A wonderful Costco find, the Pecchenino San Luigi Dogliani DOCG.
100% Dolcetto from Dogliani in Piedmont, Italy. The wine spends 8-10 months in stainless steel tanks and has 3.8 g/L of residual sugar.
We found the Pecchenino San Luigi Dogliani at Costco for just $13.99 but there are other sellers on wine-searcher at an average price of $17. 85,000 bottles were produced and the wine is imported by Vias Imports LTD.
The dolcetto grape is a variety native to Piedmont. In Dogliani the dolcetto grape has the perfect soil conditions and climate. San Luigi is a product from different vineyards in the area. The soil is clay and calcareous white marl. In the vineyards we don't use herbicides or chemical treatments. The fermentation takes place with natural yeasts. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for one year. The wine is ruby red, fruity, has good acidity and a slightly almond aftertaste. The San Luigi dolcetto is good for all food: appetizers, pasta, white and red meat and cheese. Serve best at 64F.
13.5% Alcohol
Often overshadowed by the other big red grapes in Piedmont (Nebbiolo and Barbera) we were quite excited to see this Dolcetto at a big retailer like Costco. While it can be hard find, this variety doesn't demand the same high prices as those other two grapes, and as such it makes a great variety for Reverse Wine Snobs to explore.
The 2018 Pecchenino San Luigi Dogliani needs a good amount of time to open up but when it does it reveals quite a pleasant aroma of cherry, raspberry, plum, and even a little cedar (even though it doesn't see any oak).
Tasting the balanced, medium-bodied wine shows lots of juicy fruit and licorice notes plus a soft, smooth mouthfeel. This is quite good! It ends dry and long with a little bit of lingering earthiness.
You may also want to check out more of our favorite wines from Italy here!
