[WTN] Heartland 2006 Dolcetto Lagrein

I bought this because I'd enjoyed a bottle of Piedemonte Dolcetto and this was the only other Dolcetto they had in the shop. I had no idea until I picked it off the shelf it was a Ben Glaetzer wine, but it increased my expectations for the bottle somewhat.

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The wine smells gently of nuts, wood and also of alcohol, perhaps not surprising given the 14.5% strength. There's also a tiny, tiny hint of blackcurrant coming through.

It has the famous Dolcetto smoothness in the mouth but you won't notice at first because it's got a big kick of hot black-pepper spice to greet you. Once the shock of that has receded - and it lasts all the way through to the finish - you can start to pick out other flavours under the heat. Mulberry, bitter cherry and eucalyptus wood are all distinctive and there's a little smoke mixed in with the pepper at the medium length finish.

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Really pretty good for a sub £10 bottle. I've long been in search of the perfect "TV Wine" to drink after rather than with dinner. This is the best candidate yet - super smooth yet full flavoured and rich.

Interesting. How often are these grapes combined in the Piedmont?

it was a Ben Glaetzer wine.

This is the guy known for amped up wines, correct. Must be interesting to taste the Australian intepretation of the Piedmont. But, from your note, sounds like there wasn't really much of an hommage to Piedmont, but rather full-on Australian Glory. Is this from Barossa?

Interesting. How often are these grapes combined in the Piedmont?

I'm no expert, but I'm fairly sure the answer is rarely of never.

But, from your note, sounds like there wasn't really much of an hommage to Piedmont, but rather full-on Australian Glory. Is this from Barossa?

Yep, it's from Barossa. The only thing I found to connect it to Italian Dolcetto was the classic soft texture which is fairly unique to that grape.

The only thing I found to connect it to Italian Dolcetto was the classic soft texture which is fairly unique to that grape.

Excluding all the tannic Dolcettos of course.

I'm not sure "soft" is the best word for Dolcetto.

But this is the oft-discussed issue as everyone always wants to "set the record straight" on the grape.

Excluding all the tannic Dolcettos of course.

I'm not sure "soft" is the best word for Dolcetto.

But this is the oft-discussed issue as everyone always wants to "set the record straight" on the grape.

Indeed.

I was under the impression that Dolcetto was "naturally" quite low in both tannin and acid, and that it was the type and length of oak treatment given to the wine that upped the levels of both in some examples.

It's not from the Barossa - this wine hails from the Langhorne Creek (also in South Australia). It's in quite an Australian, full-on style, but it's an interesting expression of that style. Here's a note on the 2004:

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 2004
Heartland have 30 acres of Lagrein, which is the largest planting outside Italy. Lovely pure fruit here with a nice savoury tang to the beautifully pure red and black fruits. Smooth and seamless with a nice freshness. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£8.99 Oddbins, SWIG, Noel Young)