Dolcetto d’Alba 2021

Sandrone Dolcetto d’Alba is produced using 100% Dolcetto grapes from some of Alba’s finest plots. There are four grape production areas, two in Barolo and the others are divided equally between Novello and Monforte d’Alba; more specifically the vineyards in Barolo are called Rivassi and Crosia;in Monforte d’Alba, Castelletto; and Cascina Pe Mol and Ravera in Novello. These areas are particularly suited for the production of Dolcetto d’Alba as the soil and the mesoclimates create a perfect environment in which the grapes can grow.

Each vineyard is vinified separately, and after destemming and light crushing, the must is covered with CO2 for a gentle warm maceration of approximately a day. Alcoholic fermentation begins about 24-36 hours later from native wild yeasts only. A gentle maceration takes place in upright open-top steel tanks for the first 5-9 days of alcoholic fermentation. After alcoholic fermentation, which takes 14 days, malolactic fermentation takes place.

The 2020-2021 winter was extremely snowy, with cumulative snowfalls in higher elevations of the Barolo zone reaching 3+ meters over 4 snowfalls. The weather warmed in March and there were 2 weeks of unseasonably warm temperatures before the early April frost event. The frost lasted about 48 hours, depending on the site, and affected all of Europe. The vines had already begun budding and damages were luckily limited to lower elevations and places where air currents pushed the cold air up the hillsides. Fortunately, none of the Sandrone vineyards were affected.

Flowering was in the first week of June and coincided with the first period of real warmth. Thereafter, June and July were alternating warm-cool with well-timed rainstorms. The last significant summer rain was in mid-July, which also brought devastating hail to parts of Monforte, Novello and Roero.

Summer continued with little rainfall, contributing to what proved to be an excellent plant health and quality profile at harvest time.

In early September the night temperatures began to cool, and the plants received a bit of refreshment from a few rainstorms in the middle of September. General disease pressures were low in 2021 due to lack of humidity and good air circulation.

There are significant temperature and climatic similarities between 2016 and 2021, including the high August heat. The biggest difference between the two growing seasons was water – in 2016, its relative abundance, versus its lack in 2021.

Harvest took place from September 9th until 17th

The Sandrone Dolcetto d’Alba 2021 is a young wine of complex and beautiful personality, with great aromatics.

The color is alive and dense: ruby accompanied by elegant violet reflections.

The fragrance is varied, first of all of fruit: pleasant hints of maraschino cherry, plum and small red fruits. This is followed by spicy notes, which are accentuated and harmonized as the wine evolves in the glass.

The flavor is dry, intense, vigorous and moderately warm, and concludes with a pleasant final hint of almonds.

This Dolcetto d’Alba is an eclectic wine, able to accompany many of the various dishes of a meal.