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Dolcetto is a dark-skinned red wine grape variety whose origins lie in the hills of north-western Italy. Although the variety has successfully made its way to vineyards in the USA (where it was once thought to be the same as Charbono) and Australia, its spiritual home is the Monferrato of Piedmont. It masquerades as Ormeasco in the hills of Liguria (most notably in Pornassio) but its plantings are limited there. An early ripening grape, Dolcetto produces soft-styled, fruit-driven wines with low acidity, particularly when compared to those made from angular Nebbiolo and tangy Barbera, Piedmont’s two most popular red wine grapes. It is these low acid levels which have earned the vine its name Dolcetto, which means ‘little sweet one’. In fact, very few Dolcetto wines are made in sweet styles, although late harvest Dolcetto is not unheard-of. To add to weight to the apparent misnomer, Dolcetto has rather pronounced tannins which, if not softened by a short-but-sweet fermentation, can lead to imbalance in the otherwise soft wine style and make it seem anything but 'sweet'. It is precisely the soft, approachable style in which most Dolcetto is made which has decided the vine's place in the modern wine world; a convenient poor cousin to Barbera and Nebbiolo. Where Nebbiolo and Barbera wines take years to lose their asperity and youthful edges, Dolcetto wines can be made approachable within months of harvest, rather than years. Thus Dolcetto sales provide a buffer zone in the annual winery budget, helping to balance the books and keep things ticking over until the more expensive wines are ready for sale. A similar relationship can be observed between the nouveau and cru wines of Beaujolais. In the 1990s and into the early 21st century Dolcetto wines have become been made increasingly rich, oaky and alcoholic, presumably to meet the growing consumer demand for powerful wine styles. While this goes against the grain for many traditionalists, the world wine market shows few signs of rebellion against this decidedly New World take on Dolcetto. There are about ten Piedmont-based appellations dedicated to Dolcetto, the most salient of which are the DOCGs Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba, Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore (or just Dogliani), Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore (or just Ovada). The best known DOC-level Dolcetto wines come from Alba, Acqui, Asti, and the hills of the Langhe Monregalesi. A typical Dolcetto wine is intensely, brightly colored (due to the variety’s naturally prevalent anthocyanins) and offers dark, gently spicy aromas with earthy undertones of almonds, or walnuts in more tannic examples. Generally the wines are not designed for long-term cellaring, and should be consumed within three or four years of vintage.
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