By The Glass
Lyle Fujioka
In previous weeks I've talked about Italy's latest line of hot B.V.D.s (Barbera, Valpolicella and Dolcetto). Today's focus on Dolcetto concludes my series. Splendidly fruity Dolcetto
sheds its jug-wine reputeDolcetto, like its Piedmontese sibling Barbera, was once relegated to a jug-wine category. But in the last five years, given an unparalleled string of great growing seasons, combined with upgraded vineyard management practices, both varietals have been blessed with extraordinary ripeness of fruit that could not be ignored by the regional winemakers.
Elevating the status of these wines became the goal. My recent trip to VinItaly, the annual Italian wine fair, confirmed that the high-gear enthusiasm continues. Errors in the overuse of oak treatment with these wines have been corrected and expression of varietal fruit richness is the theme.
The charm of Dolcetto centers on its capacity to engage the nose and palate with a captivating level of fruit purity. Fans of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel will find definite comfort in this varietal.
While I have a preference for the clean, un-oaked, supple style, Dolcetto can be delivered with the WWF-steroid, bulked-up concentration to satisfy even the most hedonistic consumer. Its natural acidity provides perfect freshness and lift for a broad range of foods. Have fun with these selections:
Gagliardo Dolcetto d'Alba 2000 ($10.95): Simple and lively Dolcetto d'Alba at its best! This style of easy-drinking, food-friendly Dolcetto is the preferred everyday wine of the Piedmontese. Featuring red berry aromas, with a hint of spice on the nose and bright cherry and raspberry flavors on the palate, its nuances of earth and minerals provide an "old world" setting. Gagliardo's Dolcetto would be a knockout as an alternative to traditional Pinot Noir pairings such as grilled salmon or roast chicken with sage.
Pecchenino Dolcetto di Dogliani San Luigi 2000 ($18.95): Every now and then a wine comes along that jolts you out of the usual cadence of wine tasting. You know ... swirl, sniff, sip, spit. Repeat as necessary. At a recent tasting, this wine just about stopped everyone dead in their tracks with multiple utterances of "Wow!" or "Whoa!" Reverence. Amazement. Spitting ceased, glasses were refilled, and well ... you get the idea.
Those with highly developed self-control will allow this wine some time in the glass to release its concentrated nose of black cherry, plum and graphite. Lush, pure flavors of deep black cherry and black plum are balanced by light acidity and silky, ripe tannins. This wine was the winner of a 2002 Tre Bicchieri award, the Italian equivalent of recognition in Wine Spectator magazine.
Pecchenino Dolcetto di Dogliani Sirì d'Jermu 1999 ($22): Massive. Monolithic. Colossal. Scary. All appropriate descriptors of Pecchenino's masterpiece and a 2001 Tre Bicchieri winner. This wine pulls out all the stops -- it is almost black in color, with the tannin, extraction and complexity once thought unachievable with this varietal.
The black-fruit flavors and aromas echo those of the San Luigi, but with even greater extraction, resulting in a rich, glycerin mouthfeel, layered oak and firm, ripe tannins. But perhaps Pecchenino's greatest achievement is the perfect balance in this wine. Yes, it needs time (two or three more years would smooth it out), but the patient will be rewarded. If you simply can't wait, decanting is de rigueur.
Lyle Fujioka owns Fujioka's Wine Merchants. This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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