Dolcetto: The Hidden Gem of Piedmont

I kiss the hand to an often overlooked black grape variety of northern Italy.

Pecchenino San Luigi Dogliani 2023

Varieties: Dolcetto

Region: Dogliani, Piedmont, Italy

Producer: Pecchenino

Costs: $20-$30

Missive: Dolcetto: The Hidden Gem of Piedmont

It’s Friday night, and you know what that means. We are eating pizza from Chase’s and using it as an excuse to find the best wine pairing. General requirements include Italian origin, and come to think of it, that’s about it. It could be a nice, crisp white to slice through the fattiness of the cheese and meat. Additionally, an Italian rosato is always a viable option to complement the red sauce’s mouthfeel and acidity. But tonight we went full bore. I wanted to grab an Italian red to enhance the pizza’s flavor. Immediate options included a Nero d’Avola, Primitivo, or Montepulciano. Then I got to thinking. I want to give credit where it’s due and pay homage to the underdog grape of Piedmont. What we have on the table tonight is an incredible Dolcetto.

The belle of the ball: a very fleshed-out, confident Dolcetto from Pecchenino.

Oh, Dolcetto. The ‘little sweet one’, and sort of the third black grape option in Piedmont. This grape lacks the regality of Nebbiolo and the durability of Barbera, but it is special in its own right. If you are looking for an ideal cookout or pizza pairing, you ought to check out Dolcetto. It’s round, supple, and gentle. This particular example from Pecchenino is completely fleshed out and self-assured.

This is a confident wine. The Dogliani region of Piedmont takes pride in what other regions often overlook. There are a number of reasons for that, primarily climate, but that’s a topic for another time. That is also a topic better given by someone with much more experience than I.

What I can speak to is this particular wine from Pecchenino. This bottle was acquired in Boston while I was visiting my good friend from college. I went to Eataly Vino in Boston to assemble a case to ship back to Maine. What I always look for in buying these cases is bottles I cannot get in Maine. Small production wines, regional allocations, etc. Honestly, I was only interested in Dolcetto simply because I love Piedmont!

I always say, you are either going to find wines from Tuscany, Sicily, or Piedmont in my cellar. Dolcetto doesn’t occupy much space in my head simply because it’s not very cellarable. This is a wine you want to drink within its first three to five years. But when you do that, it sings, it shines, and it stunts.

Chase’s specialty pizza for this week. Olives, chili crisp, and farm greens.

This wine definitely walks into the room with its chest puffed out. A sense of confidence resulting from being the underdog that has made it to the big leagues. Maybe a touch of Napoleon complex. We will let that slide. Anyways, what do you get with this wine exactly? This particular Dolcetto hits a very blackberry-rock-candy note. Sweet dark fruit, almost getting into a nutty blueberry note. It’s all berries and meadow fruit.

You sort of imagine yourself walking through a serene, Dionysian nature scene. Picking wild blackberries and blueberries, you bend over, and a hand thrusts forth with a glass of this San Luigi Dogliani. Besides the blue and dark fruit, there is a compelling note of mint and eucalyptus. All the fruit and herbal components have a hint of sweetness. It’s simply delicious and juicy.

On the palate, it’s very subtle, soft, but lively as well. The acidity is so gentle, along with the tannins, that the word drinkable comes to mind. That is a very general term, and I tend to overuse it when it comes to certain red wines from Italy. However, this wine is so gentle and inviting that you just find yourself picking up your glass more quickly than you would with a Cabernet or even a Nebbiolo. This wine is round but contains just enough acidity to keep it lifted. Sometimes, with certain wines that veer into the dark or blue & dried-fruit territory, you run the risk of dullness or flabbiness. Excess weight on the palate may not really add anything to the wine. You have the opposite feeling with this wine, in the sense that it leaves you wanting more.

There is something admirable about a wine that represents the best of its category. A particular bottle that makes you rethink a variety or overall style of wine. Pecchenino seems to be something of a benchmark for what Dolcetto can achieve. I truly appreciate that this wine only sees stainless-steel tank aging. Dolcetto is one of those grapes that really shine when it is unobstructed by oak.

I place Primitivo in that same category, which is why I appreciate what Mariangela does at Plantamura. That is a woman who only has stainless steel in her cellar… not an oak barrel to be found. Too much oak on Dolcetto only further mutes the flavors. It basically gives credence to the Dolcetto haters in a way.

Speaking of summer… check out the new landscaping bit and the emergence of flowers! It’s that time of year, folks.

There you have it, folks. It’s not an unnecessarily long one tonight or anything of the sort. I had a specific vision in mind, something I wanted to get across, and that was accomplished. Dolcetto should be one of the next grapes you explore at your local wine shop. Which reminds me that I need to order a Dolcetto for the shelves! How funny would that be, to write a whole article applauding the role of Dolcetto in your arsenal of summer red wines, only to not have a single one represented in my own shop? There are many good bottles out there, and your local wine shop should be able to snag you some. Burgers on the grill, Friday-night pizza, or aperitif time for a red-wine lover. Dolcetto can play to all of these situations. Time to throw another grape into the rotation.