INSIDER'S PICK: 2016 BOSCHIS FRANCESCO DOGLIANI SUPERIORE 'VIGNE SORI SAN MARTINO' (Vinous 92points) $23.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We are also doing both a white and a red option each week, with the white wine available for the discount on Thursday and Friday, while the red wine available on Friday and Saturday. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

Throughout most of the Langhe region, Dolcetto is considered a more pedestrian grape, always doing the labor of making easy drinking everyday wines from lesser quality sites, while Nebbiolo and Barbera get the notoriety and star treatment. The rare exception is in the region of Dogliani, just South of Barolo, where Dolcetto actually gets top billing, even having a DOCG status for certain levels of quality. Boschis Francesco is one of the top producers in the region, with over 50 years as an independent producer in an area that was largely co-operatives, as well as using an older clone of the Dolcetto grape that is not often planted because it doesn't produce at high volumes, which is what most growers want.This clone usually only appears in vineyards where the wineries want to get the best out of the variety, so it's no surprise that each of the four Boschis Francecsco vineyards feature it. Simply put, you haven't tried Dolcetto at it's best unless you've tried a wine like this, and the price point for reaching this top level is shockingly affordable. Deep, dark color with loads of savory aromas over the dark cherry and red fruits, gamey and peppery and a little bit wild. Equally mouthfilling with some chewy tannins that bring out the savory flavors on the finish even more than on the nose, though the texture does soften as the fruit and perfume emerges with some time open. This is optimally a food wine, perfect with hearty comfort foods made simply with high quality ingredients, or even a deep dish homemade lasagna. The pinnacle of a 'peasant meal'.

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