Dogliani is a village in the southern Langhe, in the province of Cuneo, where Dolcetto is not a secondary wine as it is elsewhere, but the star. The appellation was born in 1974 as Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC, became a DOCG in 2005 and in 2011 also absorbed the old Dolcetto delle Langhe Monregalesi DOC. Today it is simply called Dogliani: the name of the place before the name of the grape.
The territory
Vineyards cover about 449 hectares, with an output of 15,800 hectolitres. The regulations recognise 76 additional geographical mentions, including the names of 21 municipalities, which allow the vineyard or locality of origin to be shown on the label: a sign of how much producers have worked on reading individual hills, as in the nearby Langhe of Barolo.
Only Dolcetto
Dogliani is made from pure Dolcetto, in Rosso and Superiore versions. Minimum alcohol is 12%. According to the regulations, the wine ages for at least 12 months and cannot be released before 1 November of the year after the harvest. Compared with Dolcetto d'Alba, Dogliani generally has more structure and keeps better over time.
In the glass it is ruby red with purple glints, with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, almond and a herbal note; the tannins are present but soft and the acidity moderate. The finish often has the slight bitterness typical of the variety.
An ancient history
A popular legend says the god Janus came here to taste the wine, and some derive the village's name from "dolium Jani", the cask of Janus. More concretely, the first regulation of vineyards in Dogliani dates back to 1593. Today Dogliani is one of the most serious everyday reds of Piedmont: it goes with cured meats, agnolotti, vitello tonnato, boiled meats and medium-aged cheeses.
