Boutique, vintage and collectible wines in Manhattan's West Village.
Dolcetto d'Alba's Master
My friend Jan d'Amore, who imports the wines of Flavio Roddolo, has plenty of stories about his visits with Roddolo that will make you chuckle, but the story that kind of sums up Roddolo up perfectly is this - on one such visit, Jan asked him to taste a specific wine that was still in barrel at the time, and they spent the next hour wandering the labyrinthine cellar until Roddolo just gave up and said 'I can't find it right now.' He's a genius winemaker, but he's not the most business-minded guy on the block. However, thanks to a jolt of energy (and organization) from his nephew, the Roddolo estate is now keeping track of things like which wine is in which tank. Case in point - one of the main discoveries they made during this process of organization was that of two tanks of Roddolo's absolutely brilliant Dolcetto and Dolcetto Superiore, both from the amazing 2016 vintage. Both of these wines are always classic, classic Dolcetto, but that extended time in tank has given them such an incredible sense of balance and subtle complexity. They're still wound pretty tightly, but they're Dolcetto on such an elevated level that the only thing you're left wondering is just how good they're going to get over the next 3-5 years. The Dolcetto d'Alba is bright, sprightly and delicious - the gloriously red berry fruit and pointed herbaceousness hover around the frame of small-scale, but sturdy tannins. The Dolcetto Superiore, made from a selection of the best/oldest vines, is, at once, more complex and refined, yet also more firmly structured. There is a sense of dark, brooding power underneath the reticent elegance, and this wine's going to let that power loose on its own sweet time. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Roddolo's Dolcetto are, for me, the absolute benchmark for this most beloved of grapes. As Jan is also fond of saying, Roddolo's so concerned about his wines being 'ready' before he bottles and releases them, that it almost seems like he doesn't really want to even sell them. And he sometimes waits so long that he completely forgets about them...thus they hang around for lucky people like us to get our hands on... ...yes, lucky... FLAVIO RODDOLO Dolcetto d'Alba 2016 Dolcetto d'Alba Superiore 2016 You may order by calling 212.255.8870. Matt Franco MCF Rare Wine, Ltd 249 West 13th Street NYC 10011 212.255.8870 Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere? Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!
WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.