No Translation Needed--Paolo's Favorite Wine
On my recent trip to visit winemakers, several of them asked if I preferred to speak in English. It’s a hospitable offer to communicate in a second language, and I’m always very grateful for the effort. But I am also very lucky to speak a second language. I tell them, ”Let’s use your native tongue… I want to hear about you without a filter.”
It’s the most important aspect of what we do…it’s why we spend time on the road, meeting people in their vineyards and wineries. You can read all about a place, a wine, a person, but it doesn’t tell you the whole story. Sitting face to face with a winemaker, we hear their story in their own words, pick up every gesture, facial expression, and emotion that tells us so much more.
Now, my Italian isn’t nearly as good as my French, but thankfully, the Italians are known for being emotive… Paolo Baudana is no exception. He has an easy-breezy way about him, but get him talking about his work, and well… you can see him light up.
Tasting with him in person, even with my rough Italian, you feel the love he has for what he does. Ask him about his Dolcetto, and you can really get him going.
“I can’t make it every year. It’s a difficult site, and we have to fight to keep the wild boars out of the vineyard! But in the years we can make it, this is my favorite wine.”
“It is a wine that you don’t just drink," he continued. "You almost have to chew it. It's fruity and mouth-filling, with a big structure but still fresh. I like it because it is something unexpected, outside the box.”
Well, today, we've got a small stash of Paolo's out-of-the-box Dolcetto for you. As he indicated, we don't get this one every year, and it's a micro-production, just like everything else they do... let's go!
Contrada di Sorano Dolcetto d'Alba Superiore 'Autin' 2022
100% Dolcetto from a west-facing parcel planted in 2001
Long maceration to extract rich flavors and a robust structure
Brimming with blue and black fruit, a crack of black pepper, fresh and succulent to its core
Ready to drink now, perfect for any weeknight meal