Today’s wine is the type of red I’ve been championing most vociferously over the past few years: medium-bodied, bright and fruity, deeply mineral. It fits right in that sweet spot that great Cru Beaujolais has been dominating lately—the essential, all-occasion red that never fails to satisfy, goes with almost anything, and has this kind of primal energy that makes you feel like you’re drinking it in a vineyard full of ripe grapes.
Alberto Voerzio’s un-oaked 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba is especially appealing to me because it’s an underdog story: In Piedmont, Italy—and, more precisely, the world-famous Barolo region—the Nebbiolo grape is the “star” red-wine attraction. The Dolcetto and Barbera grapes are the supporting cast, usually planted in sites where Nebbiolo might struggle to ripen. And of the three, Dolcetto is, as George W. Bush might say, misunderestimated. Maybe it’s the dolce within the name that gets people thinking it’s sweet (it’s not sweet). Maybe it’s the diminuitive –etto that makes people think it’s a ‘littler,’ lesser wine (it’s lighter, but not lesser). I recently saw Dolcetto described as the “poor cousin” to Nebbiolo and Barbera and I flipped out, not only because that’s dead wrong but because I’ve always understood it to be a ‘pet’ variety of Barolo-makers—the wine they’re most likely to reach for on a day-to-day basis. Like some of the greatest Barolo producers of all time (Bartolo Mascarello always makes stellar Dolcetto, as does Cavallotto), young up-and-comer Alberto Voerzio knows that (1) a producer’s “lesser” wines are typically the way consumers become acquainted with them, so they’d better be good; and (2) there’s nothing “lesser” about Dolcetto anyway, except the price. Trust me—this is a quintessential Italian red.
The Voerzio surname, which some of you may recognize, is well-known in the Barolo-making village of La Morra: Alberto Voerzio is the younger cousin of both Roberto and Gianni Voerzio, both of whom have drawn international acclaim for their wines. The vineyard most associated with the family is the La Morra ‘cru’ called “La Serra,” from which Alberto now bottles a single-vineyard Barolo. Founded in 2006, Alberto’s small-scale operation encompasses just 4 total hectares of vineyards, most of them in La Morra but including a small piece of the “Fossati” cru in neighboring Barolo. Alberto is effectively a one-man-band, overseeing all vineyard and cellar work personally and taking pride in using no chemicals or herbicides at any point in the process.
Which reminds me: Roberto Voerzio is another famous Barolista who's always made great Dolcetto! Usually, the variety is planted in cooler sites, because it’s a much faster-ripening variety than Nebbiolo, and while it has often received the “Beaujolais of Italy” moniker from experts, there are many examples of Dolcetto wines—especially those from the nearby Dogliani DOCG—that are quite inky and intense. The variety has a very deep, purplish hue, and, unlike Barbera, has some firm tannins along with its bright acidity. It is most often rather far from sweet, in fact—there’s lots of dark berry fruit and some nice florals, but also a hint of crushed-stone minerality that gives the best wines a refreshing snap.
Voerzio’s ’18 is the traditional Barolo-maker’s take on Dolcetto—an easier-drinking, more deeply fruity counter-point to bigger-ticket bottlings from the earthier, more tannic Nebbiolo. Fruit for the wine was sourced from vineyards in the village of La Morra, fermented on native yeast in stainless steel, then aged in tank for 10 months before bottling. In the glass, it shows off a youthful purple-ruby hue, with a basket-full of woodland berry aromas jumping from the glass first. Scents of blackberry, black plum, lavender, violet, and black pepper are confirmed on the medium-bodied palate, which sets the salivary response in motion with freshness and a mild nip of tannin. We say this a lot in our offers, but it bears repeating here: This is often the kind of red that disappears first at a dinner party, even if it’s on a table with a bunch of fancier bottles. Serve it in Burgundy stems at 60 degrees with burgers, hanger steaks, or maybe pork chops off the grill, and make sure to get some char on them—this wine likes that. And, if you couldn’t tell already, I really like this wine. Enjoy!
