Date of visit: October 25, 2022
About the Producer & Our Visit to Gianni Doglia
Gianni Doglia’s Monferrato estate is located in Castagnole delle Lanze, in the province of Asti. The Doglia family has been producing wine in this region for three generations. Today, Gianni, the owner and winemaker, with the help of his sister Paola, continue their family’s legacy. They farm with the utmost respect for the environment; no chemical fertilizers, the use of tractors and other machinery in the vineyards is kept to a minimum, no irrigation, and copper and sulfur are used sparingly. Their primary focus is Moscato d’Asti, which accounts for more than half of their total wine production, though they also grow Barbera, Grignolino, Ruchè, Arneis, Dolcetto, Freisa, and a few international varieties. Recently, Gianni was awarded the prestigious title of “Winegrower of the Year” from Gambero Rosso. Silvia, who works for Gianni and Paola, generously agreed to show us around this past October, and taste some of their wines.
Tasting Notes
2021 Grignolino d’Asti: 6 months spent in stainless steel, 8,000 bottles produced. Silvia explained that many years ago, Grignolino was considered a noble wine for quite some time. In fact, it was the wine of the Savoy family. She explained that it can be challenging to control the tannins and acidity of Grignolino, because of that it lost popularity in the 60s and 70s, and winemakers stopped producing it. Thankfully in the 90s, there was a renewed interest in this variety, and winemakers began producing it again. Fruit forward aromas of crushed red berries, cranberries, white and black pepper, tomato leaves, candied strawberries, and hints of new leather. The palate is juicy, with vibrant lively acidity, and delivers flavors of red berries and smoke, with smooth, fine, but grippy tannins, which can be felt on the finish.
2020 Barbera d’Asti “Bosco Donne”: “Bosco Donne”, which translates to, “Woman of the Forest”, is one of many Barbera wines produced by Gianni Doglia. This Barbera is made from their younger vines, which are 45 years old, and therefore is not young by any means. Gianni creates this wine with the goal of producing a Barbera which has the structure of a Barbera d'Asti Superiore, without any of the wood. Aromas of strawberries, raspberries, black fruits, dried figs, plums, herbs and spices. The palate is juicy with vibrant acidity, a silky mouthfeel, and delivers flavors of plums, along with pomegranate and cherry juice.
2019 Nizza: Made from vines as old as 70 years old, which grow in sandy clay soils. Aged in a combination of stainless steel and barrique; ⅓ of which is new and ⅔ of which is used. Silvia stated this is a wine with excellent aging potential and will continue to evolve for the next 20-25 years. Gianni emphasizes the fact that this is a wine which is not ideal for immediate consumption, and is best enjoyed after it's had additional time to age in bottle. Aromas of licorice, vanilla, espresso, black fruits, black currants, dried figs, prunes, dates, and raisins. We have to imagine that a lot of these aromas are a result of the wine being aged in barriques (⅓ of which is new). With that said, the oak sensations were a bit less prevalent on the palate, though still present; licorice, chocolate, coffee, cherry juice, dark fruits, and hints of vanilla. Silvia said that after some additional bottle aging the wood sensations are completely integrated. We’d be curious to taste this wine again in a few years after it’s spent some additional time in bottle.
2022 Moscato d’Asti: One of two Moscatos produced by the estate. Pronounced aromas of honeysuckle, with bursts of lychee, along with apricots, white flowers, jasmine, gardenia, hay, dried grass, and smoke. The palate is quite sweet with yeasty undertones, and flavors of white cherries and apples, balanced by fresh acidity. Nice fine perlage.
2021 Moscato d’Asti “Casa di Bianca”: Produced from Muscat grapes grown exclusively in Gianni Doglia’s “Casa di Bianca” vineyard. Aromas of white flowers, brioche, gardenia, jasmine, lilacs, and white lily, all of which carry over to the palate, along with flavors of rich concentrated honey, balanced by pleasant acidity. This is a Moscato which can be enjoyed now, but also possesses great aging potential. We'd be extremely curious to revisit this wine in a few years, after it's had some time to age in our Whynter Wine Fridge.
Thank You
Grazie mille Silvia, Paola, Gianni, and the entire team and Gianni Doglia for welcoming us to your estate and sharing your wonderful wines with us. We hope to see you again very soon!
Comentarios