Brezza, Dolcetto d'Alba 2022

For anyone who is a fan of traditionally made Barolo, Brezza should be on the short list of classic producers. First started in 1885 and still family owned and operated, they’re a bastion of the old-school, graceful style that make no compromises with their adherence to the methods and philosophies of an older era. Today, Brezza is run by 4th generation owner and winemaker Enzo Brezza. Enzo’s first vintage was in 1989, and the quality of the estate has soared under his steady hand. This should come as little surprise given his training under his father Oreste and the influence of his uncle and godfather Bartolo Mascarello. While Enzo has remained unwavering in his commitment to a traditional style of winemaking, he has by no means been complacent with pushing the estate in terms of viticulture. Barolo has not always been at the forefront of organic viticulture, yet Enzo converted all their vineyards into being fully certified organic as of 2015 (conversion began in 2010). Composting, cover crops, and using small tractors are just some of the steps they’ve used to improve their vineyards’ health. In the cellar they’ve adopted spontaneous fermentations in the cellar for majority of their wines. They age their Barolo strictly in large cask, give the wines ample time during elevage, and bottle without filtering or clarification.

Even more than Barbera, dolcetto tends to get planted in the worst spots in Barolo, giving preference to Nebbiolo for Barolo. However, this vineyard, planted in 1991 in Barolo is south-west facing allowing for good ripening and the very soft and sandy soils not only allow for great drainage but add more perfume and fruit to the wines. Grapes are destemmed and fermented on the skins for seven days before being transferred into concrete tank to age for 8 months. The wine is aged another 4-5 months in bottle before release.

FOOD PAIRING: cheese, tomato-based foods, eggplant parmigiana, pizza

CERTIFIED ORGANIC.