A Surprising Dolcetto

I was out visiting some young puppies on Wednesday evening and came home with a nice wine after playing with ten, almost six weeks old Irish Setter kids.  It was difficult not bringing home a puppy as well, especially the boy pictured above.

Among the many hobbies the owners of the litter have in addition to setters (Gordon, Irish and Irish Red and White) is wine.  What a wonderful combination!  In this case their interest is in making wine rather than just in drinking it. I brought home several bottles and opened a 2012 Dolcetto for dinner last night with a grilled rib steak.

Very purple and young color gave way to a grapey taste that is the hallmark of Dolcetto.  The win was full bodied and very fruit forward.  It didn't taste Italian because that wonderful sense of earth was missing, but there was enough tannin and acid to make it a very easy drinking and tasty wine.  With a small steak on a summer evening it was close to perfect.

There was enough juice for only two cases plus so I suspect this is the most limited production wine I've had. 

2012 Shaker Hill Dolcetto.  12.5% alcohol.  2.5 cases produced.