Farming : Organic

Winemaking : Hand-Picked Grapes | Native Yeast Fermentation | Unfined | Vegan

Region : Piedmont, Italy

Grape : 70% Dolcetto | 30% Brachetto

Alcohol by Volume : 11%

Notes:

Fausto and Cinzia Cellario are 3rd generation winemakers in the village of Carru` on the western outskirts of the Langhe. The family believes in only working with local, indigenous Piemontese grape varieties and fiercely defends local winemaking traditions both in the vineyard work and the cellar practices. The Cellario vineyard holdings cover some 30 ha between 5 different vineyard sites covering the southern Langhe. With holdings in Novello and Monforte, the Dogliani plot is arguably the family’s most prestigious land and I would consider them Dolcetto specialists. Vineyard work is organic (soon to be certified) and all the fermentation take place with indigenous yeasts. Sulfur is only added in tiny quantities at bottling if necessary (a practice not common with a winery in this mid-size range).

On the palate, blackberry and strawberry (also other dark and red berries), small hints of minerals, earthy, leather. In the MMXXII (2022) vintage Cellario once again utilized his small vineyard of Brachetto (just under a hectare), which he vinified into a dry red wine of ~11% abv. He then combined this Brachetto with his beloved Dolcetto to create a roughly 30/70 blend (30% brachetto/70% dolcetto) and vinified it partially whole cluster (semi-carbo). Aged for about a month in cement tanks before bottling and immediate release.