I’ve been drinking a ton on '09 “cru” versions of these wines, and they almost seem like regional variations of the same grape. Now this might be a result of the vintage, but I’m detecting remarkable similarity in textures and flavor profiles. Is this typical?
I wouldn’t judge anything by the '09 version of it, if you know what I mean.
If you’re comparing the better examples of both in a typical vintage, the structure of the wines is quite different; good Dolcetto is normally quite tannic.
I’m with Oliver. Bad old wine writing always used to call Dolcetto the Beaujolais of Piedmont, but to me they are way apart on spectrum- decent Dolcetto usually low acid and rather tannic, while good Beaujolais generally features bright acids and not a lot of tannin.
I had a 2009 Mascarello Dolcetto a few months ago that I thought was very similar to a cru Beaujolais. So you’re definitely not alone.
It was delicious, FWIW.
Michael
Chris – I’m with you and have perceived that same parallel between cru Beaujolais and some dolcetto (I’m thinking of chewy ones from Dogliani, in particular, but the Mascarello also qualifies). For me the similarities are their grapiness and the plummy/black cherry fruit, their density and soft tannins.
In other cases, I’ve found Bojo and barbera can be similar. I paired a Tete Julienas with a Borgogno barbera a few years ago and they worked well side by side, with very similar structures (high acid, medium body) and bright, red fruits.
Speaking of dolcetto, what has happened to Cavallotto’s Vigna Scot? It used to be widely available but I’d have to go out of my way to score a bottle in NYC these days. That wine was so reliable, year in, year out.
(Oliver: Speaking further of dolcetto, I still remember a particularly yummy bottle of Anna Maria Abbono Dolcetto di Dogliani you served me at your place 8 or 10 years ago.)
Anytime I encounter a wine with a round, grapey entry and forward fruit I am tempted to find a similarity to Beaujolais. Sometimes dolcetto could fit that bill and maybe even some barberas. But usually the similarities end there. This can often be seen on wines with carbonic treatment, such as some Loire PN.
I have a similar tendency.
Specifically, Mencia from northern Spain and Nerello Mascalese from Sicily. I thought Terre Nere’s Etna Rosso 09 was a dead ringer for a Morgon Beau.
Depending on the producer, some of the similarities could be derived from elevage (especially malo) in tank rather than in barrels.
Not to mention being released, in many cases, just a year or so after the harvest, when the wines are still quite primary.
I’m with Oliver. Only occasionally do I find a Dolcetto with a texture similar to most Beaujolais (and when I do, they usually are not the best Dolcetto examples), and I almost never find a Beaujolais with a texture similar to most Dolcetti. Aroma and flavor qualities overlap somewhat more, but are by no means close to alignment.
It depends on the style on both sides, obviously. There are lots of cases where they are pretty different, and Beaujolais usually has more acid. But I find they do converge in some cases.
2009 was a year of really fruity Bojos, but overall i don’t think they taste that similar.
Really ripe vintages by definition give us unusual wines. Whether you like the '09s or not, they are unusual.
Exactly. I once told a Dogliani producer that a well-known US wine magazine called his beloved Dolcetto ‘the Beaujolais of Italy,’ and he was horrified. He may never have had a ‘cru’ Beaujolais, admittedly, but when you compare good examples of the two types the color is different, the acid and tannin structure of the wine is quite different, and the flavors are in my experience very different.
So what is the Beaujolais of Italy? Schiava? Bardolino?
I’m sure all those DOCs are racing to compete for that analogy. 
Like Oliver, I’ve never found Piedmonte Dolcetto to have even the remotest resemblance to Bojo. Bojo, even of the GG status, has more fruity/high-toned
notes, whilst (that be a good Queen’sEnglish word, Oliver?) Dolcetto displays deeper/more bass notes. Despite what some “authorities” who compare
Bojo to Dolcetto may say. I think the only comparison of Bojo/Dolcetto that would be valid is that (supposedly) they are both drunk in large quantities
from pitchers. So I’ve been told…I’ve never done it that way.
Schiava & Bardolino trike me as probably closer to Bojo than anything.
Tom
Next time you come and visit me in Piedmont, we’ll go and visit her, she’s maybe 10 minutes away. I don’t know why we didn’t do it last year. Then you can tell her that her wines taste like French wines and I’ll go to the restroom.
Just kidding. Bring some Brouilly and we’ll have a serious research lunch.
Strange coincidence - I had the 2009 Vigna Scot on Friday night, and it got me thinking about all of this. i bought it last year from B21, but they are sold out. Great wine, btw. One of the best '09s I’ve had.
What about blaufränkisch and bojo?
I can kind of see it more in a spectrum sort of way than dolcetto
But, I have had people describe blaufränkisch as very Foillard-esque which I don’t believe
ah bojo can be “quite tannic” in “good vintages” as well.
2009 was, as others have said, unusual and very much lacking tannin, IMO
Did you see the recent issue of View from the Cellar?