Winemaker Notes
The Dolcetto d'Alba Coste & Fossati is characterized by an intense violet color. The nose opens with notes of red fruits, mulberry, hints of white pepper, lavender, incense and sweet spices. The palate is very elegant, with hints of blue fruits and fresh wrinkles with a gentle finish.
A true food-friendly wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A peppery dolcetto with blackberries, violets and a touch of asphalt. The palate reveals rich yet tightly wound dark fruit, with precise tannins and a concise finish.
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Vinous
The 2023 Dolcetto d'Alba, Coste & Fossati Vajra's top Dolcetto, takes varietal notes and amplifies them, adding notable mid-palate richness and body, partly through a super-classic vinification that includes submerged cap maceration. Iron, dried flowers, mint, plum, sage and tobacco build as this deep, layered Dolcetto shows off its pedigree. I love its dynamic energy and overall complexity.
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.