tannins. Dolcetto is best consumed young, as its youthful fruit character fades quicker than its acidity. Lake County can produce phenomenal wines and this is one of them. Sticking to old-school winemaking techniques, this winemaker has brought out the best in this grape.

With three years in the bottle, this wine is just where you want it to be, bright, lively, smooth and polished. It will probably keep those characteristics for a few years to come. I am not usually one to comment on color but this wine merit’s recognition. This is probably the deepest purple I have ever seen (other than that purple haze episode in 71 but that’s another story). The smell does not glorify the flavors in a way that shows respect and that’s too bad but maybe the flavors are so huge it would be impossible to show respect with aromas that parallel the flavor in fact aromas that huge would scare an ordinary person. Deep dark berry almost like raspberry chocolate ganache, accented with spice and herbs. Depth of flavor and finesse from an under utilized varietal makes this Dolcetto from Rosa D’ Oro a standout wine and an incredible find considering its relative value. Lake County representing where others fall short.