Cordero di Montezemolo Dolcetto d'Alba 2008
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Since 1340, 19 generations one after another, have managed the Monfalletto property in the town of La Morra, the center of the production of Barolo wine.
Even today, the property is entirely family-run. Giovanni Cordero di Montezemolo and his children Elena and Alberto are the protagonists of this millennium.
The historical single-body vineyard area of 28 hectares (69 acres), rare for the area, extends over all sides of the hill. The land has always been cultivated with the various local varieties, selected and distinctly planted according to sun exposure, type of soil and the altitude.
In 1965 Paolo Cordero di Montezemolo obtained an important lot of old vines in the center of the famous Villero area in Catiglione Falletto. From this 2-hectares vineyard we pick the grapes for Barolo Enrico VI.
Over the years, further acquisitions and long-term leasing of vineyards have been made, not far from the winery headquarter and in the area of Alba and Roero.
Currently, the total vineyard area on which grapes are grown for the production of all Cordero di Montezemolo wines is 51 hectares (126 acres).
An easy drinking red with soft fruity flavors—but catchy tannins, Dolcetto is often enjoyed in its native Piedmont on a casual weekday night, or for apertivo (the canonical Piedmontese pre-dinner appetizer hour). Somm Secret—In most of Piedmont, easy-ripening Dolcetto is relegated to the secondary sites—the best of which are reserved for the king variety: Nebbiolo. However, in the Dogliani zone it is the star of the show, and makes a more serious style of Dolcetto, many of which can improve with cellar time.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.