And thank you so much for the notes, John!
John,
Thanks for the notes. Another serious Dolcetto people should search for is Vajra’s Dolcetto d’Alba Coste & Fossati. I have been working through a case and a half of the 2015. Great stuff–wonderful food wine. I have to chuckle when folks dismiss Dolcetto (or even Barbera) as not serious (or good) wines. Next time in the Langhe, check out what the Piemontese are drinking with their plin and carne cruda.
John,
I haven’t had Coste & Fossati for a few years, but I totally agree with you, what a mouthful of wine.
I score very few wines over 92/94, and scores in the high 80s are very positive on my scale. Basically, I’m using the scale the way Parker did in the 80s, when 88 or 89 was a respectable score – not an uncommon one even for classified growth Bordeauxs. I often include a note to that effect with my rankings, but didn’t this time.
John,
Don’t you know that scores start at 92 pots and the only thing that matters is the score… geez, get with it! I know you’re not a millennial but man, get with the suckling times!!!
In 2016 my wife and I were back home in Biella for a couple of weeks and we happened to fall upon the Sulle del Strade Dogliani (Slow Food) on the way back from a couple of days visiting Liguria. Anybody wants to get the full Dogliani (primarily Dolcetto) experience, it is definitely worth seeking out. It was one of the most incredible wine events we have had the fortune to experience, including some of the wine events through the Valais in CH.
We showed up at the Chiesa San Fiorenzo in Bastia Mondovi at around 10am on the Sunday morning. The visit to the church alone was worth the 30 euro price of the event. Built in the 10th century and the entire interior walls depict biblical scenes as the illiteracy rate was virtually 100% back in the day. Stunning.
Then came the main event. We received a map with 17 local producers who were participating in the event. Producers included Abonna, Pecchenino, Az Agr Ribate, Einaudi, PG Mascarello and Mareco Aldo and the final meet up was schedule for 19h that evening at the producers cooperative in the basement of one of the buildings attached to the Chiesa Parrocchiale dei Santi Quirico e Paolo smack in the middle of Dogliani.
We managed to get to 15 of the 17 in the day and got lost a couple of times trying to find some of the more remote producers. A day of stunning weather and there was different types of food (pasta, mushrooms, soup, cheeses, roasted chestnuts, tartare…you name it)and a multitude of wines to taste at each stop. One of the most incredible wine experiences we have been lucky enough to have.
So some of the roads were windy, over hill/over dale with glorious views of the southwestern corner of Piemonte. In spite of the food and selective taste/spit, by around 14h I looked at my wife and was beginning to feel a bit of a happy buzz coming on. Then we ran into a couple of Australians and Brits who were already four sheets to the wind…which started to make me wonder about the local Carabinieri. So the next stop we pulled one of the winemakers aside and asked them about having a bit too much to drink and the local cops. Winemaker smiled at us and told us not to worry as the event had been going on for several year now and that each Sunday morning the Carabinieri received several cases of donated wine and kept well away from the festivities. Held every October and if you can get there, don’t hesitate.
Will have to dig out some of the photos from the day to post.
I was in Piedmont for a few days after vinitaly. And did a visit with Paolo Boschis at Francesco Boschis in Dogliani. Very good wines and reasonable prices. A part of Piedmont that needs more exposure. Dolcetto is in trouble and though I doubt that it will ever go away many producers are looking at the financial aspects of continuing to produce it.
Related to my recommendation upthread of the 08 San Fereolo, I happened across an IDTT interview with the proprietor Nicoletta Bocca in my podcast feed today.
She discusses Isaac Newton, Donald Duck, tripping to Narnia with Bartolo Mascarello and dolcetto aging on a 30-year curve. She’d be a wonderful dinner party guest.
Thanks. That’s one of the best sites I’ve seen for a producers’ association anywhere.