2017 Idlewild Dolcetto Fox Hill Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (12/27/2019)
I have been following this wine since 2013, and the 2017 is the best vintage I have tasted. The tannins are more refined, and there is more aromatic complexity. It’s still a gutsy wine, but that’s Dolcetto. What I liked the most was the floral elements on the nose, and the length of the finish. The wine brought a lot to the table. I asked Sam Bilbro (Idlewild owner and winemaker, vineyard manager, etc.) if there was anything different about the 2017, and he indicated that there was a combination of improvements in the vineyard, better tannin management, and a bit of vintage influence. So no specific thing, but just a confluence of factors leading to generally improved quality for what was already a very good wine.