Flavio Roddolo, Dolcetto d'Alba, 2010

Flavio Roddolo does things his own way, and that includes treating Dolcetto, usually a simple everyday quaffer, with real ambition. From his vines in Monforte d'Alba, this Dolcetto d'Alba is aged in cask rather than rushed into bottle, giving a wine with unusual depth and staying power for the grape. This 2010 is a back-vintage, well past Dolcetto's usual drink-young window, which makes it a fascinating proposition: most Dolcetto never gets the chance to age, but Roddolo's structure means this one has. Expect a softened, savory, more serious version of the grape. A cult-favorite Piedmont grower whose wines rarely sit still, caught at an age you almost never see.