Notify me
2023 Dolcetto d’Alba “La Costa”
Piero Benevelli
Kermit once said, “I drink about two dozen Dolcetto to one bottle of Barolo.” That was in 1986, but the statement holds true today, almost forty years later! Call it genetics, but I’m in the same boat. For one, Dolcetto is much cheaper; the price of certain Barolos on the market could buy you a case. Second, Dolcetto is simply more delicious. Barolo may draw oohs and aahs, make your hair stand on end, or even silence your dinner table, but when a Dolcetto is opened, you’re bound to hear plenty of clinking glasses, boisterous chatter, and inevitably the sound of more corks being pulled.
It is in this spirit that I give the highest recommendation to this Dolcetto d’Alba. At the head of his family’s small azienda, Massimo Benevelli specializes in making honest wines that reflect the rolling hills around Monforte d’Alba. The 2023 edition features a delightful aroma recalling violets, juicy little berries, and a touch of black licorice. It rolls over the palate effortlessly, with a smooth texture and buoyant grapey notes. Hold your Barolos for later; given its excellent value and utter tastiness, we couldn’t blame you for going through Massimo’s Dolcetto by the case.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Dolcetto |
Appellation: | Dolcetto d’Alba |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | Benevelli Piero |
Winemaker: | Massimo Benevelli |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1986, 3 ha |
Soil: | Limestone, grey and white marl |
Aging: | Aged 3 months in bottle before release |
Farming: | Traditional |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2020 Barolo “Ravera di Monforte”
Italy | Piedmont
Beautiful, classic Barolo nose. Intense depth. Fresh and complex.

2022 Dolcetto d‘Alba “La Costa” MAGNUM
Italy | Piedmont
Bone-dry and tangy, with brambly black fruit and a bold, old-school Italian bite.

2015 Barolo Riserva “Cascina Dardi - Bussia”
Italy | Piedmont
The Fantino brothers’ Riservas are as good as Barolo gets.

2020 Barolo “Le Coste di Monforte”
Italy | Piedmont
While charming now, Le Coste di Monforte will reward you for many years to come.

2023 Langhe Pinot Nero “Arneg”
Italy | Piedmont
Distinctly Piemontese with a nose of fallen leaves, earth-tinged bright red fruit, and a tar-like mineral streak, this Pinot Nero offers a transparent expression of its place of origin.

2022 Barbaresco “Vicenziana”
Italy | Piedmont
Rich, ripe fruit with the delicacy and floral notes we love in great Barbaresco.

2020 Barolo “Mosconi”
Italy | Piedmont
One of the most prestigious vineyard sites in his village of Monforte d’Alba, if not all of Barolo.

2020 Valli Ossolane Nebbiolo Superiore “Prünent Diecibrente”
Italy | Piedmont
The family’s top bottling of Prünent from a single vineyard is aged for an extra year in large cask and has another gear, and many corners and crevices to explore.

2020 Barolo “Serradenari”
Italy | Piedmont
Giulia’s most high-toned wine, offering delicate florals and tart berry fruit with laser-like precision. It is a racy and perfumed Barolo for those who appreciate wines of great finesse.

2023 Vino Rosso “Il Goccetto”
Italy | Piedmont
The old-school, vino rosso of our dreams—serve it chilled, perhaps in a glass pitcher, for full trattoria effect.
About The Producer
Benevelli Piero
About The Region
Piedmont
Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.
Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.
Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.
More from Piedmont or Italy
2017 Barolo Bussia Riserva “Cascina Dardi”
Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Italy | Piedmont
2021 Barolo “Serradenari”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
2022 Barbaresco
Elvio Tintero Italy | Piedmont
2023 Erbaluce di Caluso “Le Chiusure”
Cantina Favaro Italy | Piedmont
2021 Barolo “Marassio”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
2022 Dolcetto d‘Alba “La Costa” MAGNUM
Piero Benevelli Italy | Piedmont
2017 Laboro Disobedient
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont
2024 Vino Rosato
Tintero Italy | Piedmont
2020 Valli Ossolane Nebbiolo Superiore “Prünent Diecibrente”
Cantine Garrone Italy | Piedmont
“Ross da Travaj” Vermouth
Bèrto Italy | Piedmont
2020 Barolo “Mosconi”
Piero Benevelli Italy | Piedmont
2020 Barolo “Serradenari”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
2017 Barolo Bussia Riserva “Cascina Dardi”
Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Italy | Piedmont
2021 Barolo “Serradenari”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
2022 Barbaresco
Elvio Tintero Italy | Piedmont
2023 Erbaluce di Caluso “Le Chiusure”
Cantina Favaro Italy | Piedmont
2021 Barolo “Marassio”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
2022 Dolcetto d‘Alba “La Costa” MAGNUM
Piero Benevelli Italy | Piedmont
2017 Laboro Disobedient
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont
2024 Vino Rosato
Tintero Italy | Piedmont
2020 Valli Ossolane Nebbiolo Superiore “Prünent Diecibrente”
Cantine Garrone Italy | Piedmont
“Ross da Travaj” Vermouth
Bèrto Italy | Piedmont
2020 Barolo “Mosconi”
Piero Benevelli Italy | Piedmont
2020 Barolo “Serradenari”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.