is maintained at about 18 °C to encourage malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
Once malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine remains in cement until bottling in April. It reaches the market in September.
Tasting profile
The wine has a vivid purple color and a characteristic light bitter-almond finish. Recent published tasting notes describe bright red and dark fruits, blackberry, blueberry and Morello cherry, with herbal, tobacco and almond nuances. The palate is fresh and savory, with firm or finely built tannins depending on the vintage.
Serving and pairing
A versatile everyday-table wine suited to the breadth of Piedmontese cooking, from appetizers through desserts. It can keep for several years, although drinking it young is preferred.
Label / history
The name Dolcetto is linked to the local dialect word “Ducet,” meaning a small hill, referring to the grape’s traditional cultivation on the gentler lower portions of hillsides.
