This 2019 La Matinera Dolcetto d’Alba shined as a sipping wine, and it offered plentiful notes, including basil (you read that right)…
Name: La Matinera
Vintage: 2019
Producer: Rocche Dei Manzoni
Region/Country: Monforte d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy
Grape Varietal(s): Dolcetto d’Alba
Alcohol Level: 12.5%
Consumed: At home
Recommended By: The Charlie’s Burger Wine Program team
Cost: $39.95 CAD (retail cost according to the CB Wine Program store)
For the more detailed wine review, read on…
Bottle Presentation
A classic and distinguished label that focuses on the required legal information.
Appearance
Medium ruby.
Nose
Clean, pronounced intensity nose, with bright red fruit (raspberries, cherries), red licorice, basil, vanilla, balsamic vinegar, grilled/charred meat, cinnamon, cloves, roasted red peppers, violets, cola, and fennel notes. We also detected alcohol on the nose. Despite the cinnamon and balsamic vinegar notes, we would consider this a youthful wine.
Palate
Dry, medium-bodied, high acidity, high and drying tannins, and medium alcohol. Medium(+) flavour intensity with notes of red cherry, dried basil and thyme, wet wood, unsweetened cocoa, black cherry, tomato leaf, tea leaf, coffee grinds, violets, graphite, and blueberries.
Finish
Long, with pleasantly enduring fruit notes.
Overall Impressions
This 2019 edition of Rocche Dei Manzoni La Matinera offered complexity good staying power (length), and plenty of intensity. The noticeable alcohol, despite it being of medium level (12.5%), undermined the balance, however. As such, we would rate this wine very good overall.
The vibrant red fruit made it a great sipping wine, but it also paired well with our food test. Specifically, the spicy character of the wine came out when we paired it with our Calabrese pizza. In turn, basil notes came out with the honey-goat cheese Margherita pizza. We love basil so this came as a welcomed surprise.
Though you could certainly cellar this wine for another year or two to see more tertiary notes (like the balsamic vinegar) emerge, we suggest pouring this wine now, as it appears to be near its peak drinking window.
On a side note, we appreciated the tasting notes that came with the wine from the Charlie’s Burgers Wine Program. Unlike many of our experiences with bottle labels, this one accurately reflected the offering, at least in our humble opinion.
Ratings
Overall Rating: 91/10
E-Wine rating: 3/5. We would purchase a couple bottles of 2019 Rocche Dei Manzoni La Matinera, one to enjoy now and another to keep for another year to see how it evolves.
Value: 3/5.