Tenimenti La Lepre Dolcetto Diano d’ Alba (2004) Piemonte

I know, I know, not another wine from Piemonte. The bottle however, caught my eye. Purchased in Winestyles, a bad franchised wine store, Tenimenti’s La Lepre; Italian for "The Lepre" (hare, actually), looked formidable. "We serve this wine at our, blah, blah, blah" said the franchisee. "2004 is pretty old for a Dolcetto" I responded. A blank stare followed. I later learned that Tenimenti is a new brand from long-time winemaker Fontanafredda that showcases wines made from grapes grown on the estate's own vineyards or by growers supported by Fontanafredda's 125 years of technical know-how. Fontanafredda’s "Mad Men" state that "The new logo - incorporated into an original line of labels - also appears on the bottle, which is itself brand-new. The change in the bottle is destined to be the most striking element: for the first time in its history, Fontanafredda is leaving behind its unmistakable, traditional burgundy bottle for a wide-shouldered Bordeaux bottle." As full of crap as that sounds, it worked. I picked up the bottle from the shelf and admired its heft. "What power this wine must have" I thought. So in spite of its age and knowing nothing else about the wine; I bought a bottle. I was quite surprised. The wine was a delight. 100% Dolcetto, grown on a 2.55 hectare vineyard located in the village of Diano d'Alba, the wine was a beautiful deep ruby-red with violet highlights. Fruity nose of plums and cherries. Very slight tannins; well balanced. Fermented in stainless and aged a short time (four months) in barriques. Very enjoyable. I’d buy it again.