Luigi Tacchino Du Riva Dolcetto d'Ovada

For more than three generations the Tacchino family has produced superb fresh and vibrant wines in Castelletto d'Orba in Monferrato, Piedmont. This is perfect wine country as the hills provide a natural amphitheatre which protects the vineyards from the northerly winds.

Winemakers Alessio and Romina balance a respect for tradition with modern winemaking methods and a rigorous attention to detail to produce a range of wines of outstanding elegance and purity. Tacchino's vines are spread over 25 hectares, about half of which benefit from a south to south-easterly aspect.

The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one". Often viewed as Piedmont's third red wine grape, Dolcetto has historically been something of a poor cousin to Nebbiolo and Barbera. As such, this adaptable, early ripening variety is often relegated to cooler vineyard sites where Nebbiolo would struggle to ripen. These plots are often found at higher altitudes. These cooler locations also help the variety to retain acidity, and to avoid premature ripening (it already ripens several weeks before Nebbiolo). This can be an important balancing factor for many modern versions of Dolcetto, from all over Piedmont.