"The wine the Piemontesi most like to drink", and "the little sweet one" are descriptions of this, the most vivacious of wines. Historically Dolcetto has its roots in the Dogliani region of Piemonte, Italy. There, and in Mendocino it shows its best attributes, deep dark purple color, ripe full tannins and heady aromas and flavors of blackberries and plums. Our version, which is grown in the foothills overlooking the Russian River in Mendocino County, has been aged in a combination of French Burgundy and American oak barrels for over 24 months. This long ageing period helps to round out the full tannins and add complexity to its fruity aromas.
Background: Dolcetto (meaning “little sweet one”) is a grape native to northwestern Italy and grows primarily in the hills of the Alba and Dogliani areas of the Piemonte region. Dolcetto is one of the first red wines of the vintage that the Piemontese start drinking. In Mendocino County these wines are jam-packed with the essence of fresh fruit and are not generally as earthy as their Piemontese cousins.
Vineyard: This vintage marks our 21st release of Dolcetto. 2016 was an extremely good year with cooperative weather. All of the Dolcetto comes from the Fog Creek Vineyard in the Ukiah Valley.
Winemaking: The grapes were hand-harvested at the end of the second week in October at an average of 25.5 degrees brix and were crushed into small open-top stainless steel tanks. After a four day cold soak the must was punched down and pumped over twice daily for eighteen days. After pressing, the wine was aged in a combination of French Burgundy and American oak barrels, including 10% new heavy toast barrels, for twenty months, egg white fined, and rough filtered into the bottle on January 13th 2020.
Winemaker Comments: This wine is dark purple in color with inviting fruit flavors and aromas of blackberries, boysenberries and dark Bing cherries that mingle with undertones of toasty oak. The finish is fresh and long lasting with hints of spice. It is a wine that can be enjoyed young but has the depth to age for several years.
Food Pairing: This wine excellent when paired with roasted pork tenderloin in blackberry reduction sauce or a northern Italian- style lasagna with chicken livers and béchamel.
Blend: 95% Dolcetto, 5% Zinfandel
Cases Produced: 391
Alcohol: 15.9%
Total Acidity: 0.72
pH: 3.29
Residual Sugar: 0.4% (dry)
