Dolcetto d’Asti DOC Appellation
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
The first evidence of the cultivation of Dolcetto in the Asti area dates back to the first decade of the sixteenth century by Giovan Giorgio Allione d’Asti, playwright and poet who mentions the ‘Dosset de Mongardin’, a town on the outskirts of Asti, in one of his plays.
The widespread diffusion of Dolcetto in the Alto Monferrato (and in the pre-Apennine belt) is already attested by distinguished Piedmontese scholars and ampelographers of the 18th and 19th centuries such as Nuvolone and Gallesio, who also cite the synonym “Grape d’Acqui”.
In 1613 this Gugliemo Prato, “citizen of Astese, Speziale and Filosopho”, wrote a treatise where he spoke of the ‘Dosseti’ as a ’round and gentle wine with a very large and tasty color, little or no agrestine’ suggesting a certain diffusion in the area of Langa Astigiana, municipalities aggregated to the Province of Asti in 1935.
The DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine obtained the recognition of the Controlled Designation of Origin on 10 June 1974.
Territory
The geographical area dedicated to the production of DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine extends over the Asti hills located in the Nizza Monferrato area, in an area that is adequately ventilated, bright and favorable to the fulfillment of all the vegetative-productive functions of the vineyards.
The Production Area of the DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine is located in:
– province of Asti and includes the territory of the municipalities of Bubbio, Cassinasco, Castelboglione, Castelletto Molina, Castel Rocchero, Cessole, Fontanile, Loazzolo, Maranzana, Mombaldone, Mombaruzzo, Monastero Bormida, Montabone, Olmo Gentile, Quaranti, Roccaverano, Rocchetta Palafea, S Giorgio Scarampi, Serole, Sessame, Vesime and, in part, the territory of the municipalities of Calamandrana, Canelli and Nizza Monferrato.
Vinification and Aging
During the vinification phases, only loyal and constant oenological practices of the area are allowed, suitable to give the wines their peculiar quality characteristics.
The oenological practices of vinification of the DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine include, among other things, that:
– The maximum yield of grapes into DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine must not exceed 70%.
The DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine with the Superiore mention must be aged for at least 12 months.
– On the labels of each type of DOC Dolcetto d’Asti wine it is mandatory to report the year of production of the grapes.
