WTN: Yuck II (2004 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani)

I love Dolcetto. I used to love this wine, but 2001 was the last nice vintage I've had. I guess my tastes have changed? Or has the wine gone through a couple bad vintages (yes!) and changed (???) meanwhile?

• 2004 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Dolcetto di Dogliani (7/13/2006)
  Impenetrably dark. The nose is odd: yoghurt. Peach yoghurt to be precice. There is also a touch of herbs, only a hint of earthiness and the 14% alc is too evident. The palate is a little better: juicily fruity yet savoury, very tannic, perhaps a touch oaky but not out of balance, but the youghurt is very prominent on the palate also - as is the alcohol. Gladly there are lovely, high amounts of acidity! Bit still, this is a bit of a disappointment. A bit spoofulated.

Posted from CellarTracker

Ok, ok. Not quite deserving the Yuck! This is drinkable (thanks to the lovely acidity) but not too nice.

[David M. Bueker]

You know Otto, there's something ironic about posting "spoofulated" from CellarTracker!

Too bad. I'm not a big Dolcetto drinker (don't mind the tannins so much, but the low acidity and grapey nature) but always found the Einaudi to be a good value for the category. Surprised they've gone to oak.

Just reread your note. 14% and high acidity in Dolcetto? That's got to be artificial, I would think. Oliver or someone? Is acidification (acidulation?) common in Piedmont?

I don't see this as available in US yet. I'll try to find a bottle as it's released.

Dale,

The 14% isn't surprising, in a riper vintage. Dolcetto is a moderate-acidity variety as a rule, but there are exceptions; Anna Maria Abbona, who I import, tells me that here wine often has pretty high acidity even when ripe (high altitude vineyards, for one thing).

There have been a number of experiments with oak and dolcetto, ranging from fermentation in tini-botte (wooden fermentation vessels) to the use of smaller barrels for aging. Some of these experiments are very promising, some unfortunate.

I was under the impression that Einaudi made two Dolcettos, a regular one without wood and the 'Vigna Tecc' that used some wood. I believe he still uses Beppe Caviola for consulting, and Beppe has a great understanding of that grape.

Dale,

I don't know if acidification is legal in DOC wines. I've never seen it.

Oliver,
thanks for info. From Empson site it looks like the Dolcetto di Dogliani is raised in stainless:
http://www.empson.com/public/producers/ ... ine_detail

Maybe it's just because I often am mentally comparing to Barbera, but I always think of Dolcetto as low-acid (at least by Piedmont standards). I wasn't as surprised by the 14% as surprised by that combined with high acidity.

Is your Abbona the same one who makes the Faset Barbaresco?

Is it possible that youth is the issue?

Anna Maria Abbona estate bottles Dolcetto di Dogliani only.

The Empson site shows I have it backwards, the I Filari is at least partially oak-aged, the Tecc is traditional all-steel.

Why is spoof ironic from CT?

Though Dolcetto has a bit of a reputation as being low in acidity, I have found that in the best examples, there is ample enough acidity and a lovely bitterness that counters the lack of acidity which makes it perfectly balanced and very savoury. And as I said, the oak here wasn't obtrusive. Rather the problem I had was with the youghurt component - malo, I guess...