Gianfranco Alessandria Dolcetto d'Alba 2010
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Gianfranco Alessandria took over managing his family's farm in 1986, after the passing of his father. He continued the practice of selling the grapes from the 5.5 hectares of vineyard land his father had amassed in San Giovanni, home to some of Monforte d'Alba's best known vineyards.
At the end of the 80's, at the urging of his cousin, Mauro Veglio, he began to bottle small portions of his wine. The first Barolo came with the 1993 vintage which was awarded three glasses by Gambero Rosso. The new winery, attached to their home, was finished in 1996, also the first year of full production. While modernizing the facilities refined the process of the winemaking, it did not change Alessandria or his heart-felt belief in the land of Monforte d'Alba.
All the wines are aged in neutral oak, with the exception of the San Giovanni, which sees a small percentage of new barrels. Alessandria produces approximately 35,000 bottles each vintage of stunning wines with great integrity.
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.