Boschis Dolcetto de Dogliani
Traveling 290 miles southwest from Alto Adige across the top of Italy’s “boot” will bring you to Dogliani, where Dolcetto [dole-CHET-oh] may have originated and was harvested as early as 1593.
The Francesco Boschis estate estate traces back to 1919, when the family — originally starting with Telesforo Boschis — planted vineyards on the hill of Pianezzo, near the town of Dogliani in Piedmont, Italy.
However, they did not begin bottling their own wines until 1968, under the name “Pianezzo.” Previously theirgrapes were sold to other producers in the area. Dolcetto is the main varietal planted, commanding a dominant 80% of the winery’s production.
Today the estate remains family-run, managed by Telesforo’s descendants: Mario Boschis (current head), his wife Simona Boschis, and their children Paolo Boschis and Marco Boschis. The property remains modest in scale: their total vineyard area is roughly 26 acres [10.5 hectares], of which about 17 acres [6.95 ha] is planted to Dolcetto.
They emphasize sustainable / integrated viticulture. Since at least vintage 2022, they are certified under “The Green Experience.” Their winemaking philosophy leans toward minimum intervention. For many of their wines they avoid filtration and cold stabilization, and avoid unnecessary additions — aiming to let the grapes and terroir show themselves.However, they did not begin bottling their own wines until 1968, under the name “Pianezzo.”
Boschis Dolcetto de Dogliani 2005
This Dolcetto is what Boschis terms an ‘autumn wine,’ but I think it is more suitable to late spring or early summer. Although the color is inky dark, the body is remarkably light (rather too much so for my taste in reds). and refreshing with black cherry overtones. The nose features black fruits (plum, blackberry), and red fruits (cherry). These continue on the palate, with a bit of earthiness, spice, and leather.
This wine will pair nicely with all things Italiano: a nice antipasto platter, pasta, grilled fish, and of course, pizza.
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