Varietal Decoded – Dolcetto!


Dolcetto’s, pronounced dole-CHET-toe, translates to ‘Little Sweet’.
Hit the restaurants in Alba at lunchtime and you’ll see plenty of Dolcetto on the table.
The great estates of Barolo, naturally make great Dolcetto.

Dolcetto’s, pronounced dole-CHET-toe, translates to ‘Little Sweet’.

Contrary to the name, this wine is not a sweet wine. It’s a dry red wine. Hit the restaurants in Alba at lunchtime and you’ll see plenty of Dolcetto on the table.

The great estates of Barolo, naturally make great Dolcetto.

Where is it grown?

It’s widely planted throughout the Langhe, the broader region within which Barbaresco and Barolo rest.

It is also grown in Liguria under the name Ormeasco, and, in the Oltrepò Pavese, where it is confusingly named, Nebbiolo or Nibièu. The only DOCG (highest Italian classification) is Dolcetto di Dogliani. The wines of Alba, home to Barolo, being classified DOC, but, perhaps the finest of all of the Barberas.

Lower in acid, ripening weeks before Barbera and Nebbiolo, allows it to be planted in higher, and, cooler sites. Getting the tannin ripe is essential.

What does it taste like?

The wines tend to have deep dark colour, opulent fruit and age well over around five years.

Dolcetto tends to have darker, black fruit characters, with an earthiness, and, fruit derived (not oak derived) woody character. Rich in mid-palate fruit, they often have an edge of rustic, fun, tannin. Many producers make Dolcetto that is a little raw, not developed enough prior to bottling to present as a complete wine.

The best like Voerzio, Cavalotto and Bartolo Mascarello make wines that have undergone a full élévage and have an extra layer of poise. This time, tames the fruit, giving the wine enough oxygen to take the raw edge off it, balancing it with a decent layer of softer tannin.

Check out all the articles in the Wine Bites Mag exploring Dolcetto.

Looking for a Dolcetto? Check these out. If there’s something else you want call us on 1300 811 066 or Request a Wine Here. We have access to an incredible array of tasty Dolcetto!

Check out all the Dolcetto Here!

Superb! Bravi Francesco!🍷
The 'Side Project' of ex-Bruno Giacosa's winemaker Francesco Versio this is a stunner! Given Francesco used to make wine at Bruno Giacosa it is hardly surprising that he knocks out a solid Dolcetto. Giacosa being known as arguably the best maker of the variety. Co-incidentally the last Dolcetto I had, a few days before this, was a Bruno Giacosa made by Francesco, and, it was one of the best Dolcetto I've had the pleasure of devouring. The Dogliani DOCG covers some broad territory. Often of mu
$52
$49ea in any 3+
$46ea in any 6+
Bring Me the Truffles!

Cavallotto Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna Scot 2021

Dolcetto | Piedmont, Barolo

Dolcetto translates roughly to sweetish. Many Dolcettos are raw fruit bombs, this by contrast is some seriously well made wine! Excellent élévage wonderful freshness and development delicious, layered, & earthy. Beautifully weighted. Stunning wine. Lovely acid. Savoury with dark and red fresh fruit ~ mulberry. If you want to know how serious Cavallotto is about Dolcetto, they planted it on the hillside between Bricco Boschis and Monprivato/Codana. That, my friends, is a site with pe
$53
$50ea in any 3+
$47ea in any 6+
Burlotto Dolcetto d'Alba 2022
2 Bottle Limit

Burlotto Dolcetto d’Alba 2022

Dolcetto | Verduno, Italy

Everything in it's place and a place for everything, and, there is lot's of things! "The 2022 Dolcetto d'Alba is one of the most distinctive wines in this range. Medium in body and translucent, the 2022 offers up an enticing mix of blue fruits, lavender, sage, mint and spice. A healthy dollop of stems (55%) adds layers of nuance without dominating the wine's balance." Antonio Galloni, Vinous 90 Points
$54
$51ea in any 3+
$48ea in any 6+
Superb! Bravi Francesco!🍷
The 'Side Project' of ex-Bruno Giacosa's winemaker Francesco Versio this is a stunner! Given Francesco used to make wine at Bruno Giacosa it is hardly surprising that he knocks out a solid Dolcetto. Giacosa being known as arguably the best maker of the variety. Co-incidentally the last Dolcetto I had, a few days before this, was a Bruno Giacosa made by Francesco, and, it was one of the best Dolcetto I've had the pleasure of devouring. The Dogliani DOCG covers some broad territory. Often of mu
$57
$54ea in any 3+
$51ea in any 6+
🍷Bravo Luca!🇮🇹

Roagna Dolcetto d’Alba 2020

Dolcetto | Barbaresco, Italy

This comes across more like a Neb than Dolcetto! None of the juby, puppy fat, perfumed, elegant, lovely texture and elevage .. just stunning! Roagna's Dolcettos really are something special. When you're feeling like something a little different, made with old vine fruit from the incredible sites Pajè and Carso in Barbaresco.  Applying the same skill and effort as for the Barbaresco and Barolo this is the wine to rip the cork out of! Has to be one of the best kept secrets coming out of Piede
$59
$56ea in any 3+
$53ea in any 6+
Limit 2

Giuseppe Rinaldi Dolcetto d’Alba 2020

Dolcetto | Piedmont, Barolo

Back in 2018 I had the great pleasure of devouring a dozen bottles of Rinaldi's Baroli in one sitting! WOW! When they were at their best they were singing. Unfortuntely, it is near impossible to get more than a few bottles of Barolo and only slightly better when it comes to his Dolcetto and Barbera. We have extremely limited numbers of these packs and are allowing only 1 per member of the Wine Decoded Community. Yes, I am keeping one for myself! The 2020 Dolcetto d'Alba is bright,
Many of Barolo's greats would argue that you should judge a maker on their Dolcetto before their Nebbiolo! Giacosa does Dolcetto justice. The missing links for Dolcetto are typically sorting reduction and developing the wine sufficiently. Giacosa jumps those hurdles with ease and breezes past the finish line with quality fruit & considered handling to offer us a wine with a refined mouthfeel. Savoury, vibrant, dark, with an excellent core of fruit thirst-quenching and delicious. Straight
$70
$67ea in any 3+
$64ea in any 6+
Many of Barolo's greats would argue that you should judge a maker on their Dolcetto before their Nebbiolo! Giacosa does Dolcetto justice. The missing links for Dolcetto are typically sorting reduction and developing the wine sufficiently. Giacosa jumps those hurdles with ease and breezes past the finish line with quality fruit & considered handling to offer us a wine with a refined mouthfeel. Savoury, vibrant, dark, with an excellent core of fruit thirst-quenching and delicious. Straight
$75
$72ea in any 3+
$69ea in any 6+
Limit 2

Giuseppe Rinaldi Dolcetto d’Alba 2021

Dolcetto | Piedmont, Barolo

Back in 2018 I had the great pleasure of devouring a dozen bottles of Rinaldi's Baroli in one sitting! WOW! When they were at their best they were singing. Unfortuntely, it is near impossible to get more than a few bottles of Barolo and only slightly better when it comes to his Dolcetto and Barbera. We have extremely limited numbers of these packs and are allowing only 1 per member of the Wine Decoded Community. Yes, I am keeping one for myself! The 2021 Dolcetto d'Alba is delicate

Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d’Alba Falletto 2023

Dolcetto | Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo

Unlike the Barbera d’Alba ‘Falletto’, the Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Falletto’ does not come from the true Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba vineyard but from the North-facing vineyards surrounding it. These sites came as part of the acquisition of Falletto in the 1980’s and were already planted to Dolcetto. Being from the poor helvetian soil of Serralunga d’Alba, the Dolcetto ‘Falletto’ is an impressively structured wine with plentiful tannin and a darker fruit profile. Many of B
$85
$81ea in any 3+
$77ea in any 6+

Check out all the Dolcetto Here!

Start the discussion