Vietti 2013 Dolcetto d'alba Tre Vigne

Decanted 3 hours, and it needed it. And it needed food too. Or I needed food to really enjoy this one. It cut perfectly with a Beef Wellington. Really well balanced wine, but definitely pretty high acid. Lovely shining, glowing ruby color. Firmly in the medium body camp. Most impressive mouth feel. Really silky with nice energy and focus. And nice complexity as well, but I"m a newbie with Dolcetto so I might not know complexity from simplicity when it comes to how taste should be.

I’d buy this again.

I really like Dolcetto. I like most everything that Vietti does, but I just don’t like their Dolcetto. I have five of them on my list, which as someone pointed out to me, is about three too many. Thanks for posting this note.

Sounds like a good, top, young Dolcetto to me. I’d want this with Beef Wellington.

Two days ago I had the 2011 version of this same wine. A little softer than your description, but not by much. The wine was bright but didn’t give a lot of pkwasure. I may have to agree with Gary. Similar experience when in Piedmont with a earlier vintage. Tried one from Marengo, that was much better.

Gary, do you think time will help with this particular wine ?

I don’t think so. To me Dolcetto d Alba really doesn’t improve with age. And especially not this style of Dolcetto. It is best young. Maybe a few get better with some from Dogliani, Diano d’ Alba and even
Ovada.

Don’t cellar dolcetto. Drink it early. Try Roagna. Cheaper and better than Vietti.

Thanks for the suggestions. Since I liked and even admired the Vietti, its good to know there possibly better options out there. It’s funny, when I walked in to a store and talked with the manager who knows me well and asked for a match for Beef Wellington, out of hundreds of wines in the store, this was the one she first recommended. And it was indeed a great match. But was uninteresting on its own.

I’m interested in drinking more Dolcetto. Drinks young, great foil for food, affordable relatively speaking, and a nice change from what I usually drink.

Dogliano and Diano are available locally. Dogliano in a store just down the street from me.

Some good options. G. D. Vajra is particularly good as they blend two single single vineyards. Both could be used to produced Barolo. These are not just good Dolcettos. But very good red wines that can stand with anything in the same style like Cru Beaujolais.
G.D Vajra Dolcetto d Alba Coste & Fossati
R. Voerzio Dolcetto d Alba
Brovia Dolcetto d’ Alba
Salvano Diano Alba Fosco
Pecchenino Dogliani Superiore Siri D’ Jermu

Interesting, Gary – I tried Voerzio once and didn’t have a positive experience.

It is perhaps the ultimate modern expression of Dolcetto. Without the wood. Dense ripe fruit.

Looks like I have a 2007 in my cabinet. Didn’t even know it was there. It’s probably too old, but I’ll give it a try soon.

Probably not too old to drink, but the fruit has definitely shifted. I am selling 2012. When these wines lose their primary fruit they lose most of their charm. Still worth a try. Did you try the Freisa?

Not yet – haven’t returned to storage. Things have been busy. I hope to get over there soon.

I did have another Ruche recently. Very floral, as usual. I received an ad pitching ruche as the “pinot” of Piedmont and couldn’t help but groan.

Let me know what you think of it. I want to finish my remaining two up in the next six months. I don’t think they are for aging.

Will do. I’m still sitting on that Bartolo, too…

Let me know about that one also. I am going to open my last one before the weather gets warm.

When was the last time you tried Giacosa’s dolcetto? For me it was two years ago. The price didn’t match the wine.

Speaking of famous names and Dolcetto, I have some Cappellano on tap. Not cheap. Curious to see if price matches wine.

The last time I saw a bottle of Cappellano it was $30+. I’m not a buyer of any dolcetto at that price.

Probably a couple of years ago. Maybe at the winery. My distribution on Giacosa down here was so screwed up. And now it is even worse since they left Winebow. I don’t even mess with it any longer. I just buy a few bottles for me to drink out of NYC or NJ. Maybe pick up a few bottles in Alba. Chionettti also makes great Dolcetto. But if Vinifera is still importing it I would be wary.