Decanting old Italians (Non-Nebbiolo)?

WINE TALK
1

I have a ~40YR bottle of Dolcetto that I plan to open. Should this be decanted a few hours prior to consumption or half a day?
Same question for old Amarone.

Thanks!

2

Old Amarone can be anything, depending on the producer.

I had some while ago a 1989 Borgogno Dolcetto which I double-decanted to get it off the sediment. Very lovely right from the get-go, started to fade away slowly after half an hour or so. Probably would’ve been dead if I had left it in a decanter for a few hours, let alone for half a day.

3

Try a small bit of the dolcetto first. I’d be very hesitant to decant one that old. They aren’t typically meant for aging at all, though some hold on.

Has anyone ever had one that benefitted from extended aging?

4

Me.

5

The dolcetto is an off year novelty wine ('81) so I will hold off decanting till consumption. Thanks!

6

Birth year wine I suppose! Enjoy Shan!

7

I’m curious what it was. The few I’ve had have been kind of dull. They lost the fruit that I love in dolcetto without gaining any complexity.

8

1981 dolcetto down the drain
1981 giordano barolo was alive and well
1981 beringer private reserve was better

9

Exactly as I’d expect.

10

It was that 1989 Dolcetto I mentioned above.

Luminous, translucent blood-red color - remarkably youthful appearance for the age. The nose feels sweet-toned, wizened and quite ripe with attractive aromas of dried red cherries, some raspberry marmalade, a little bit of tar, a hint of sweet’n’sour red plum and a touch of strawberry. Overall the nose reminds me of an aged Nebbiolo quite a bit. The wine is dry and medium-bodied yet quite ripe with very juicy overall character. There are flavors of tart lingonberries, sour cherry bitterness, some dried roses, a little bit of fresh, brambly raspberries and a hint of tar. The structure relies both on the high acidity and still somewhat grippy, moderately high tannins. The overall feel is quite youthful and enormously enjoyable. The finish is long, juicy and nuanced with attractive flavors of tart cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of crunchy lingonberry, light pruney notes and a perfumed hint of dried flowers.

A very lovely and surprisingly Nebbiolo-like example of aged Dolcetto that serves as a perfect example how this often overlooked Piedmontese variety can age really well. As a testament to the Nebbiolo-like qualities of this wine, I served this wine blind and everybody was wondering whether this was a lighter Barolo or Barbaresco, or some warm-vintage Alto Piedmontese wine - nobody thought any other variety at any point. An impressive, delicious and harmonious effort that is peaking right now - the wine doesn’t need any further aging, but I’m quite certain it can keep well for many more years. Outstanding value at 19,90€. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Then I’ve had some of equal age that have fallen apart completely as well (for example Roagna’s Dolcetto 1986 was completely shot). But also many great Dolcettos around 10-15 years of age that have been very impressive and relatively youthful for their ages, showing some obvious ageability for further development.

11

Oh for sure, there are some great old Dolcettos that can be had out there! …though they do take some hunting down. While the aging trajectory isn’t typically what you see with Barolo, some great smoky flavors come out and meld with that bit of bitterness that really gives Dolcetto a lot of its character for me.

Pio Cesare’s basic Dolcetto d’Alba is great with 5-8 years on it. And then there is this producer in Dogliani (definitely a top spot for the grape) who routinely keeps his Dolcetto in barrel for years before bottling…alas, the name escapes me. But opening up an 18-year old bottle last year, it was an incredible experience! All sorts of cool notes wafting around there: espresso, hazelnuts, a little bit of cured meat…and now I’m just listing Italian food [rofl.gif]

But on the decanting question, I’d say straight in the wine glass is the way to go. You don’t want to miss what might be a short window.

If and when visiting Italy is a thing again (sigh), buying some back vintages straight from the cellar of a producer you like…I bet you get a whole case of delish aged Dolcetto for the price on one bottle of Barolo that still needs ten years before it’s worth the entry fee.

12

So…of course I forgot to ask the question that I was really wondering: what bottle is that 40 year old Dolcetto?? I’m very curious. And of course would be interested to hear your impressions of it once you do open it :slight_smile:

13

See post #8 above on the wine’s fate.

14

ah, there we go, much obliged! Though, still curious - which producer?

15

Castelvero dolcetto d’asti
I could not swallow first sip, no tasting note