Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba 2010

Dark-fruited and concentrated, with blackberry, plum skin, bitter chocolate and a firm tannic backbone that speaks to classical Dolcetto winemaking. Fermented in cement and aged in cask, a method largely abandoned elsewhere, this has real structure and mid-weight focus that feels like a callback to the variety's earlier reputation. There's a slight austerity to it that needs time to soften; bottled late July 2011, it's still finding its footing. Let it settle and it will reward those who still believe Dolcetto can be something more than an easy-drinking stopgap.