Schiavenza Dolcetto d’Alba
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The Fruit is manually harvested from their estate vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba.
- The vineyard altitude is 300 and 400 m above sea level and the soil is clayey and calcareous.
- The average age of the vines is 10 to 15 years.
Varietal Composition: 100% Dolcetto
Elaboration: Traditional Guyot cultivation system is used and the planting density is 4,000 plants per hectare. Fermentation and maceration in 30/50 quintal cement tanks for approximately 10 days at a temperature varying between 30° and 33° C. Two daily pumping overs to aerate the fermenting must and break the cap. After a few months of frequent decanting into steel tanks, the wine is bottled and stored in cool, dark rooms until marketed.
Tasting Notes: Dolcetto d’Alba doc Schiavenza is a red wine with an intense ruby color with violet reflections. On the nose you can appreciate notes of cherries, ripe black cherries and hints of spices. In the mouth it is full-bodied, with good freshness and light almond notes in the finish.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Alessandria family has been farming this Serralunga property since 1956. The estate and surrounding area were formerly part of the Opera Pia Barolo (a castle that is similar to Burgundy’s Hospice du Beaune – Part educational institution and part hospital), whose vineyards were worked by sharecroppers. The local dialect for sharecropper is “schiavenza,” hence the origin on the estate name.
A name like Schiavenza should give one a clue as to the style here; this is no modern “barrique” aged Barolo estate – Wines here are fermented with native yeast in cement cisterns and then aged in traditional Slovenian botti.Vineyard holdings have expanded over time, and the estate is made up of 8 hectares split between Serralunga and Monforte. These include the heralded crus Prapò, Bricco Cerretta, and Broglio. No pesticides or herbicides are used, and all field work is coordinated with the cycles of the moon.