I didn’t mean to imply that it is not good, just different. Per VM: “The 2021 spent 70+ days on the skins and was aged for a year in cask.” Compare that to Bartolo Mascarello: : The wine is racked once fermentation is nearly complete to preserve fruit and freshness (typically 8-12 days, but varies); the Dolcetto does not receive extended maceration." - Polander Selections
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I’m interested, what is you biggest beef with the variety?
I do agree that Rinaldi’s Dolcetto can be outrageously good in the best vintages. Maybe not the best Dolcetto ever (I’m especially wary about the 2021 vintage, but hopefully we’ll see), but definitely at the top.
Both Mascarellos make some of the best Dolcettos I know (based on a small sample, I’d say Giuseppe Mascarello’s Santo Stefano di Perno is better on average than Bartolo Mascarello). Elio Sandri and Roagna are stunning, too - although Sandri can be heavily reduced and call for extended aeration before it really starts to show its true colors.
A thing worth of mention that all these five Dolcettos - which I consider some of the best in existence - can show some quite obvious bretty notes in some vintages. You have been warned!
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I wouldn’t blame the grape for the bretty notes (I don’t think you are). I had a Sandri Barbera last night that was seriously bretty.
Of your top five list, it is worth noting that Roagna can be had for a little over $20, Sandri and G. Mascarello are closer to $30, Bartolo Mascarello high $30s, and Rinaldi is around $50. Cavallotto makes a very nice Dolcetto in the $20 range. And I am going to second (or third) that there are some fantastic Dogliani available for under $20 if one does a little hunting. Trediberri is a handy example.
Dolcetto will always be a pleasant, quaffable wine to drink when you don’t want to overthink it. It will always suffer, for me, because of its low acidity, making it a very grapey wine. But, it never disappoints. There are many good ones to choose from, some of which have already been mentioned. To me, the best Dolcetto are made in Dogliani, and my favorite producers are Chionetti and Nicolas Altare. For Dolcetto d’Alba, my favorites are Azelia’s Bricco dell’Oriolo (from vines in Montelupo Albese) and G.D. Vajra’s Dolcetto d’Alba Coste e Fossati.
Ian D’Agata notes in his book, Native Wine Grapes of Italy, that Dolcetto is a highly reductive varietal and easily acquires off odors,
I’m surprised that no one mentioned Accomasso’s dolcetto!
No recommendations for Pecchenino? And heartily recommend Chionetti as some of the best dolcettos around.
Had one of these the other day and it blew me away.
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One thing I found really interesting about Dolcetto…. Giuseppe Vaira mentioned on Levi Dalton’s podcast that it can absolutely make a great wine, but the problem was so many producers planted it on marginal land. They’d know the land was not great for grape growing, so they wouldn’t try to grow Nebbiolo there. They’d not want the land to go unused so then they’d grow Dolcetto there, almost as an afterthought. He said that’s one of the key reasons there’s so much uninteresting Dolcetto around.
I’ll admit to mostly feeling the same about Dolcetto. It’s sometimes fine, and sometimes not my speed at all. I think it always seems a bit plodding, rather simple, and not lively enough for my taste. I’ll generally take most Piedmont varietals over Dolcetto. Nebbiolo, obviously, but also Pelaverga, Freisa, and even Barbera, if not too terribly ripe. I admit to not even liking the Roagna, despite his skill with Nebbiolo. Recently though, I had a Cavallotto Vigna Scot, and I really enjoyed it. Good freshness and surprising complexity. I quite liked it, and it was not expensive.
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I found a very interesting TN by Forceberry via cellartracker regarding the 2016 vintage:
October 22, 2022 - 100% Dolcetto, fully destemmed, fermented spontaneously in open-top oak vats, aged in large oak botti. 12,5% alcohol.
„Dark, somewhat translucent and slightly evolved deep cherry red color. The nose feels ripe, nuanced and slightly sappy with sweet-toned yet not sunny aromas of dark forest berries, some licorice root, a little bit of brambly black raspberry, light bilberry tones and a bretty hint of leathery funk. The wine is lively, wonderfully focused and very juicy on the palate with a medium-body and intense, fruit-driven flavors of fresh bilberries and ripe black raspberries, some gravelly minerality, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light crunchy notes of redcurrants, a hint of that leathery Rinaldi funk and a touch of tangy salinity. The structure relies more on the brisk high acidity, but the balanced, somewhat grippy medium tannins lend good sense of firmness and structure to the wine as well. The finish is dry, crunchy and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some blueberry tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light funky notes of leather, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of salt-cured beef.
A fantastic, fresh and very focused Dolcetto that shows more depth, character and complexity than one would expect from this often overlooked variety. The wine shows more focus and intensity than many Barolos and Barbarescos I’ve tasted, yet comes across as more playful and weightless than any typical Nebbiolo does. It’s great to see how the best Piedmontese producers can make exceptional wines even from grape varieties that are often used for simple everyday wines. Although I enjoyed the 2018 Rinaldi Dolcetto (that was tasted next to this), it was easily surpassed by this vintage, all thanks to its outstanding brightness, freshness and crackling energy. At 25€ this has been a screaming bargain. Easily among the best Dolcettos I’ve tasted“
94/100
That’s a great price. Better or at least the same as in Europe. If they also have the Lange Nebbiolo at reasonable price (35-40 euro here) then I would pick up a bottle or two of that as well. @Gregory_Dal_Piaz was (obviously) right in that it is a special LN.
Interestingly our host said that at the estate it cost only around 10€
Demand and supply, I’m sure the Barolo’s are significantly cheaper as well than market prices. Same goes for Burlotto, Mascarello etc.
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Indeed I wasn’t. Just commenting how the style for these selected producers can be. But as mentioned, Dolcetto has a propensity for reduction and thus some wines can occasionally get quite stinky, especially if they use stainless steel instead of botti.
Well, those prices are your problem. 
Around here the wines cost like 15-25€. Unless things have changed wildly over the last year or two, Rinaldi isn’t any more expensive than either of the Mascarellos.
Dogliani is definitely prime terroir for Dolcetto. However, my biggest problem with many Doglianis that I’ve tasted is that they seem to use quite a bit of oak. I myself don’t want to smell or taste any obvious oak aromatics in a Dolcetto.
That “low acidity” that gets repeated everywhere - including even in Wine Grapes by Vouillamoz, Robinson et al. - confuses the hell out of me. I’ve never tasted a single low-acid Dolcetto, even from hot vintages. Admittedly it doesn’t have as high acidity as Barbera (which is atypically high in acidity for a red variety) but nevertheless is usually at the same level with Nebbiolo and Freisa. And nobody would call those grape varieties low in acidity!
I checked out the analyses on TA for a bunch of Dolcettos available here:
Poderi Colla Dolcetto - 5.5 g/l
Patrizi Dogliani - 5.4 g/l
Massolino Dolcetto - 5.2 g/l
G.D.Vajra Dolcetto - 5.5 g/l
Pianpolvere Dolcetto - 6.1 g/l
Conterno Fantino Bricco Bastia Dolcetto - 5.7 g/l
Angelo Negro Cescu Dolcetto - 5.2 g/l
Poderi Colla Pian Balbo Dolcetto - 5.5 g/l
Not any of those seem “low in acidity” to me, but perfectly in line what is normal for red varieties - but instead couple of wines have acidities slightly higher than is typical for many red wines.
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Otto beat me to it, but I fully agree that the better Dolcettos retains freshness and it goes well with a wide range of dishes. The one thing I can imagine might but some people off dolcetto is if one does not enjoy a slight bitter/amaro finish (personally I like that and other herbal notes when in balance).
San Fereolo is quite special and do require aging - had the 2010 Dogliani Superiore not too long ago and as good as it, it’s a wine I would love to have more bottles of to follow over the next 10-15 years.
I think one of the most pleasurable dolcetto are made by Principiano - have mentioned him in numerous threads, but worth repeating that he is the master when it comes to entry labels - barbera, dolcetto or nebbiolo, doesn’t matter they are essence of the variety/region/commune (the barolos are great as well but that’s for another post).
Someone mentioned Cavallotto - the times I have tried it I really liked it as well (needs time to breath - opened up on the 4th night PnP). Barbaresco land seems to be kind to dolcetto if planted at reasonable locations. I really liked Sottimano’s dolcetto the one time I had it (cannot remember the vintage). Cantina del Pino as well.
Oddero makes a nice dolecetto as well.
Many very good dolcettos are available in retail for ~10-15 Euro (not Mascarello, Rinaldi, Roagna…).
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Hey Martin, I believe ‘Forceberry’ is Otto!
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Interesting
Indeed an Otto TN or as someone said a „War&Peace“ TN à la Tolstoy. 
In addition good to see that he had the same impression like me:
„ A fantastic, fresh and very focused Dolcetto that shows more depth, character and complexity than one would expect from this often overlooked variety.“
Angelo - point me to where I can buy some of Accomasso’s dolcetto and I will be happy to share my thoughts on it. Does he even make it anymore?
For something else than a pure quaffer of a Dolcetto, try Flavio Roddolo’s Dolcetto d’Alba superiore if you can find it. This is Dolcetto with the complexity of a Barolo. Current vintage is 2016.
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