2018 Dolcetto Alegría Vineyards

Tasting Notes

This classic Italianate Dolcetto offers subtle aromatics of tart red fruit mingled with undertones of minerality and white floral. Brown spices weave through the silken texture with flavors of dark plum, smoky black cherry, red currant, and dried herbs. Hints of tobacco and earthy loam add interest, while the tannin and oak structure gently add depth.

Winemaker's Notes

In our vineyards close by the Russian River, we grow three clones of Dolcetto - interplanted with Freisa and Barbera - in three distinct soil types. They thrive in our cool climate and create a lush, vibrant, ageable wine. We planted these varieties, native to the Piedmont area of Italy, in 1991, when only three California wineries were making a Dolcetto. The mix of varieties, and the variations in clones, soils, and sun exposure of the different sites in the vineyard, add to the wines’ balanced texture and complexity. Freisa adds strawberry notes, and Barbera adds acid structure, to Dolcetto’s earthy black cherry character. Mild spring weather allowed the vines to set a heavy crop. Rigorous hand thinning of large clusters was necessary to ensure even ripening. After harvest, a three-day cold soak allowed enzymes to extract color and flavors before native yeasts fermented the sugars to dryness. Barrel aging for 18 months sur lies in a combination of French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels softened the grapes’ dusty tannins and enhanced the wine’s character.

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