Ferdinando Principiano Dolcetto d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy 2022

A soulful, site-driven Dolcetto from a Barolo traditionalist committed to biodiversity and low-intervention winemaking.

• WINEMAKER: Ferdinando Principiano
• FARMING: Practicing organic (uncertified); no synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Minimal copper and sulfur. Focused on ecosystem preservation—including forest stewardship and wetland creation.
• VARIETY: 100% Dolcetto
• TERROIR: Grown in the high-altitude Sant'Anna and Montagliato vineyards (500m) in Monforte d’Alba. Soils are a mix of clay and sand, lending lift and freshness to Dolcetto's naturally generous fruit.
• VINEYARDS & VITICULTURE: Three hectares of Guyot-trained vines ranging from 9 to 60 years old. All vineyard work is manual—Ferdinando even scythes by hand—underscoring his commitment to traditional practices and gentle land stewardship.
• VINIFICATION: Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel vats. No temperature control. The wine ferments on skins for 15–20 days before resting for 10 months in stainless steel. Bottled with a light sulfur addition (30 mg/L) and no filtration.
• AGING: 10 months in stainless steel before bottling.
• TASTING NOTES: Bright and lively, this Dolcetto shows lifted aromas of violet, black cherry, and crushed herbs. The palate is savory and brisk, with fine tannins, a touch of wild earth, and a dry, mineral finish—no oak, no gloss, just honest Langhe fruit.
• FOOD PAIRINGS: Pair with mushroom pizza, fennel salami, roasted eggplant, or a slab of Taleggio on crusty bread.