G D Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba (75cl, 13%)

A 100% Dolcetto red wine from Piedmont, Italy, bottled at 13% ABV in a 750ml bottle. It is one of the rare Dolcetto wines sourced from classified Barolo cru vineyards, with massale selections of antique Dolcetto biotypes planted at Coste di Vergne and Fossati between 1979 and 1985. Fermented for about 15 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and rested briefly in steel before bottling, with no oak used at any stage. The nose opens with blue and purplish fruit, lavender, rose petals and cloves, with licorice and eucalyptus beneath. The palate is bright and fruit-forward, with raspberry and candied cherry giving way to creme de cassis and sweet spice, plus bramble berries, tomato leaf and gentle bitter almond. Medium-bodied with balanced acidity and medium tannins, it finishes medium in length with dark cherry, violet and a faint mineral undertone.