Unfortunately this time our trip to Piemonte, Italy was just via the wine bottle and not a plane. Paolo Scavino Winery is named for it’s founder and original winemaker who started the winery in 1921. Located in the heart of Piemonte in the town of Castiglione Falletto, the winery is middle of the famous Barolo region. The wines are now crafted by Paolo’s son Enrico and have won accolades left and right, most notably their Barolos. The 2005 Dolcetto d’ Alba comes from vines grown in the lower strips of the Fiasco and Vignolo vineyards in Castiglione.
The Dolcetto (meaning little sweet one) grape is the earliest ripening grape from the Piemonte region and accordingly is the first picked, and are usually the lightest and easiest drinking wines from the region. The Docletto d’ Alba is a separate DOC and thus is defined by its own boundaries and regulations. The zone that encompasses this DOC includes the Langhe hills East of the Tanaro river extending Southwest, Northeast and East of the city of Alba. The grapes must be 100% Dolcetto and if the wine is classified Dolcetto Superiore, they must be aged for a minimum of 1 year before release. This Dolcetto d’ Alba was not Superiore and was only aged in stainless for a few months prior to bottling.
My Tasting Notes
Color – Nice deep purple, I couldn’t see my fingers
Nose – Raspberry, chocolate cake batter, vanilla, asparagus and after about an hour of being open I got ripe strawberry.
Taste – Cherry and more cherry, clove rhubarb
Mouthfeel – Medium body, soft and smooth
Finish – Actually a little spicy (a cayenne like tingle), dry and tight, and long enough to remember between sips
We had the 2005 Paolo Scavino Dolcetto d’ Alba with Gnocchi topped with a simple marinara sauce and sautéed mushrooms, and a side of sautéed garlic spinach. It was a perfect pairing, one that I had a couple of times for lunch while we were in Piemonte this past summer. As I have said before, I really enjoy Dolcetto’s for their value and for lack of a better term, “simple goodness”. This one was no exception to the rule, and one that I would definitely recommend you buying.
Cheers!
Anything Wine 
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