The 2014 Diano d'Alba Le Lepre is a pure expression of Dolcetto that remains very true to the grape. The wine shows soft lines with bright fruit intensity backed by bold cherry and blackberry. It offers an easy-drinking style with plump richness and soft tannins that caress the palate. This not a wine of great complexity, nor is it intended to be.

The 2010 Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba Vigna La Lepre reveals striking inner perfume and plenty of detail in an attractive, vibrant, mid-weight style. Deceptively medium in body, the wine shows excellent depth, with floral, minty notes that add complexity on the finish. This is a pricey Dolcetto, but the 2010 is easily the best vintage I have ever tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016. These are some of the best wines I have tasted from Fontanafredda. The entry-level wines are quite a bit better than the supermarket-quality level that has characterized recent vintages. The dark, opaque color, jammy fruit and overdone oak in the Baroli appear to be things of the past. The Baroli are aged one year in oak and a second year in cask, but Oenologist Danilo Drocco has lowered the percentage of new barrels in the first year dramatically, which is allowing more Nebbiolo character to come through.Importer: Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 362-9642