Fabio Gea La Msoira e'l Rastel Pino Dolcetto d'Alba 2022

Grape: Dolcetto
Vintage: 2022
Type: Red

Grown organically on the steep marl and limestone hillsides around Bricco di Neive, this small-batch Dolcetto d'Alba Superiore completely subverts the stereotype of Dolcetto as a simple, everyday quaffer. Winemaker Fabio Gea treats the variety with the utmost reverence, adopting a low-intervention mindset typically reserved for high-end Nebbiolo. The hand-harvested grapes are fully destemmed and undergo a spontaneous, native-yeast fermentation followed by an extended three-week skin maceration to draw out structural depth and savory nuance. Rather than using traditional wooden barrels, Gea ages this wine in his signature handmade porcelain and stoneware vessels, letting the fruit's raw identity express itself without oaky flavors. Bottled completely unfiltered, unfined, and with minimal sulfur, it is an incredibly alive, texturally arresting take on a classic variety.

In the glass, it pours a deep, opaque ruby-purple color with intense violet rims. The aromatics are remarkably deep and complex, leaping out with notes of ripe blackberry, black cherry jam, wild bramble, and an intriguing blend of violet petals and raw cocoa powder. On the palate, a "crystalline" core of vibrant, limestone-driven acidity cuts right through the grape's natural, concentrated fleshiness. True to traditional old-school Dolcetto, a massive, unyielding framework of fine-grained, chalky tannins builds across the tongue, yet the porcelain aging keeps the mid-palate remarkably slick and fluid. The finish is intensely dry, long, and savory, leaving a mouthwatering trail of oil-cured black olives, flowering thyme, and crushed dark stones.