Luigi Einaudi – Dolcetto Value

~ Einaudi’s Cellars can be an intricate maze woven beneath the winery ~

In 1897, Luigi Einaudi, who was only 23 years old at the time, acquired his first vineyard parcels in the commune of Dogliani.  Surrounded by approximately 40 acres of vineyards, his farmhouse “San Giacomo” became the nucleus of his estate.  However, Luigi was not only a simple farmer.  In 1895 he graduated from Turin University with a degree in Law and soon began teaching at Universities in Pisa, Turin and Milano.  Eventually he entered politics and in 1948 was elected to become President of the first Italian Republic.  Despite his cramped professional schedule, he never neglected his business at home and became known to the locals as the “Professor of Dogliani”.

Since that early time, the estate has grown only modestly and today is comprised of 45 acres throughout Dogliani.  No less than 12 farmhouses with attached vineyards dot the property.  Farming in almost a coop style, these small Poderi independently manage their land within the Einaudi main estate.

~ Einaudi Vineyards in the Dogliani DOCG zone ~

Today we’re reviewing another current release of Piedmont’s workhorse every day red wine; Dolcetto.   Einaudi’s estate Dolcetto is sourced from three main vineyard sites, the majority of which lie near his San Giacomo farmhouse.   However, there is something unique about this wine relative to other Dolcetto.  Since 2005, the wine has borne the DOCG designation and is sourced from a tiny carved out area in Dogliani thought to be superior to the broader Dolcetto zone which remains DOC.  In order to classify as DOCG,  the grapes must come from within the smaller zone, yields are restricted be law, and the wine must be aged an additional year prior to release.  Einaudi has crafted a beautiful wine in 2013.

Deep purple to violet in the glass, the wine is replete with pretty aromas of black plums, lavender, fennel and spices.  On the palate, it’s smooth and easy drinking.  The plum flavors flow throughout with hints of baking spices and licorice. Medium bodied with balanced acidity, this stayed fresh and nimble throughout the medium finish.  The wine is vinified in stainless steel and held in tanks through malolactic fermentation. It is then bottled and held until legal to release.   Really a wonderful value around $14.  87 points.

~ Dolcetto di Dogliani from Einaudi ~

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Salute!