2013 Francesco Boschis Dogliani Vigna dei Prey 750 ml

“A bit wild … dark inky fruit, lavender, licorice and dark spices”

Fifty years ago, Dolcetto — a black Italian variety, roughly translated at “little sweet one” — was widely planted on Piedmont’s most precious slopes. But as prices skyrocketed for Barolo and Barbaresco, growers replaced their Dolcetto vines with more lucrative Nebbiolo. Some of the most delicious, darkly concentrated, yet vibrant reds in Northern Italy disappeared in less than 20 years.

But in one small sub-region in and around the village of Dogliani, just 15 kilometers south of Barolo, Dolcetto continues to rule the roost, as it has for over 600 years. The soils on the rolling hillsides of Dogliani are comprised of clay and calcareous marl, strewn with chunks of white limestone. Particularly on southeastern slopes, and in the hands of the most brilliant cellar-masters, Dolcetto di Dogliani puts Dolcetto d’Alba to shame, with deeper, darker, more concentrated reds of remarkable structure and age-worthiness.

As to Dogliani’s greatest producer, there’s little debate among the critics or the local cognoscenti. With total production of just 400 cases, Mario Boschis’ single-vineyard “Vigna dei Prey” is not only the most expressive and exuberant Dolcetto in Piedmont, it may well be the most complex under-$20 red in Northern Italy. Here’s why.

The 4.8-acre “Vigna dei Prey” is perched at 1,600 feet in elevation, enjoying a perfect south-southwest exposure. Planted in 1990, the soils here are much like the Côte de Nuits — a classical mix of clay and limestone — much explaining the beautiful mineral pitch and aromatic complexity of the wine. The Boschis have long been risk-takers in the vines, not only dropping fruit, but harvesting later than their neighbors, thus pushing the envelope on maturity. In a 2013 vintage in Piedmont, a cool, slow-ripening vintage that proved to be ideal for “Vigna dei Prey.”

The 2013 Dolcetto di Dogliani “Vigna dei Prey” is purple-black to the rim. Explosive aromatically, featuring a lavish mix of small black fruits, black cherry, lavender, and licorice. Big, rich, and dense on entry, with palate-staining intensity and concentration, still finely delineated and focused on the mid-palate in a Burgundian way, finishing with great length and persistence. Drink now-2025.

92 points from the top Italian wine expert in the world, Antonio Galloni. $25 on release. Just $17.99 today for a fortunate few. We LOVED this wine.