Poderi Cellario Giovanotto Dolcetto 2022

Il Giovanotto is Poderi Cellario's take on a nouveau-style red: 100% Dolcetto from organically farmed vineyards in the southern Langhe, bottled in a one-liter format and made for immediate drinking. The grapes go through whole-cluster carbonic maceration, a technique that extracts bright fruit character while keeping tannins soft and the wine light on its feet. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfites.

The vineyards sit across five sites in the southern Langhe near Carrù, on soils of marl and tuff at around 350 meters elevation. Marl, the predominant clay-based soil of Piedmont, contributes natural acidity to the wines, while the tuff — of volcanic origin — adds a smoky mineral quality. Cellario's most prestigious Dolcetto land falls within the Dogliani DOCG zone, with additional holdings in Novello and Monforte.

The name Giovanotto translates loosely to 'young man' in Italian, which tells you everything about the intended drinking window and mood of this wine. It lands somewhere between a Beaujolais Nouveau and a classic Dolcetto d'Alba — more aromatic and juicy than structured. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts; the wine sees stainless steel and is released early in the season.

Fausto and Cinzia Cellario are third-generation winemakers from Carrù who work exclusively with indigenous Piedmontese varieties. Cinzia's allergy to sulfites has made zero-addition bottling a practical as much as a philosophical choice across most of the range. The one-liter format reinforces the wine's purpose: pour freely, share widely, chill slightly if you like.