Dolcetto has long been compared to Cru Beaujolais in terms of its scale and flavor profile, and with consumers embracing Beaujolais like never before, maybe it’s time for Dolcetto’s turn in the sun. It has always been the “pet” variety of Barolo/Barbaresco producers, including some of the biggest names in the game: If you want to drink exceedingly well without paying up for a Barolo, check out the Dolcettos from legends like Bartolo Mascarello, Cavallotto, or Luciano Sandrone—not to mention Barbaresco’s De Forville, a perennial SommSelect favorite!

While some producers push their Dolcettos to higher levels of richness and extract, this is an über-classic expression: After a fermentation of approximately 10 days in stainless steel, the wine is racked into large oak botti (casks) for roughly six months of aging. The wine is bottled during the summer of the following year, resulting in a red of both substance and freshness. Dolcetto leans toward the “purple” end of the red wine spectrum in terms of color and flavor. Deep ruby, with romas of black plum, blackberry, blueberry, violet, licorice, dark chocolate, and crushed stones. It is ripe, fragrant, and dry, finishing with the iron-rich minerality of a fuller-bodied Cru Beaujolais. All the wine you need for a grilled steak or burger!