Chionetti San Luigi Dogliani Dolcetto, 2016

Donna and I spent an afternoon in Dogliani on our trip to Italy in October of 2019. From menus and wine lists, it was apparent than Dolcetto (rather than Nebbiolo or Barbera) was King and Queen of wine in Dogliani. I wish I had paid more attention and tried more Dolcettos because a Dolcetto from Dogliani can be very good indeed.

Beautiful bright crimson color. Very deep and dark. Black fruits galore: black raspberries, black cherries, black plums with a bitter but pleasant twist of almond on the finish. Very acidic but in perfect balance with the fruit at the moment. Silky mouthfeel and long, clean finish.

The name ("little sweety in translation) might lead you to believe that Dolcetto wine is sweet and simple. It is, in fact, a serious dry red wine that is all too often absent from wine shelves in my marketing area.