I was worried after reading some of these reviews, but am happy to say that this is definitely not over the hill. Deep red, no bricking. Dusty black cherry fruit with lots of earthiness. Tannins are faint. Needed about 45 minute decant. Lovely and drinking well now but has a few years at plateau
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a clear and deep ruby wine with staining tears.
It has a medium plus intensity on the nose and is youthful. It has aromas of blackberry, plum, sour cherry, an almond-like nuttiness, and spice notes of ginger and cardamom.
This wine is dry, with high tannins, medium acidity, medium plus alcohol and body. The palate is of medium plus intensity and consists primarily of plum, blackberry, cherry, and almonds. This wine has a long, tannic finish and is of medium complexity.
This is a very good quality wine at a high price point that should be drunk now. I'm not sure that the fruit will improve with age, even with the high tannin given the lower acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasty wine. Cocoa beans, smoke and dark fruits on the palate and similar profile on the nose. Medium body, bright acidity, feels bone dry and overall quite balanced, with a good finish. Improves with air. Interesting wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark reddish-purple in color. Initially reticent which later developed with airing into an attractive nose of youthful, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries & berries, some floral notes, pressed linen, spices, minerals and earthy notes. Medium bodied with a good concentration of youthful, vibrant & ripe fruit flavors of tart cherries, sweet blackberries & pomegranate, a hint of citrus, some spices, minerals and earthy. Lingering but tight finish. An absolutely lovely Dolcetto with the "bones" & fruit to develop further with an additional aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This sported aroma's of roasted red and black fruits and baking spices, just bursting from the glass tonight. Love the fleshy texture on the palate, from light to medium bodied, but more towards medium and has just enough fat to provide some luxury and insolation. There's good freshness and energy, along with the slight bitterness and soil expressions you'd expect. Finishes slightly dry, with humble intensity but good persistence. Significantly better showing than with the previous bottle. A classy Dolcetto...recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated to decanter, served immediately, non-blind. Strikingly pretty aromas of ripe cherries, marzipan, river bed and damp forest. Medium body, with impressive tension and fullness to the very pure fruit. Recent tn's had me worried, but I believed in the producer and the vintage, and I was not disappointed - quite the opposite really, this is an exceeds expectation. highly recommended, thru 2015. 14,0% abv. Absolute re-buy.
Well, good news: After a hiatus, this really came around. Fattened up a bit, nice smooth tannins, cherry and blackberry and a little blackberry leaf, some spice. I think these are starting to catch up to my recollection of the 2009s. Good to have some of these and the Abbonas in the hopper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pre-Piedmont Dinner (Chao San Cuisine, Beach Road): Nice stuff. This was my first experience with Dolcetto di Dogliani, and I can see why many hold the Dolcetti that come out of this sub-region in higher regard than their more famous cousins in Alba or Asti. The nose was very primary, but pleasant, with sweet cherry syrup and dark berry aromas on a bed of loamy earth, smoke and a little floral backnote. I thought the palate would be rather sweet or over-ripe after that nose. Instead, it had a lovely clarity and balance to it, with clean acidity tracing its way through high-toned flavours of black cherries and berries seasoned with minerally earth, warm spice and a bittersweet puff of smoke that drifted around the dark fruit in a long finish. Still very young of course, this actually feels as though it needs some time to integrate and flesh out, but I liked what was in the glass - it has the balance and grace to age nicely, and should be a really nice wine in the not-too-distant future. Try again in 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A note of caution: I opened this for my nephew and his fiancee who were taking care of the kids and only had a small quantity to taste myself over about 45 minutes. So it might have improved with air. My nephew felt it did improve. I love Dolcetto and Chionetti was for me a discovery wine with this grape, but I do think the '09s were better at this phase of their life. The counsel has been to wait, but I do find this just a little thin. Admittedly, it's dolcetto, so it's not the most complex wine, but the varietal character of a bitter twist on the end seems out of balance with the lightweight fruit in this bottle. I have two more that I will return to over the coming months. Maybe if I drink more of those bottles over a longer time, I'll revise up. But for now, I think Anna Maria Abbona is standing head and shoulder over Chionetti in my dolcetto rankings.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a lean red, with vibrant acidity and bold red fruit flavors, especially pomegranate. There are virtually no tannins on the back end. Neat little wine, good for parties.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/14/2020 - acidqueen wrote: 91 Points
I was worried after reading some of these reviews, but am happy to say that this is definitely not over the hill. Deep red, no bricking. Dusty black cherry fruit with lots of earthiness. Tannins are faint. Needed about 45 minute decant. Lovely and drinking well now but has a few years at plateau
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2020 - kenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
[Double decanted at 3:30.] Delicious, complex, spicy, some tannin on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2018 - Italiana wrote:
A serious dolcetto, which seems to be carrying its age well. Still, I would like to have this bottle several years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2018 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Fresh looking. Pronounced aromas. Develops nicely with time in the glass. Don't see much upside, so working through my bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still young, with a good bite. Give it a couple of years. Serious Dolcetto.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2015 - RHvdG Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs two hours of decanting. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2014 - Tonythefish wrote: 88 Points
See prior notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2014 - Tonythefish wrote: 88 Points
Highly tannic medium fruit Italian wine. Good with takeout last night - not too pricey but have had better at this price point
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2013 - theglobalvine Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a clear and deep ruby wine with staining tears.
It has a medium plus intensity on the nose and is youthful. It has aromas of blackberry, plum, sour cherry, an almond-like nuttiness, and spice notes of ginger and cardamom.
This wine is dry, with high tannins, medium acidity, medium plus alcohol and body. The palate is of medium plus intensity and consists primarily of plum, blackberry, cherry, and almonds. This wine has a long, tannic finish and is of medium complexity.
This is a very good quality wine at a high price point that should be drunk now. I'm not sure that the fruit will improve with age, even with the high tannin given the lower acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2013 - dke Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasty wine. Cocoa beans, smoke and dark fruits on the palate and similar profile on the nose. Medium body, bright acidity, feels bone dry and overall quite balanced, with a good finish. Improves with air. Interesting wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2013 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep dark reddish-purple in color. Initially reticent which later developed with airing into an attractive nose of youthful, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries & berries, some floral notes, pressed linen, spices, minerals and earthy notes. Medium bodied with a good concentration of youthful, vibrant & ripe fruit flavors of tart cherries, sweet blackberries & pomegranate, a hint of citrus, some spices, minerals and earthy. Lingering but tight finish. An absolutely lovely Dolcetto with the "bones" & fruit to develop further with an additional aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2013 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine: 90 Points
This sported aroma's of roasted red and black fruits and baking spices, just bursting from the glass tonight. Love the fleshy texture on the palate, from light to medium bodied, but more towards medium and has just enough fat to provide some luxury and insolation. There's good freshness and energy, along with the slight bitterness and soil expressions you'd expect. Finishes slightly dry, with humble intensity but good persistence. Significantly better showing than with the previous bottle. A classy Dolcetto...recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2013 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Aerated to decanter, served immediately, non-blind. Strikingly pretty aromas of ripe cherries, marzipan, river bed and damp forest. Medium body, with impressive tension and fullness to the very pure fruit. Recent tn's had me worried, but I believed in the producer and the vintage, and I was not disappointed - quite the opposite really, this is an exceeds expectation. highly recommended, thru 2015. 14,0% abv. Absolute re-buy.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
6/5/2013 - Not647f wrote:
Well, good news: After a hiatus, this really came around. Fattened up a bit, nice smooth tannins, cherry and blackberry and a little blackberry leaf, some spice. I think these are starting to catch up to my recollection of the 2009s. Good to have some of these and the Abbonas in the hopper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2013 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
Pre-Piedmont Dinner (Chao San Cuisine, Beach Road): Nice stuff. This was my first experience with Dolcetto di Dogliani, and I can see why many hold the Dolcetti that come out of this sub-region in higher regard than their more famous cousins in Alba or Asti. The nose was very primary, but pleasant, with sweet cherry syrup and dark berry aromas on a bed of loamy earth, smoke and a little floral backnote. I thought the palate would be rather sweet or over-ripe after that nose. Instead, it had a lovely clarity and balance to it, with clean acidity tracing its way through high-toned flavours of black cherries and berries seasoned with minerally earth, warm spice and a bittersweet puff of smoke that drifted around the dark fruit in a long finish. Still very young of course, this actually feels as though it needs some time to integrate and flesh out, but I liked what was in the glass - it has the balance and grace to age nicely, and should be a really nice wine in the not-too-distant future. Try again in 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2013 - Not647f wrote: 86 Points
A note of caution: I opened this for my nephew and his fiancee who were taking care of the kids and only had a small quantity to taste myself over about 45 minutes. So it might have improved with air. My nephew felt it did improve. I love Dolcetto and Chionetti was for me a discovery wine with this grape, but I do think the '09s were better at this phase of their life. The counsel has been to wait, but I do find this just a little thin. Admittedly, it's dolcetto, so it's not the most complex wine, but the varietal character of a bitter twist on the end seems out of balance with the lightweight fruit in this bottle. I have two more that I will return to over the coming months. Maybe if I drink more of those bottles over a longer time, I'll revise up. But for now, I think Anna Maria Abbona is standing head and shoulder over Chionetti in my dolcetto rankings.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2013 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 88 Points
This is a lean red, with vibrant acidity and bold red fruit flavors, especially pomegranate. There are virtually no tannins on the back end. Neat little wine, good for parties.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment