Dolcetto, Monterustico, Dogliani 2022, Italy

A charming red wine from the Dogliani region in Piedmont, Italy. The Monterustico estate is in the province of Cuneo, a couple of kilometres due south of Barolo. 

The Vajra family, famous for making an outstanding portfolio of wines in Barolo, including those made from the Dolcetto variety, has turned their attention to the once-famous region of Dogliani.

This is a more grippy and dryer style than the G.D. Vajra wines, and there is a wildness and postcode accuracy here that sets the heart racing.

This new Dolcetto is in its second year, and it is a fabulous piece of intuitive winemaking. Bright, clean, seamless, black-fruit-soaked and bristling with positive energy, there is a violet and black cherry top note to this wine that is superb, and this draws you in while the whoosh of berries takes you along on a raft of buoyant fruit.

This is a game-changing wine for the region and this wine continues the efforts of this dedicated family.