Schiavenza Dolcetto d'Alba

Schiavenza is located in Serralunga d'Alba in the heart of Piedmont's Langhe district, celebrated for its great Barolo vineyards. The estate was founded in 1956 by the brothers Vittorio and Ugo Alessandria; the estate and surrounding area were traditionally worked by sharecroppers. The local dialect for sharecropping is schiavenza. Today, the estate is run by the second-generation Alessandria sisters, Enrica and Maura, and their husbands Luciano Pira and Walter Anselma.

In the vineyard, they do not use pesticides or herbicides. Cover crops such as clover and mustard greens are planted to achieve balance and limit yields naturally. Harvest is manual and is conducted according to the phases of the moon.  In the cellar, they use only naturally occurring yeasts, and ferment the wines in cement cisterns, with 20-25 days of maceration. In terms of aging,  the wines see extended time in the traditional large 3000-3600L Slavonian oak casks called botti. Sourced from 2.2 hectares in different vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, at altitudes of 370-400m. The oldest vines date back to 1965, while the youngest were planted in 2006. Dolcetto d’Alba is a red wine with an intense ruby ​​color with violet reflections. On the nose you can appreciate notes of cherries, ripe black cherries and hints of spices. In the mouth it is full-bodied, with good freshness.