A famously fickle variety, whose perfect balance of acidity and ripeness is hard to achieve, Nebbiolo is also known to be one of the world’s most tannic grapes, making it especially difficult to coax into a charming and exuberant young wine. Alessandro and Gian Natale have done just this, preserving Nebbiolo’s bright acidity and beautiful aromas of rose petals and crushed cherries, but delivering them through an approachable red that would pair beautifully with a mushroom or braised-pork polenta.

You might be surprised to learn that throughout much of history, Dolcetto was considered the finest of Piemonte’s red wines. Today, no fewer than six Dolcetto-specific appellations (Asti, Alba, Acqui, Diano d’Alba, Dogliani, and Ovada) exist in the region to show off the many delightful expressions this grape achieves across different terroirs.
     While styles vary across these diverse growing areas, perhaps no Dolcetto “Dolcettoes” as hard as those from Diano d’Alba. This little hilltop town is one of the eleven communes of the Barolo DOCG, and yet most of its sloping marl vineyards are not planted to Nebbiolo for Barolo production, but rather to Dolcetto, whose early-ripening nature is perfectly suited to the higher elevations of Diano. These reds tend to be a touch brighter and gentler than those from warmer zones, jubilantly capturing the charm and versatility we love about wines made from this grape.
     When our Barolo-producing friend Alessandro Fantino introduced us to Paolo Olivero at Il Palazzotto, we were thrilled to find wines embodying Dolcetto’s best qualities. Sörì Cristina, one of Diano’s officially designated cru sites (known locally as sörì), produces Paolo’s most easy-drinking wine. You’ll find toothsome purple fruit and hints of violets on the nose, with a medium body that pairs with just about anything—serve it slightly cool with a red-sauce pasta, lasagna, or pizza to taste perfection. Paolo bottles it unfiltered for us and prices his wines for the people, making his Dolcetto painless to uncork and a total joy to gulp down.

I recently sat with Massimo Benevelli at a belated KLWM 50th anniversary celebration, where several aged bottles emerged from Kermit’s cellar. When one of Massimo’s 2014 Baroli was poured, he seemed slightly anxious at first. It was not, he told me, an easy year in the region. But as we sniffed and tasted it, he relaxed and smiled. The wine was spectacular—as my colleagues and I knew it would be because, like all great producers, Benevelli is able to consistently make great reds even in challenging vintages. Vintage 2019 was much more favorable in Barolo, and while charming now, Le Coste di Monforte will reward you for many years to come.