2006 Dolcetto d'Alba Santo Stefano di Perno, Monforte d'Alba, Mascarello

Compared to the other more fruit forward examples, this single-vineyard wine captures the intrinsic quality of the Santo Stefano di Perno site: the nose displays a most refined, haunting, smoky, violet and raspberry character, while the palate is a delicious weave of silky tannins and generous juicy fruit, courtesy of the great vintage. Excellent with pasta and meat starters. Sumptuous drinking now till 2013.

Dolcetto, along with Barbera and Nebbiolo, is responsible for some of Piedmont’s more ‘serious’ wines. However being the third string of any self-respecting winery, the earliest to ripen and to harvest, it’s often relegated to the lesser sites. Hallelujah! then to find a single-vineyard example, providing stature as well as just fruit.
(David Berry Green, BBR Buyer)