2022 Cavallotto Dolcetto d'Alba Vigna Scot, Piedmont

The 2022 Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna Scot is plump, juicy and easygoing, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Crushed red berry fruit, flowers and sweet spice all grace this supple, mid-weight offering from Cavallotto.

88 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com

Cavallotto Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna Scot is a deeply expressive and structured version of Dolcetto, a grape often treated as light and simple but here given the respect and terroir focus of a serious wine. Sourced from the Vigna Scot parcel on the slopes of the Bricco Boschis cru in Castiglione Falletto, this Dolcetto is grown on the same limestone and marl soils as Cavallotto’s Barolo — and it shows.

This is Dolcetto made with intention: hand harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts in traditional oak vats, and aged for several months in large Slavonian oak. There’s no carbonic maceration or over-extraction. Just a clean, transparent expression of variety and place.

The nose offers a burst of dark cherry, black plum, violet, almond skin and a faint whisper of spice. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with ripe berry fruit, firm acidity and a fine tannic backbone that gives the wine real grip and persistence. This is a Dolcetto that speaks clearly of its origins and has the structure to evolve — not just to quench.

Food pairing: excellent with charcuterie, mushroom pizza, grilled pork chops, pasta with sausage and fennel, or aged cheeses like Raschera or Toma Piemontese. Also delicious with roast duck or lentil and pancetta stew.

Cellar potential: while made for near-term enjoyment, this Dolcetto can age well over 4 to 7 years, developing savoury, earthy complexity without losing freshness.