Manzone "Le Ciliegie" Dolcetto D'Alba DOC 2021

Juicy flavors of bright red cherry and plum shine next to the elegant aroma of dark fruit and violets in this Northern Italian red. The plum and berry aromas have a very immediate, floral character. Medium-bodied with fresh fruit and vivid yet contained acidity and a crisp, super-clean finish. Finely-chiseled and deliciously fresh.

The Manzone family has been producing wine out of the Piedmont village of Monforte since 1965. These organic, hand-picked grapes see long maceration times which result in a wine that is richly concentrated and deeply colored.

The grapes come from two vineyards located in the Castelletto MGA and Gramolere MGA, in Monforte d’Alba. These old vines produce a complex and powerful Dolcetto, and with Western exposure, the soil is calcareous and sandy, with layers of red clay. The steep slope of the hill allows for only manual harvesting, which is done in early/mid September to ensure the perfect ripening of the grapes.

Temperature-controlled fermentation with the skins lasts about 15 days with soft pumping over to guarantee a delicate polyphenolic extraction. After the required aging in steel tanks, the wine is bottled during waning moon. Only a few thousand bottles of Dolcetto Le Ciliegie are produced and sold about a year and a half after the harvest.

In 1925 Manzone Giovanni purchased "Ciabot del Preve" (the parish priest's house) and started making wine in Monforte d’Alba. Throughout the years, the Manzone family has purchased important vineyards on the historic hills of Castelletto and Gramolere, two of the best crus in Monforte d'Alba.

Eventually, Mauro and Mirella Manzone joined their father Giovanni in the management of the winery. Mauro and Mirella graduated from the famed Oenology School of Albaanzone Giovanni winery located in Monforte d’Alba, Piedmont.

The entire production is focused on high quality over quantity The vineyard's elevation reaches 350-500 metres (1,100-1600 feet). The extreme steepness and the great terroir foster naturally low-yielding vines which produce wines that are approachable while young, yet remain amongst the most concentrated and long-lived Piedmont wines.