Furèt (2015)

About this wine

This is 100 percent Dolcetto from the Alba area, with many bottles sourced around Serralunga d’Alba. On the nose you will find red cherry, wild berry and violet, with a hint of almond that appears on the finish. The palate is medium bodied, with juicy fruit, moderate acidity and firm but approachable tannins that give a slightly bitter aftertaste. Vinification is carried out in stainless steel with a relatively short maceration period and malolactic fermentation soon after the alcoholic fermentation. The wine typically sees little or no wood ageing and is bottled after a short period of maturation in steel, which preserves the fresh fruit character and the wine’s bright aromatic profile.

About the grape

Dolcetto is an old Piedmontese grape first recorded in the Middle Ages and long grown on the hills around Alba, where it developed a reputation for early ripening and bright fruit. The variety is known for thin to medium skins, moderate acidity and a characteristic bitter almond note, and it is commonly trained on traditional Guyot or pergola systems in the region to control vigor. In this Villadoria Furèt bottling the wine is made from Dolcetto picked by hand, gently destemmed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel with a roughly ten day maceration and frequent delestage to extract fruit and soften tannins. Malolactic fermentation is completed soon after alcoholic fermentation so the grape s natural softness and fresh aromatics are preserved in the final wine.

Quick facts

• 🦦 Villadoria labels this Dolcetto as Furèt, a name that echoes the local Piedmontese word for ferret, giving the wine a playful local personality.
• 🍾 Furèt is made in relatively small volume for a table Dolcetto, the producer reports around 15,000 bottles which makes it easy to find yet still a bit special.
• 🌿 The Dolcetto grape for Furèt is picked early in the harvest, Dolcetto being traditionally the first red grape harvested in Piedmont which preserves its fresh fruit character.
• ⚗️ Villadoria keeps the Furèt vinification simple and lively, with stainless steel fermentation and about ten days on the skins to boost bright aromas and snap.
• 🏡 The Lanzavecchia family behind Villadoria traces wine roots back to the late 19th century, and Furèt carries that multi generation story from vineyard nursery to the bottle.

Palate profile

Producer

Villadoria, established in 1959 by Pietro Lanzavecchia, is a family-run winery located in Serralunga d'Alba, Italy. The Lanzavecchia family's winemaking heritage dates back to the late 1800s, beginning with a vine plant nursery. Today, the winery spans approximately 20 hectares, primarily cultivating Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo production. Under the leadership of Daniele Lanzavecchia and his daughter Paola, Villadoria combines traditional methods with modern technology, emphasizing sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.