2018 Dolcetto

…ish Range

Dolcetto is an Italian varietal that originates in the North Italian Dolomite mountains. In fact the word “Dolcetto” translates to “little hills of the Dolomites” which is where the variety is grown. However many winemakers and critics in Australia have used a Southern Italian “dialect” translation of the word to mean “little sweet one” which from the word Dolce meaning “sweet”. A traditional Italian Dolcetto is a dry red wine with great colour, body, acidity and tannins. For this wine it has been fermented and matured in concrete tanks to expolore the varieties lovely fruit compote flavours without the influence of oak.

HIDE

Medium crimson in colour with purple hues. Lifted aromas of plums, red currants and boysenberries burst from the glass combined with an attractive dried herb and spice lift. The generous palate allows soft tannins to glide over the mid palate along with flavours of plum, blackberry and blackcurrent. This is an expressive, fresh and plush Merlot with a refined finish.

Tasting Note

“Dolcetto – ‘little sweet one’ – is not quite so sweet at all, but super-dry and lightly savoury. It boasts a deep, dark purple intensity and launches into an earthy, sour cherry, tight and lean example of the breed. Firm tannins are front and centre and the overall feel is very Italian, very dry.”” Dolcetto – ‘little sweet one’ – is not quite so sweet at all, but super-dry and lightly savoury. It boasts a deep, dark purple intensity and launches into an earthy, sour cherry, tight and lean example of the breed. Firm tannins are front and centre and the overall feel is very Italian, very dry.”

Food

Corzetti with mushroom and sausage ragù.

Region

The King Valley is one of Australia’s most exciting, emerging wine regions. It is located in North East Victoria – approximately three hours North of Melbourne and seven hours South of Sydney. Home to the most picturesque and unspoilt valley in Australia, King Valley benefits from a cool climate with extremely varied terrain, that ranges from snow-capped Alps to sun baked fields.

The Season

The vintage 2018 growing season was cooler conditions prevail with relatively fine weather, cool nights and sunny but not hot days. With the great weather at flowering fruit set was excellent and crops were well up. An extended ripening period ensued with cool but fine conditions that created great varietal flavours expression and phenological ripeness. Overall, a strong vintage producing wines with purity, richness and finese.

Winemaking

The fruit for the 2018 Dolcetto was picked on the 3rd of March at a pheno-logical ripeness level of 13.1° baumé. The grapes were picked in the early morning, and were destemmed and then crushed to a static fermenter. The fruit was cold soaked for three days with light pump overs keeping the cap fresh. A slow fermentation on skins with a peak at 30°C with twice daily pump overs. Once pressed off skins, MLF fermentation at 22°C took place for about 6 weeks in concrete vats. The wine was kept on lees with no sulphur for matu-ration in the concrete vats until late January which allowed the wine to remain fresh, while providing texture and mouthfeel.

Analysis

Alcohol 13.4%v/v pH 3.53 TA 5.69 g/L

Packaging

750mL, 6 bottles per case