Tasting notes

2018 Dolcetto shows the hallmarks of the Sandrone style. It is a young wine of complex and beautiful personality, with great aromatics. The color is alive and dense: ruby accompanied by elegant violet reflections. The fragrance is varied, firstly of fruit: pleasant hints of maraschino cherry, plum and small red fruits. This is followed by spicy notes of cinnamon, which are accentuated and harmonized as the wine evolves in the glass.

The flavor is dry, intense, vigorous and moderately warm, and concludes with a pleasant final hint of almonds. This Dolcetto d'Alba is an eclectic wine, able to accompany many of the various dishes of a meal.

Ratings for the vintage 2018

James Suckling 90 points 
Vinous 90 points 
Wine Advocate 90 points 
Wine Enthusiast 90 points 
Wine Spectator 87 points 
Wines Critic 90 points

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Evolution of the vintage 2018

After the sweltering 2017 season, 2018 began with good winter snow and spring rains that helped replenish the dry ground. The wet weather continued into April, complicating the final vineyard work somewhat, and resulting in a slightly later bud break.

Flowering was under normal conditions and the beginning of the summer, in our vine-growing area, was characterized by occasional downpours that led to high humidity conditions.
Much care had to be taken to achieve a healthy vineyard as Peronospora ran rampant when left unchecked by regular judicious applications of the correct treatments.

Green harvesting became necessary for nearly all varietals in order to curb production to within the limits provided for under the various production regulations. Development was gradual during the summer, with temperatures rising considerably from mid-July on, and a long period of constant fine weather helped the grapes to ripen without the harvest needing to be brought forward.
Harvest was normal in relation to the previous, precocious vintage.

Dolcetto was the first red varietal to be picked, and it is showing an average sugar content, Barbera was marked by a good state of health and the Nebbiolo grapes were ripe for harvesting as per tradition in early October, with picking operations taking around three weeks in all.
In conclusion, we can say that it has been a vintage in the traditional pattern which demanded the attention of vinegrowers in their management of the vineyard in order to achieve results which were better than had been expected at the beginning of the campaign.

Harvest took place from September 12th until 29th.