10 of the Best Dolcettos From Italy’s Piedmont
We’ve talked recently here about the famed Nebbiolos of Piedmont, including Barolo, Barbaresco, and others; the Barberas, which are as near-perfect as you can get for pairing with pasta dishes, especially those with tomato-based sauces; and the white Gavis, delicious, off-the-radar wines for just about anything from the sea and more.
And then there’s Dolcetto.
If Nebbiolo is at the pinnacle of the Piedmont grape pecking order and high-acid Barbera is the more accessible wine for earlier drinking, Dolcetto is the “other other” red grape of Piedmont, and it, too, deserves to be on your radar for its value and quality for “everyday” drinking.
Dolcetto wines are generally lower in acidity and more tame in tannins, which makes them accessible when young. The name means “little sweet one,” though I would not characterize the wines as sweet. Dolcettos are more fleshy and deeper in color than Barbera or Nebbiolo, with dark fruit notes and a slight bitterness and savoriness that elevate them from mere easy-drinking wines.
They, too, are good choices for a variety of foods, including all kinds of pasta dishes, antipasti, and meats. And you can drink them young — most of the wines I sampled were from the 2022 and 2023 vintages. Most Dolcettos are aged without oak.
The grape is grown throughout Piedmont, and many producers also make Barolos or Barbarescos and Barberas as well. Many found in this country are from the well-known Dolcetto d’Alba denomination, though there are several others, including Dolcetto di Dogliani south of Alba and the broader Langhe DOC.
One more thing about Dolcettos from Piedmont: They’re incredible value wines, with many on the list below under $20 and all $30 or under.
Here are 10 of the best Dolcettos from Piedmont:
Vietti Dolcetto d’Alba 2023
With a perfect balance of fruit and acidity, this stellar wine from a well-known producer shows dark plum and blackberry aromas and flavors with an herbal note on the palate. With moderate tannins, it’s soft and refreshing, a wine you could drink every day.
Price: $21
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Massolino Dolcetto d’Alba 2022
Hints of black pepper and leather accent blueberry and raspberry aromas and flavors in this fresh and fruity Dolcetto. Medium tannins give it a nice structure. Aged in stainless steel and cement tanks.
Price: $26
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Fratelli Seghesio Dolcetto d’Alba 2022
Dark fruit notes dominate this very dry Dolcetto that shows a medium tannin profile and a backdrop of unsweetened chocolate. A hint of cumin seed shows up on the long finish. The wine is aged in stainless steel and the domaine uses organic farming practices.
Price: $18
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Marchesi di Grésy Dolcetto ‘Monte Aribaldo’ 2022
This is an earthy wine with chalky minerality that frames dark and red fruit flavors, mainly blackberry and pomegranate, with a hint of braised meat. It’s aged for five months in stainless steel and cement tanks. Monte Aribaldo is one of four estates farmed by Marchesi di Grésy. (The 2021 is currently in stores.)
Price: $21
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Mauro Molino Langhe Dolcetto 2023
Fruity, floral, and softly tannic, this delicious $14 bargain shows ripe dark berry and pomegranate notes with a touch of baking spices and a chalky minerality. Like many Dolcettos, the alcohol is modest, with this one weighing in at just 12 percent.
Price: $14
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Pasquale Pelissero ‘Cascina Crosa’ Dolcetto d’Alba 2023
From a well-known Barbaresco producer, this wine shows stunning bright fruit — plum, raspberry, and blueberry — supported by refreshing acidity and accented by a hint of powdered cinnamon. The wine is aged for three months in stainless-steel tanks and is a great example of how Dolcetto can soar within just a year or so of harvest.
Price: $18
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Giuseppe Cortese Langhe Dolcetto 2022
This expression of Dolcetto is soft and earthy with gorgeous deep dark fruit notes and a hint of cocoa. Smooth tannins and a mineral texture combine to make it both effortless to drink and complex at the same time. (The 2021 is currently in stores.)
Price: $19
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Rosavica Benotti Langhe Dolcetto 2022
Ample acidity supports this lean and refreshing Dolcetto that shows tart blackberry, plum, and raspberry flavors with a hint of milk chocolate. Medium tannins give it good structure. Fermented and aged in cement tanks. The winery, in the Roero zone just north of Alba, uses organic and sustainable methods for its small production.
Price: $24
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Fratelli Revello Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba 2023
Red and dark fruits, violets, baking spices, and a wet-stone minerality mark this exciting Dolcetto from the small and prized Diano area of Alba, which has the prestigious DOCG status. The wine’s delicious blackberry fruit is supported by ample acidity.
Price: $14
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Cogno ‘Mandorlo’ Dolcetto d’Alba 2023
There’s lovely, plush fruit in this slightly bigger wine (13.5 percent ABV). Dark plum and fresh blueberry aromas and flavors are accented by hints of earth, pencil shavings, and black licorice. The tannins are integrated seamlessly. As I tasted this one the other night, I looked forward to drinking it with the herbed chicken roasting in the oven.
Price: $30
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