#381 Blind tasting Dolcetto - twice

Every so often, some bugger thinks it is funny and tricks someone doing a blind tasting by giving them the same wine twice.  Usually, I am that bugger, but today it happened to me.  I'm not going to hide the fact that I didn't spot it, but I will say that I had just finished a cup of tea when I tried the first wine, and I think my palate had become accustomed a bit to trying wines when I tried it again.  I know it is a feeble excuse but it is the only one I have, and if sportsmen can have excuses I reckon I can too!

Wine #1 (2009 Ascheri Dolcetto d'Alba Nirane)
Bright with a raspberry and bramble aroma coming off the nose.  There is a crisp fruit and just the slightest hint of cream.  The palate has red apple skin, a little spice up front and then some crisp cherry, a bit of alcohol on the mid palate and spice on the finish.  It is a bit bitter on the finish with dried spice.  OK. 85pts

Wine #2 (2009 Cigliuti Dolcetto d'Alba Serraboella)
A little bit of fat on the nose, darker fruit and a little bit of baked pie filling.  The palate is more savoury, but with a sweet jam up front, and again with a mid palate hit of alcohol.  A slight violet flavour, and then lots of tannin on the finish with bundles of bitter flavours.  Some apple skin and seed too.  Similarly ok, but that tannin is too much.  84pts

Wine #3 (2009 Ascheri Dolcetto d'Alba Nirane - again!)
Floral, with some sweeter raspberries on the nose.  There is a touch of apple and then some sour cherry coming off.  The palate has a sweetness up front, well balanced and with some leathery notes.  There is a nice spice and a spike of alcohol, a simplicity too with softer tannins and a lovely herbal spice throughout the finish.  Kinda reminds me of Dr Pepper! 89pts

Wine #4 (2010 DG.D. Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba)
Watermelon - lots and lots of watermelon, both the red flesh and the green skin.  The palate is full, lots of richer, dried fruit with bundles of cherry, more melon and a little spice coming off.  There is a really nice bitter note to this wine with some fresh raspberries mixed with stewed cherries.  A strange wine, quite dry, tannic yet very clean and with a long lasting finish.  87pts

Wine #5 (2007 Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto d'Alba Priavino)
A lot of burnt meat and power coming off the wine.  This really isn't Dolcetto, is is some attempt at a big, powerful wine.  The palate is alcoholic, leathery, tannic and dark - far too much power for a wine that is supposed to be an early drinker.  It is very bitter on the finish too. 83pts

I was disappointed by the Voerzio, which, after being opened overnight, did mellow down and become more approachable, but I was imporessed by a couple the other wines.  The Vajra was strange with its overly watermelon aroma and the Ascheri, on second tasting, was lovely - even if on first tasting it was a bit austere.  I am pleased that my tasting note was, roughly, the same for both wines, it just tasted better on the second go.  Anyway, now I'm going to go and hang my head in shame...