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San Fereolo

Vigne Dolci Dogliani 2016

Sale price: $24.95 Regular price:$33.95
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Tasting notes

The Rocca Ciglie site's sandy soils at 600 meters give this Dolcetto a bright, racy character that stands in contrast to the heavier Dolcettos of Alba. There is a savory, earthy undercurrent running beneath the red fruit that makes it far more interesting than the grape's easy-drinking reputation would suggest.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
Black CherryPlumEarthAlmond
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied Dolcetto; ruby with violet tints; earthy red fruit, snappy tannins; 13.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Dolcetto; Demeter-certified biodynamic; Rocca Ciglie vineyard, Dogliani, light sandy soils, 600m elevation
  • Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation; aged in stainless steel; no temperature control; minimal additions
  • Serving: Serve at 60-64F; 20-30 min decant optional; can cellar further
  • Pairing: Braised rabbit, tajarin with meat ragu, salumi, mushroom dishes, Castelmagno cheese
  • Similar To: For fans of earthy, food-driven Gamay or Barbera who want something from Piedmont's lesser-known side

Vigne Dolci comes from the Rocca Ciglie vineyard in Dogliani, where lighter, sandier soils sit at roughly 600 meters elevation. That terroir sets this wine apart from San Fereolo's other cru, Valdiba: where Valdiba is dense and chewy on clay-chalk, Vigne Dolci is racy and energetic, with a lifted purity that runs through every sip.

Nicoletta Bocca ferments with native yeasts and keeps her hands off the process, allowing just the faintest trace of volatile acidity to surface, a signature that adds lift rather than distraction. The wine is aged in stainless steel, which preserves the vineyard's character without layering on wood or oxidative notes.

Dolcetto from Dogliani carries a natural bitterness on the finish, here expressed as snappy tannins and a subtle almond note. The grape is one of Piedmont's three principal red varieties, and in the Dogliani DOCG it reaches a fuller structure than in Dolcetto d'Alba or Dolcetto d'Asti, with more aromatic complexity and genuine aging potential.

The 2016 vintage shows an earth-tinged savory streak alongside red and dark fruit. It is dry, medium-bodied, and built for food rather than contemplation on its own.

The snappy tannins and savory streak make this a natural with Piedmontese classics: tajarin with meat ragu, braised rabbit, or a board of local salumi. It also works well alongside mushroom-based dishes and aged Castelmagno cheese.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Dolcetto
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2016
Alcohol:, 13.5%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Piedmont
Appellation:, Dogliani Superiore DOCG
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

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If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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Heat/Frost damage

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Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

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**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

San Fereolo

Nicoletta Bocca left Milan in 1992 to assemble the San Fereolo estate from parcels whose previous owners were too old to farm. The property covers 12 hectares in Dogliani, in the southwestern Langhe of Piedmont. The oldest Dolcetto vines on the estate were planted in 1936, and even the youngest date to 1978, giving the estate a base of 40 to 70-plus year old vines throughout.

Nicoletta began transitioning to organic farming in 2004 and adopted biodynamic practices in the vineyard from 2005, eventually completing full Demeter certification. The estate uses copper and sulfur in very small quantities and applies biodynamic preparations to support soil health. She was influenced by neighboring producers in Dogliani who had always farmed without additions and with minimal intervention.

Winemaking at San Fereolo relies on native yeasts and avoids temperature control unless a fermentation vat approaches dangerous highs, at which point the must is temporarily racked to cool before returning to the wood vat. Vigne Dolci is aged in stainless steel to preserve the lighter sandy-soil character of the Rocca Ciglie site. Her flagship San Fereolo Dogliani Superiore sees years in large Slavonian oak botti followed by additional bottle aging before release, a regimen Nicoletta applies selectively based on the cuvee.

Wine region

Piedmont, Italy

Dogliani sits in the southern Langhe hills of Piedmont, in Cuneo province, roughly 10 kilometers south of Barolo. The appellation spans 21 communes and covers approximately 542 hectares of Dolcetto vines. Elevations range up to 800 meters, and the ideal planting zone sits between 400 and 600 meters, where berries ripen fully without losing acidity. The proximity to the Ligurian Apennines keeps the climate cooler than areas further north in the Langhe.

Dogliani DOCG (formerly Dolcetto di Dogliani) received DOC recognition in 1974 and was elevated to DOCG status in 2005, with the current unified regulations taking effect in 2011. The appellation produces exclusively 100% Dolcetto wines across multiple quality tiers, with the Superiore designation requiring a minimum of 12 months aging and 13% alcohol. Dogliani wines are generally fuller and more structured than Dolcetto from Alba or Asti, with characteristic notes of black cherry, plum, and almond on the finish. The best sites feature clay-limestone soils on south-facing hillside slopes.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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