The Dolcetto Grape

Dolcetto is a red-wine grape originating in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, where its cultivation seems at least half a millennium old. Despite the multiplicity of local synonyms shown above (and there are many more less-used ones), it rarely arrives in the U.S. as anything but simply “Dolcetto”.

Throughout most of its native region, Dolcetto is treated as a “second fiddle” wine to the pre-eminent Nebbiolo and Barbera, being used as an early cash source owing to its quicker ripening; such bottlings produce decent but unremarkable wines. Some vintners, however, treat the variety with more respect, and these often produce very good wines. The wines are rarely if ever blended: virtually all Dolcetto bottlings are monovarietal.

The characteristics of Dolcetto are a black-cherry flavor with an almost licorice quality, with some also noting overtones of prune or black pepper, and with a characteristic bitter finish reminiscent of almonds. The wines are quite dry and typically medium-bodied, with middling tannins and a rich texture. It is widely regarded as a “food wine”, being thought to be insufficiently fruit-laden to drink on its own; it is especially popular as an accompaniment to the traditional Italian antipasto platter. Dolcetto wines are not usually considered candidates for bottle aging, and drink best within their first two or three years (there are, however, always a few exceptional botlings that breach the rule).

Most monovarietal Dolcetto wines come in two grades: standard and Superiore, the latter requiring a minimum alcohol level of 12.5% (standard can be as low as 11.5%) and a year of bottle age.

There are eight legally defined Dolcetto-producing regions, but three of them are reputed to produce the highest-quality Dolcetto wines; those are:

Factoid: In 1700, Barnabà Centurione sent some Dolcetto as a gift to King George II of Great Britain.

Some Descriptions of Dolcetto Wines

Wikipedia
“Dolcetto wines are known for black cherry and licorice with some prune flavors, and a characteristically bitter finish reminiscent of almonds. While the name implies sweetness, the wines are normally dry. The tannic nature of the grape contributes to a characteristic bitter finish. The dark purple skin of Dolcetto grapes have high amounts of anthocyanins, which require only a short maceration time with the skin to produce a dark-colored wine. The amount of skin contact affects the resulting tannin levels in the wine, with most winemakers preferring to limit maceration time to as short as possible.”
Wine Searcher
“Dolcetto produces soft-styled, fruity wines with colors varying from deep ruby to purple. They are characterized particularly by their low acidity…When it comes to tannins, this soft, fruity, gentle, "sweet" grape variety executes an impressive about-face, delivering the same kind of drying, astringent tannins as Nebbiolo. This does not work in Dolcetto's favor; such tannins take years to polymerize and soften, over which time a Dolcetto wine, with its low acid levels, would deteriorate beyond enjoyment. Happily, the grape's oversupply of tannins can be mitigated by a short, gentle fermentation, avoiding over-extraction, but this naturally has its own downward effect on aromatic intensity.…In the 1990s and into the early 21st Century, Piedmont's Dolcetto wines have been made increasingly rich, oaky and alcoholic, in response to growing consumer demand for such powerful wine styles. The world wine market has shown little opposition to this decidedly New-World take on Dolcetto. A typical Dolcetto wine is intensely and brightly colored and offers dark, gently spicy aromas with earthy undertones of almonds – or walnuts in more tannic examples. As the wines are not generally designed for long-term cellaring, they should be consumed within three or four years of vintage.”
Cal-Italia.com
“Bright reddish-purple in color. Aromas of ripe blackberries and plums are mirrored in the flavors. A direct, Zinfandel-like fruitiness combined with Merlot-like soft tannins make Dolcetto charmingly seductive. Usually approachable and drinkable upon release, Dolcetto can develop further with two to three years cellaring.”
StarChefs.com
“Dolcetto tends toward lower acidity, so the wines can be well-balanced at a traditional 14% alcohol. It also leans toward soft, round tannins, a rich, violet color, and lots of dark fruit flavors; some examples have a chunky, almost rustic quality to them, but the best overcome this and can be quite elegant. Dark fruit, a good, mouth-filling texture, and smooth tannins, and drinkable young. There’s lots of call for something this accessible. It makes a good, Italianate alternative for Merlot drinkers, and is generally priced quite well. Dolcetto’s generally pair best with rich foods: risotto, roasted meats, and such. However, its soft tannins make it more flexible than just that.”
eatocracy
“I am going to give Dolcetto a little boost. It’s a nifty grape. It makes juicy, lively, affordable and delicious reds, with a flavor that suggests black cherries and a faint, intriguing touch of bitterness. Dolcetto isn’t meant for deep thought but simply for happy drinking.”
Phoenix New Times
“There are a couple different ways that winemakers approach Dolcetto. Because the grapes have a pretty dark, tannic skin some winemakers don't let the juice stay in contact with the skins for very long. This method produces a lighter, less tannic version of Dolcetto with less body. Other producers macerate the skins with the juice for longer producing a more extracted style with abundant and plush tannins, which they will often put in new oak to make a more "international" style of wine. In either case the distinguishing characteristic of Dolcetto is its dark purple color and abundant dark fruit flavors. Think plum, blackberry jam, prune with some licorice thrown in and a finishing note of toasted nuts. When you get a Dolcetto that has spent time in new oak it's like having an English breakfast of fruit conserve and toast. I like both styles, I recently had two back to back that were great examples of both styles and a cool study in contrast. Because of its fairly low acid Dolcetto is not the most versatile food pairing wine. But it goes well with heartier meats especially grilled meat. A perfect pairing would be grilled duck breast with some kind of dark fruit sauce. However, drinking the lighter style just on its own is also delicious.”
Eric Asimov, The New York Times
“But dolcetto — thankfully, perhaps — has not been favored with similar [to Barbera] efforts at improvement. Instead, it is almost always free of the blemishing of new oak flavors. Left to its own devices, dolcetto offers what naturally makes it so winning: an object lesson in the very Italian push-pull of blending bitter and sweet flavors, along with an earthiness and a rounded, lightly tannic texture.”

(As you can see, opinion divides on both the frequency and desirability of applying “world market” oaking to Dolcetto.)
wine.com
“It produces wines that are soft and fruity and ready-to-drink when released. The Italians like this wine for everyday drinking because of its soft tannins, ripe fruit, and ability to match with a variety of foods. No cellaring required here and prices are usually quite affordable.”
Wine Enthusiast
“Dolcetto is the easier, more fruit-forward wine with less aging potential; it is usually consumed within a year or two of release. As opposed to Barbera, it is marked by low acidity. Its food friendliness comes from its natural fruitiness and drying tannins. In fact, these two qualities tend to balance sweeter foods, fragrant foods (with tomato sauces or perfumed herbs, for example) and foods with a fatty component, which is broken down by the tannins. If you are looking for a pairing partner to a steaming pizza pie with mozzarella and basil, or a home cooked plate of pasta, look no further than Dolcetto. A pulpy, purplish appearance and bright aromas of wild berry, blueberry and fresh plum characterize the wine. It is thick and generous in the mouth and that natural heft is pushed along the palate by the polished tannins.”
Planet of the Grapes (philly.com)
“Dolcetto is the opposite of Barolo. It’s fresh, fruity, and low alcohol, with a rustic, earthy, sometimes spicy character. It is usually free of oak influences. It’s not a wine you age or brood over.…While dolcetto is fruity, it’s balanced by light tannins and often a hint of bitter on the finish.”

Some Dolcettos to Try

There is an embarrassment of riches here from which to try to select a few representative specimens. After poring over numerous experts’ opinions, we have opted for the specimens shown below, but there seems to be quite a wealth of worthy Dolcetto bottlings out there.

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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