Nose
The nose opens with notes of wild berries and mulberry, with hints of white pepper, sweet spices and fresh thyme.
Palate
The palate is bursting with blueberries and fresh plums, with a refreshing acidity.
Growing Conditions
Historically, Dolcetto was cultivated on prime land just above the Nebbiolo vineyards. In keeping this approach, the Vajra family vineyards grow in areas that best showcase the varietal. The grapes are sourced from four of the estate's own vineyards: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and Pascolo in the Barolo region and Ravera in the Novello region. The vines are trained using the Guyot system and planting dates range from 1982-2002. Soils here are a mix of limestone and marl. Aldo Vaira has followed organic practices since 1971 and all of the estate’s vineyards have been certified organic since the 2019 vintage.
- Multiple estate vineyards with an average age of 25-30 years.
2020 proved to be a remarkable vintage and one of the longest of the decade. Temperatures were steady during spring and into summer, which resulted in an abundant flowering and healthy vegetative cycle. July saw several episodes of rain which meant that careful management in the vineyards was necessary to minimize any risk of disease, but also resulted in milder temperatures that allowed the grapes to spend a longer period of time on the vines, enabling them to develop beautiful aromatics and varietal authenticity.
As the vineyards are located at high elevation (thus protected from thermal inversion) they allow for a longer hanging period and a full phenolic ripening.
Bottling
Bottling in the Spring waning moon.
- Natural Cork
Winemaking
Fermentation took place in temperature controlled, stainless-steel tanks for 15 to 20 days, with several punch downs of the cap per day for maximum extraction of colour and tannin. Racked at least twice prior to malolactic fermentation.
Aging
The wine was aged in stainless-steel tanks before bottling the following Spring.
Appearance
This Dolcetto d’Alba is a vibrant deep purple in colour.
Food Pairing
A great accompaniment to food. The finish is elegant with a lovely almond note.
