When I met Peter Morone of PGM Wines Selection for a quick lunch recently, he gave me a bottle of an unusually structured Dolcetto that he brings into the States.
The estate of its origin, Le Cecche, is an old one that has been in the hands of energetic new owners since 2001. They grow the three major varieties of the Diano d'Alba DOC -- Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo.
As you can discern in the winery's website description of their top-of-the-line Sörì Le Cecche, they use modern technology and oak intelligently and not excessively:
DIANO D’ALBA DOC “Sörì Le Cecche": 100 % Dolcetto. Grapes from a 50-year-old vineyard. Fermentation in stainless steel casks with temperature control, partly in a rotomacerator with temperature control. Ageing partly in stainless steel, partly in oak casks. 2004: production of 10,000 bottles.
Casks, you will note, not barriques.
My first impression on opening the bottle was of an intense, tarry, smoked bacon, brambly-fruits nose. Almost overpowering but enticing. Without any breathing time this powerful young Dolcetto hit the mouth with a complex set of flavors, the dark fruits and the lusty tannins, a touch of sweetness and an invigorating shot of acids. Within a short time these vivid notes settled into a pleasing harmony, and next evening the wine had integrated further.
The finish was very long, the strong tannins expressing themselves as a tangy, delicious blueberry flavor with no intrusion of sweetness to mar the savoriness of a wonderful food wine.
Admirably balanced. Impressive at approximately $20 retail in New York City.
Le Cecche, Sörì Le Cecche 2004 (14%).
Imported by USA Wine Imports for PGM Wine Selection, Cranford, NJ.
The wine sounds wonderful. USA Wine Imports is a reliable company. My question as always: What did you eat with this wine?
Posted by: fredric koeppel | October 16, 2007 at 10:25 PM
Ma uncle terry, quand'è che ci beviamo un buon vino come questo insieme????
Vieni a torino, dai!!
;-**
Posted by: sandra | October 17, 2007 at 06:59 AM
@ FK: Um...life has been sort of weird lately, as you may imagine. I don't quite remember...some kind of Sicilian salad, I think. I'm afraid it was all I could do to pull together a brief post. (Must feed the beast.)
@ Sandra: Domenico, il mio corrispondente, pernottera' ad Alessandria il 7 - 9 novembre...assaggiatore a una competizione di Barbera. E poi deve ritornare a Verona, poi Merano. Quindi se puoi...
Posted by: Terry Hughes | October 17, 2007 at 08:32 AM
"Uncle Terry"?
Posted by: fredric koeppel | October 18, 2007 at 07:05 AM